Born February 16, 1812, Henry Wilson, vice president of the United States under Ulysses S. Grant, was known as "The Natick Cobbler." After his indenture was completed, he walked to Natick from Farmington, New Hampshire. Here he learned shoemaking. The shoe shop located near the corner of West Central and Mill Streets is a memorial to him. His home was at 33 West Central Street.

The Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is located on the corner of West Central and Mill Streets. The structure is an example of a ten-footer. Many homes had these small shops or ells where piecework on shoes was done. Runners delivered the pieces and picked up the finished work. This continued into the 1900's notwithstanding the concentration of shoemaking in the large factories of the late 1800's.