Grafton is a semi-rural town in east central Massachusetts lying southeast of the City of Worcester. The population according to the federal census in 2000 was 14,894.
Grafton was originally occupied by a tribe of Nipmuck Indians and was called Hassanamisco (place of small stones). In 1671, an English missionary named John Eliot, who preached in Hassanamisco, established an Indian church and school here where the Bible was studied in the Indian language. The church and school were located near the current common. Today there is an Indian Homestead on Brigham Hill.
In 1724, a group of 39 men and one woman, mainly from Marlborough, Sudbury, Concord, and Stow, presented a petition to the General Court and were granted the right to purchase 7,500 acres of land from Indian owners. The money was to be held in an account under the direction of the General Court for the benefit of the Indians. The Town of Grafton was established in 1735 and named in honor of Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, and grandson of Charles I.
The present Grafton common was established in 1738. The original 40 proprietors of Grafton voted that four acres of land near the center of the plantation of Hassanamisco were to be set aside as common land and that a meetinghouse, burial ground schoolhouse, and militia training field be situated at this place. The first meetinghouse of the Congregational Puritan settlement was built in 1730 and stood at the center of the common. This meetinghouse remained on the common for 100 years. The cross behind the pulpit in the present Congregational Church is fashioned of timber from this building, which was subsequently demolished. In 1845, a portion of the original Common was fenced, graded, and planted with trees. The present bandstand was built in 1965 by Hollywood filmmakers for a scene in the production of “Ah Wilderness,” which was filmed in Grafton.
The earliest of homes of the 40 proprietors, some of which are still standing, are scattered throughout town. By the early 19th century, houses were being built along North Street, South Street, and Worcester Street. Many fine examples of Early American, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture still exist along these streets.
Six villages were formed near the centers of manufacturing activity and were called: Grafton (center); New England Village (North Grafton); Centerville (Brigham Hill by the river); Farnumsville, Fisherville, and Saundersville (South Grafton). All but Grafton were located by significant water power.
Click here to View the Information About Town of Grafton : Covid-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis & Vaccination Data as of November18,…
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Read More »Preventing Fall Illness Letter to MA families with suggestions for preventing respiratory illness, signed jointly by MA Department of Public Health (MADPH) and the MA Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). To view the letter…
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Read More »Click here to Read More Information About Town of Grafton : COVID-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis and Vaccination Data as of October 21,…
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Read More »COVID-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis, Vaccination Data & 2-Week Positivity Rate as of September 9, 2022 For the most up to date data on COVID-19 case counts, age analysis, vaccination data and 2-week positivity rate please read…
Read More »Click Here To View The Town of Grafton News - COVID-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis, Vaccination Data And 2-Weekpositivity Rate As Of September 2,…
Read More »Please click here to see the Press Release from The City of Worcester "Warning: this overflow consists, or likely consists, of untreated or partially treated sewage and waste"...Released on September 6,…
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Read More »Click Here To View The Town of Grafton - Bi-Annual Communicable Disease Surveillance Report - 2022
Read More »Click here to View the Information About Town of Grafton : COVID-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis And Vaccination Data as of August12,…
Read More »COVID-19 Boosters The Executive Office of Health and Human Services is urging residents to get their COVID-19 boosters as soon as they are eligible. Getting a booster now will lower the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even…
Read More »Click here to View the Information About COVID-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis, Vaccination Data And 2-WeekPositivity Rate as of July 29,…
Read More »Central MA Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) personnel will be in Grafton to respond to resident's concerns about mosquitoes in their area on the following dates in August, 2022: - August 4 - August 11 - August 18 - August 25 - September 1…
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Read More »Click Here To View Town of Grafton - Covid-19 Case Counts, Age Analysis, Vaccination Data And Positivity Rate As Of July 8,…
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Read More »Following recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Massachusetts children ages 6 months to 4 years old are now eligible to receive the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19…
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Read More »A reminder that abandoned swimming pools can become a significant larval mosquito habitat. The CMMCP can treat these pools to reduce or eliminate the hatch of all mosquito species, some of which .......please read…
Read More »The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) today announced two cases of monkeypox in two adult men who had close contact with one another. Initial testing was completed late Saturday at the State Public Health Laboratory in Jamaica Plain;…
Read More »Central MA Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) personnel will be in Grafton to respond to resident's concerns about mosquitoes in their area on the following dates in June 2022: June 1 June 9 June 16 June 22 June 30 Any of the above dates…
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