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Official Town
website
MHC
Reconnaisance Town Survey
Mendon Walking Tour
Welcome to
Mendon, the second oldest town in Worcester County founded in 1667- sometimes referred
to as "Mother Mendon" or Albeeville after John Albee who was
one of the first settlers, establishing a corn mill on Mill River. Home
to the 90 acre Nipmuc Lake, Mendon is a lovely, rural community offering
an Annual Country Fair and Strawberry Festival drawing many tourists.
Many from near and far also enjoy New England's largest zoo, the Southwick Zoo
and several charming shops, including the wonderful
Mendon Gift Barn and other sights. Rolling countryside with rural farms
and the
Federal and Greek Revival architecture complete the beauty typically
found in quaint New England towns.
Mendon was the site of the first killings in
the 1675 King Philip War as well as providing soldiers for many other early
American wars, such as the American Revolution, the Civil War and Shays
Rebellion. This lovely rural community offers tremendous historical tours and
recreation, such as the newly established trail - at the end of
Inman Hill Road, the trail begins from a grassy field designated for parking.
Trails go through fields and into wooded areas with some streams being crossed.
8.5 miles of trails - more exected for 2005. Owned by Town of Mendon and abuts
Quisset Wildlife Management area (Div of Fisheries and Wildlife). Quisset WMA
also runs into Blackstone and abuts Daniels Farm protected under the auspices of
Metacomet Land Trust. 800 acres.
Eli Thayer, head of the Emigrant Aid Society
which led a strong anti-slave group into Kansas in 1855, was born in
Mendon.
Government is comprised of a three member Board
of Selectmen with an Open Town Meeting held the first Friday after the first
Monday in May. Its 18.1 square miles have a density of 269.1 people per square
mile, but growth has come rapidly as many new homes grace former farmlands. The
population as of 2000 was 5286 with an expected growth to 5935 by 2010. Per
pupil spending is $6,280 and there are 2472 students within the shared
Mendon-Upton school system. Schools include the Memorial Elementary PreK-2, the
Henry P. Clough School for K-1, the Miscoe Hill Elementary for Grades 2-6 and
the Nipmuc Middle/High School attractively located in Upton. The regional
Blackstone Vocational School is also available for high school students. 90% of
juniors take SATS and SAT median scores are 540 for math, 540 verbal. 80% of
students go on to 4 year colleges and 18% further their education by two year
schools. The dropout rate is 3% and 100% of classrooms are wired with the
internet. There is school choice.
Churches include the First Baptist Church on
Elm Street, St. Michael the Archangel on Church Street, the Mendon-Upton
Unitarian-Universalist on Maple, the Friendship Bible Church on Hastings Street
and the
Bethany Assembly of God Church on Cape Rd. that has been there for twelve years. The
Bethany Assembly has a Wednesday night youth group called the "Fire
Escape" as well as a K - 12 Christian School program..
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