The joint-oldest settlement on Cape Cod, Yarmouth was incorporated in 1640, and is steeped in maritime history. In the Golden Age of Sail, Yarmouth was the home of a long roll call of sea captains, commanding the clipper ships that helped open the world to international trade. Many of their homes are preserved along the …
Part of neighboring Chelmsford until in 1729, Westford is a town of 25,000 not far southwest of Lowell. Westford Academy (1794), one of the oldest public schools in the United States, was where Paul Revere sent his son, and the original building now houses the local historical society’s museum. The Town Common is a quaint …
In southeastern Massachusetts, the town of Middleborough is wrapped in lovely rural landscapes of mill brooks, cranberry bogs and the largest lakes in the state. The old center of town hasn’t changed much in more than a century, with a stately town hall and library building, and grand commercial architecture going back deep into the …
Incorporated as long ago as 1636, Dedham is the seat of Norfolk County, with an historic center commanded by a courthouse from 1820. In Dedham you can visit a residence known to have been built around the time the town was founded. The Fairbanks House dates to around 1637, and preserves a rare amount of …
Incorporated in 1735, Acton is a town made up of five loosely scattered village centers. The oldest of these is Acton Centre, where the local militia company assembled before marching to the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775. Responding to the alarm raised by Paul Revere and relayed by one of his party, Samuel …
Just past the halfway point between Boston and Providence, Mansfield is an affluent town of 24,000 people in Bristol County. For a community of modest size, Mansfield has a lively downtown area, with restaurants and locally-owned stores tracing a long strip of North Main Street. For many people, the name “Mansfield” is a byword for …
A well-heeled seaside town on the South Shore, Hingham is near the southeastern cusp of Boston Harbor and has volumes of colonial history going back to 1635. This heritage shines through in downtown Hingham, where the sights include the oldest church in continuous use in the United States, and the birthplace of General Benjamin Lincoln …
Incorporated in 1717, Westborough is a fast-growing town of 22,000, less than ten miles east of Worcester. Westborough has an upmarket air, reflected in the stately old commercial blocks downtown, and the palatial houses along West Main Street and its intersecting streets. There’s no shortage of town-owned green space, and the many parcels have slowly …
Thirty minutes south of Boston, Easton is a town associated with the Ames Family, one of the oldest and most important dynasties in Massachusetts. The family arrived in Easton in the early 1800s, establishing a shovel factory that supplied the Union Army in the Civil War, and helped build the Union Pacific Railroad. Over several …
Once touting itself as “The Gateway to Cape Cod”, the seaside town of Wareham is much more than a stepping stone. First off, there are 54 miles of shoreline here on Buzzards bay, along a heavily indented coast where public beaches are bathed by gentle, warm waters in summer. The best of these may be …