Grafton

A visit to Grafton is a chance to see a wonderful example of an early 19th century New England town center, except for the automobile, undisturbed by the passage of time. Most of the villages in the Blackstone Valley are based around large mechanized mills and rows of worker housing.
Yet in Grafton you can imagine yourself in an earlier time, when "cottage" industries clustered near the center , fine homes arose gracefully beside more modest residences and farmers rubbed elbows with business owners on a regular basis. Today you can still tour Grafton's original "walking community," with its park-like common surrounded by church spires, gracious structures, and yes; an old-fashioned general store. Stop by the General Store or Peggy's place on the common for a brochure on the walking tour produced by the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor.

















What is now Grafton was once part of the Nipmuc Indian tribe. Around 1660 several Nipmuc's joined an English "praying village" named hassanamesit, established by the famed missionary Rev. John Eliot. After the King Phillips war around 1676, the Village was abandoned, but the Nipmuc's still own a four-acre parcel on Brigham Hill Rd. and the burying ground is located on south street.
Though a lack of water power allowed Grafton Center to develop undisturbed, Grafton investors built mills along the Blackstone and Quinsigamond rivers, creating new village centers in Fisherville, Farnumsville, Saundersville, Kittville and New England Village. Each of these villages has its own fascinating story to tell, contributing to the development and history Grafton. Though a stroll through the common can transport you to a simpler time, Grafton's leadership is focused on planning for an even brighter future. "We have a lot to offer", says Ellen Onorato, publisher of "Grafton Daily," Grafton's 24/7 On-line news service, (www.graftondaily.com), "we have a highly rated school system, with committed teachers, local leaders who are concerned about our open -space as well economic development. It's a good mix." She speaks with pride concerning the new elementary school completed in 2002 for grades 4 and 5, "with every modern amenity possible and great recreational fields," she says.
Grafton is one of the few communities to develop a "comprehensive community master plan," that has identified all open space left in town. The goal is to plan the right balance between residential, commercial and industrial development while setting aside adequate recreational and preservation space.
Local leaders were instrumental in the development of Centech park, a sprawling Industrial complex off Rt. 30, one day providing hundreds of jobs for local residents, and with its MBTA rail connection, opening Grafton to the Boston labor and business market. "Grafton has always been a nice place to raise a family," says John Lapoint, long-time resident and Chairman of the town's Economic Development Commission, "our goal is to provide attractive business opportunities in Grafton while maintaining and enhancing our quality of life. "We are especially proud of our relationship with Tufts University," he said. The highly acclaimed Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine is located in North Grafton. "The Grafton Planning Board has just approved the road and infrastructure plans for phase one of the new Tufts Science Park. This will allow Tufts Biotechnology Development Corporation to move forward with plans for up to 386,000 square feet of buildings, all of which will pay property taxes and expand the tax base here in Grafton," Lapoint said.
Town planning, though difficult and often thankless, reaps a reward to a town far in excess of simply an expanded tax base. A park preserved, a development nixed or curtailed, provide the intangible benefits of a history preserved and a future worth looking forward to. Grafton, a truly special place, is in good hands.