The lovely Sumner House (above) bed and breakfast sits majestically at the center of Shrewsbury, overlooking the town common (right), and it's memorial to Veterans of the Civil War.

Shrewsbury Massachusetts,

Grants of land were made in what would eventually be the town beginning in 1664, with the 3,200 acre grant called Haynes Farm as the largest. Settlers came primarily from Sudbury and Marlboro and the first permanent settler was Gersham Wheelock in 1720. Townspeople created an agricultural economy with apple orchards and by 1750 there were two stores and four taverns as well as several small industries in operation.

The leather industry began in 1786 in Shrewsbury and town farmers developed large cattle herds to support the manufacture of boots and shoes. This was followed by the establishment of gunsmithing operations in 1797 which produced rifles, shotguns and pistols and eventually cutlery. Luther Goddard began in 1809 by making brass clocks and then established a small watch factory employing a few skilled Swiss and English watchmakers. Lumbering created sawmills and they in turn drew chair and cabinet makers, plow and wagon builders. 

The development of streetcar routes in the 19th century spurred the growth of single-family housing in town and a summer resort population on Lake Quinsigamond became consumers of the market garden produce grown by town farmers. As Shrewsbury's industry was killed off by the lack of large waterpower sites and the tardy arrival of the railroad, its role as a suburb of Worcester grew more important. The town's population doubled from 1915 to 1940 as continued streetcar suburb growth brought more modern settlers into the community. 

Today, Shrewsbury is a thriving suburb of both Worcester and Boston. Affordable homes, and award winning schools combine with easy access into the Boston area to make Shrewsbury one of the most sought after towns in Massachusetts.  The economy of modern Shrewsbury is based in the high tech, medical, and financial corporations which ring the community.

With it's gorgeous town center, reminiscent of a Rockwell painting, and diverse community base, it is easy to see why so many choose to call Shrewsbury home.

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