North Attleborough

“ ''Well, I’d better show you how our town lies. Up here is Main Street. Way back there is the railway station, tracks go that way.'' ” (Opening scene from Our Town, Thornton Wilder).

North Attleborough, MA. is a nice town on the verge of becoming a city. However, it still has the feel of a New England town.

Geography, demographics, government
We are located in southeastern Massachusetts, 30 miles southwest of Boston and 15 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island, 3 miles from Cumberland, Rhode Island, and 6 miles from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. First settled in 1669, we became a town in 1887. George Washington spent a night in North Attleborough at the old Woodcock Garrison House. We are named after Attleborough, England.

As of 2000, we had 27,143 residents. Our form of government is the representative town meeting. Sometimes these meetings are the best entertainment in town. Our newspaper is the North Attleborough Free Press.

We are a conservative town. A majority of the townsfolk voted for George W. Bush. We’re not all Republicans though. There are some Democrats, Greens, and Libertarians.

People and places
There are many nice people here. Shirley is the owner of Shirley’s Fine Chocolates (14 South Washington St.), the best place to get homemade chocolates. Whether you are a company looking for customized chocolates as a way to say thank you to a client or your employees, or if you just have a sweet tooth, you’ll want to visit Shirley’s Fine Chocolates. She is also the president of the North Attleborough/Plainville Chamber of Commerce.

The Gourmet Penguin (49 North Washington St.), Towne Coffee Shop (11 South Washington St.) and Panera’s (1250 South Washington St.) are popular places for a Saturday morning breakfast. You can find the regulars at the local coffee shops: Dunkin Donuts, Honey Dew or McDonalds. Some talk politics; others do crossword puzzles.

Any topic is open for discussion. In fact, the spelling of our town’s name is up for discussion. The legal spelling is “North Attleborough” although the popular spelling is North Attleboro. Most use the shortened version.

I’m a friend with the regulars. They are Bart, Dave, and Joe (the crossword puzzlers), Alan (the unofficial mayor), Tom (the Commish), and Moose. I’m called the professor because I always read and write at the coffee shop.

Attractions
If you visit my town you will find much to do. We have many summer programs – Kid’s Day, Talk With the Animals, a Sports Camp, and other children’s activities. We have 2 ponds for swimming, Falls Pond and Whitings Pond.

History
The Powder House (1768) that overlooks Mt. Hope St. was used during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812.

The Angle Tree Stone (1790) on High St. was the border between Plymouth Bay County and the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It is a designated National Monument. The spot was marked in 1664.

The Falls Fire Barn Museum on Commonwealth Ave. is one of the area’s last wooden fire stations. It was also one of the last fire stations to have horse-drawn equipment (1893).

The Woodcock Garrison House that George Washington visited was originally a settlers’ fort. It was built in 1669. Today, the house offers a display of what life was like in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is part of the Woodcock Garrison Historical Compound that in addition to the Garrison House includes a burial ground and a wooden schoolhouse. The burial ground includes a variety of historical names. Some of these are Woodcock, Blackinton, Maxcy, Daggett, Clarke, and Smith.

Webster Park has the Revolutionary War Memorial; Baptist Common has a Civil War monument.

Downtown
Our “Main St.” also has many interesting and unique shops. Stop by sometime. I know you will enjoy your stay.