- 1816 - Jonas Proctor, a wheelwright, purchased land for his shop over Beaver Brook on the west
side of Central Square. His sons Charles and Alfred were also wheelwrights
- 1822 - Jonas bought land next door, and built a house there sometime between 1831 and 1843.
Perhaps he purchased it for his son Charles who married his first wife Genett in 1838
- 1844 - Jonas bought land next door, and built a house there sometime between 1831 and 1843.
He likely purchased it for his son Charles who married his first wife Genett in 1838
- 1880 - Charles Proctor died, and Warren Johnson from Boston leased the wheelwright shop building
“to make a living by doing good work at reasonable prices.”
The glass plate negative image below shows the wheelwright shop with boards in front covering Beaver Brook bofore it passes under the road through Central Square.
The view of Charles Proctor House next door is obstructed by a tree, but the First Parish Unitarian Church and Central House windmill can be seen above it.
The Charles Proctor Wheelwright Shop circa 1880 (Historical Society collection) colorized by FM
- 1897 - James P Emerson's son Ralph Waldo was appointed postmaster on August 6 at the beginning of the William McKinley administration. The Emersons constructed a two-and-a-half story house in between the wheelwright shop and Charles Proctor house with a post office on the first floor and Ralph's residence on the second
- 1898 - Charles’ sister Julia Spaulding sold the wheelwright shop property to James P Emerson.
- 1902 - Isaac W Knight purchased the property from Herbert C Sweetser and George W Day
- 1905 - The post office, second floor residence, and former Charles Proctor house are seen in the image below during the town's 250 year celebration. Note the photo of President Theodore Roosevelt in the bunting above the post office, and that you could buy ice cream and soca for a nickel
The Post Office and Proctor House in 1905 (Historical Society collection) colorized by FM
- 1913 - Ralph Emerson's term as postmaster ended on July 24 at the end of the William H Taft presidency
- 1915 - In December James Emerson moved the Charles Proctor house from Central Square to his
farm land at 22 Fletcher St. as a rental house, and to make room for a new commercial building
The Charles Proctor House crossing the tracks on North Road (Historical Society collection)
 Charles Proctor House at 22 Fletcher Street (Historical Commission collection) colorized by FM
- Ralph Emerson, who was previously the postmaster in the Square, built a concrete repair
garage on the house site with a brick faced display room for auto supplies in the front.
- 1919 - Ralph Emerson and James L Byam were operating The Village Shop, a garage and store in Central Square with a Socony Gasoline pump out front
The Village Shop circa 1920 (Public Library collection) colorized by FM
- 1921 - Ralph Emerson was a clerk in Lowell and living at 10 North Road
- 1925 - Ralph Emerson, as treasurer, and Loring R Kew operated Puritan Motor Sales, the first automobile showroom in the Square, a
Ford auto and Fordson tractor dealership with service and fuel. by 1930 Loring had moved ot Lowell and ralph followed in his father's footsteps as an auctioneer
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Puritan Motor Sales circa 1925 (Linda Prescott collection) colorized by FM
- 1925 - Arthur H Pease of Revere purchased the property from Isaac W Knight of Carlisle with Chester M Brown of Quincy as an intermediary
- 1930s - Sterling Pratt ran a Ford dealership and filling station called Pratt Motors in the former Puritan Motor Sales building
- 1936 - Charles Carroll started the Carroll Motor Company in February in the former Puritan Motor Sales location
Carroll Motor Company advertisement (Chelmsford Newsweekly April 3, 1941)
 Carroll Motor Company pre-war advertisement (Chelmsford Newsweekly July 24, 1941)
- 1941 - Frederick Russell and Minot A Bean purchased the property from Arthur H Pease
- 1945 - Elizabeth A Withington purchased the property from Frederick Russell and Minot A Bean
- 1946 - Ownership was transferered from Elizabeth to Elizabeth A and C Frederick Withington
- Fred Withington connected the front of the post office and Ford dealership buildings with a unified facade and the gaps between buildings were
converted into store-fronts. From left to right: the small gap on the left held Bill Sullivan’s Westlands Taxi stand; the post office building held The Center Shop operated by Dorilla M Stott and Harry Lewis barber shop (he lived upstairs); the next gap held the Chelmsford Laundry; and the Ford dealership building held a used furniture store at this time
Stores redeveloped by Fred Withington, circa 1948 (Historical Society collection) colorized by FM
- 1948 - Late this year a fire seriously damaged the first floor of the former post office building
- 1949 - The second floor was moved down Billerica road to 19 Perham Street
Second floor of 17-18 Central Square moving to Perhan Street (Lowell Sun) January 5, 1949
 Destination of former post office second floor (2011 photo by FM)
- 1952 - Purity foods vacated the former Ford dealer ship and service center at 15 Central Square
- 1955 - Carroll R Libby purchased three seperate parcels from Elizabeth A and C Frederick Withington
- 1956 - Elizabeth A Withington purchased the property from Carroll R Libby
- Robert and Albert Godin from Fitchburg, as president and treasruer, established Godin Stores
Godin Stores at far right in August 1959 (Historical Society collection) colorized by FM
 Godins Grand Reopening, July 7, 1961 (Chelmsford Newsweekly)
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- 1983 - John M Handley purchased the property from Elizabeth A Withington in February
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Card & Gift Shop, October 12, 2011 (Photo by FM)
 REFERENCES:
- Middlesex North registry of Deeds
- "Images of America, North and West Chelmsford" Arcadia Publishing, Fred Merriam, 2016
- "The Stony Brook Railroad" H. Arnold Wilder, 1979"
- Conversations with Stan Woodward's family, Bill (son), Faith (daughter), Dwight (brother), 2023
- Directories, Lowell Suburban-Chelmsford Section, Chelmsford Historical Society website Library page
- Newspaper, Lowell Daily Courier, October 18, 1884 edition
- Newspaper, Chelmsford Independent, January 15, 1987 edition
- Photo collection, Thomas Collins, West Chelmsford
- Photo collection, Fred Merriam, West Chelmsford
- Photo collection, Chelmsford Historical Society
- State Inventory, Historical Commission website Railroads page, West Chelmsford Freight House
- State Inventory, Historical Commission website Homes page, 8- & 32-School Street, 16-Washington Street
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