1.75.2 Grafton Sights
Grafton is located within the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor. The Blackstone River valley is regarded as the birthplace of America's industrial revolution. The Quinsigamond and Blackstone Rivers flowing through Grafton provided the power to drive the mills and drew people to the mill villages. The Common at Grafton Center reflects the town's start as a hill top village. The National Park Service provides a brochure describing the history of Grafton Center along with a walking tour NPS Grafton Center brochure.The "Connecticut Path" monument (left) stands along the route of the Path on North Street between the Common and Chestnut Street. It is easy to miss as it is set back from the street within a private yard.
The Common at Grafton Center provides an opportunity to stop and walk past the old homes, monuments, band stand, churches, civic buildings, shops and the Grafton Inn. The beauty of the town around the green reflects a classic hilltop New England village. A small sample of photos (below) provides a taste of the town. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
The likely route of the Old Connecticut Path passes through Grafton Center. The red line displays the approximate route. The photos above were taken within the area of the Common. Note the number of modern roads that intersect at the Common. These are likely to have been built upon earlier Native footpaths.Click on the picture of Grafton Center (left) to enlarge. The Grafton Historical Society is located in the Old Town Hall (brick building at the north end of the Common). The Historical Society offers programs, exhibits and resources for research. Visit the Historical Society web site at http://www.graftonhistoricalsociety.org/
Visitor resources:
Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor (National Park Service) http://www.nps.gov/blac/index.htm
Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce Tourism Association http://www.blackstonerivervalley.com/index.html
Grafton Land Trust http://www.graftonland.org/home.php
Grafton MA History-Photos-Info http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~history/grafton/
Grafton MA links http://www.grafton-ma.org/
Grafton MA Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grafton,_Massachusetts
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