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Grafton Town Hall Official website
30 Providence Road
Grafton, MA 01519
508-865-5335
Fax: 508-865-4602

MHC Reconnaisance Town Survey

Dick Bolt's Wonderful Site on Grafton

"Report To Grafton Residents on the Cable TV Licensing Process - June, 2007"

Grafton Headlines - South Grafton Visioning

Grafton Cable Update from Town Officials

Grafton Common,  the most quintessential New England Common in the Blackstone Valley, is surrounded by sixteen historic buildings, including the traditional Congregational Church. The well maintained four acre parcel hosts a bandstand (gazebo) built in 1935 to film Eugene O'Neil's "Ah, Wilderness". Photo sessions for prom nights or weddings, summer concerts, the annual Antique Fair or Chain of Lights merely underscore the continued significance of the Grafton Common in Grafton's daily life.  Grafton volunteers worked to designate the area a Historic District to maintain the appearance with strict standards preserving the connection to the past. Charming shops, such as the Country Store, Peggy's Place or Antiques on the Common grace the area along with three churches, the typical Congregational Church as well as the First Baptist Church and the Unitarian Universalist. Several eateries line the Common, including Cafe on the Common, Latte & More and the historic centuries old Grafton Inn, home to a lovely double fireplace restaurant still offering overnight rooms to stay. Modest and grand residences, the library and two prominent Grafton builder offices also border this 120 x 135'  Common with historic architecture seen also along Church, Oak, South and Millbury streets all converging, along with Rte 140, at the historic Common. 

Rte 140 was the old roadway for stagecoaches often stopping at the historic Grafton Inn. However, according to very old maps in  1831 and another in 1832, Rte 140 and Worcester Street did not yet exist, so the bulk of the earlier stagecoach traffic probably came up South Street or along North Street before Rte 140 was built.  Church Street also did not exist until later.  Rte 122 lies about half a mile away minimizing the growing traffic through the Common, but these two old routes join further north where Grafton's small, but growing commercial district is located. A new car wash, larger regional family run building supplies store and a variety of small restaurants, gas stations and shops line the heavily trafficked road with easy access to the Mass Turnpike,  Rte 495, Rte 20, Rte 30, Rte 146 within minutes or the nearby Grafton station for the MBTA traveling to Boston.

Grafton is the second highest growing community in Massachusetts, after Franklin, adding to 5800 homes spread throughout the three different zip codes for South, North and central Grafton. Grafton has been working to provide affordable housing for its residents with several ongoing projects in varying stages. These three main sections, each retaining its very own neighborhood library, are comprised of many former old mill villages, cottage industries or rural farmlands with names such as Farnumsville, Saundersville, Kittsville, or Fisherville where the large, old mill burnt to the ground only a few years ago, but along the River where the National Heritage Corridor and Army Corps of Engineers heralds as a special waterfowl habitat. 

Scenic roads, wetlands and the farmlands are currently challenged with the heavy growth, but both Grafton townspeople and the non-profit Land Trust have collectively preserved some key parcels for future generations to enjoy. Grafton volunteers and Town Meeting voters have worked diligently to balance the fiscal needs of the community with preservation, open space and recently, the permits under the State 40B law to begin building denser affordable housing as only affluent homes had been built recently  throughout Town. Controversies have abounded over the density that overrides local bylaws necessitated by skyrocketing land costs to produce modest homes, but the commitment for diverse housing has always been integral to Grafton as seen its its inclusive zoning. 

Economic development has been triggered by several committed residents working to develop the Centech Industrial Park and the Tufts Biomedical Park.  Tufts Veterinary School campus sits along Rte 30 with scenic vistas and nearby the historic Willard Clock House and Museum (shown above). Tax Incentive Financing is no longer necessary to induce location in Centech Park, but the Town will continue to benefit from the Cherry Street connector road soon coming to fruition along with the increased industrial tax base for the community. 

Grafton has a long and noble history of volunteering within Town though the growing municipal needs demand a broad base for recreational, fiscal, school and governmental responsibilities. Recently, the community passed the Community Preservation Act to proactively preserve our assets, provide affordable housing or continue the purchase of open space.