West Boylston, Massachusetts

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West Boylston, incorporated in 1808, and abutting Worcester, flourished through the 19th century as an industrial center, with cotton mills, a scythe factory and boot finishing shops. In 1896, the Metropolitan District Commission chose the south branch of the Nashua River as the storage site for Boston's water supply and the fate of West Boylston, and several other towns, was changed forever.

The gray granite shell of an old church stands on a grass covered point jutting into the Wachusett Reservoir off Route 12 here, like a tombstone marking the homes, mills, schools and people who once lived where the dark waters of the Wachusett Reservoir now lie. In 1897, the MDC evicted 1,700 West Boylstonites who lived near the town's center and began razing 6 mills, 8 schools, 4 churches, one hotel and 360 homes to prepare for the 65 billion gallon reservoir to serve the imperious population of Boston.

www.westboylston.com/
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Coordinates:  42°21'28"N 71°46'59"W
This article was last modified 7 years ago