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    Templeton
    Templeton
    Templeton
    Ebook175 pages48 minutes

    Templeton

    By Harry Aldrich Jr., Brian P. Tanguay and Narragansett Historical Society

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    About this ebook

    The villages of Templeton, originally called Narragansett, were founded in the mid-eighteenth century along the banks of the region's rivers and ponds. With adequate water power, agriculture and industry flourished, producing hay, corn, wool, paper, bricks, iron kitchenware, and all types of furniture. Templeton shares the history of the villages through the vintage photographs of Oren Williams and Wallace Underwood, two professional photographers who captured life there from the late 1800s to the early years of the twentieth century. Highlights include John Boynton, village tinsmith who founded Worcester Polytechnic Institute; the Templeton Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1888; and the Narragansett House, a popular destination for sleighing and school parties.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 16, 2004
    ISBN9781439631973
    Templeton
    Author

    Harry Aldrich Jr.

    Harry Aldrich Jr. and Brian P. Tanguay are active members of the Narragansett Historical Society and have compiled this memorable history from the society's archive and their personal collections. Profits from the sale of this book will benefit the society.

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      Book preview

      Templeton - Harry Aldrich Jr.

      past.

      INTRODUCTION

      In 1733, the township of Narragansett No. 6 was laid out. Zaccheus Barrett began by building the first frame house in 1760. Templetown was incorporated on March 6, 1762, through a bill enacted by Sir Francis Bernard, governor of Massachusetts. After 1764, the spelling changed to Templeton, and this was used in all warrants and became the spelling of record. By 1789, the town was divided into nine districts, each having a school for which it was responsible. In 1869, the district system was given up, and the town became the owner of every schoolhouse.

      Located in central Massachusetts, Templeton now consists of four villages, or precincts: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Otter River, and Baldwinville. The town is situated 1,200 feet above sea level and covers about 20,000 acres. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Templeton was made up of many farms. In 1887, there were 429 horses and 450 cows listed by the assessors. In 1885, the population was 2,627, with 1,302 males and 1,325 females. Of these people, 2,293 were born in America and 334 were immigrants.

      The Otter River powered many factories and flowed through Baldwinville and Otter River, Templeton’s northern precincts. In Otter River, there was a woolen mill, a paper mill, and a brickyard. The bricks, many of which exist today, were made with the word Otter cast into them. The Lord and Stone foundry, also located on the Otter River, produced cast-iron kitchenware and wood stoves.

      Baldwinville was a thriving manufacturing area with many factories lining the Otter River. Local townsfolk worked for companies that produced chairs, children’s toys, furniture, paper, boxes, machines for chair making, and household furnishings. The biggest manufacturer was eventually named the Temple Stuart Company.

      Taverns were located in various parts of the town along stagecoach routes. John Brooks built Brooks Tavern along the route from Worcester to Greenfield in Brooks Village. It was a favorite stop to rest for the night and have a fresh team of horses ready in the morning. The Narragansett House in Baldwinville, built in 1832 by Capt. Joseph Davis, sat on the Fitzwilliam turnpike and was built with a high pointed roof, two or three stories higher than others surrounding it. It was a popular place for sleighing and school parties. The Templeton Hotel, located in Templeton Center, was destroyed by fire in 1888 and replaced by the Templeton Inn, built by Moses Richardson. A miniature reproduction of the Templeton Inn is on display in the historical society building. In the center of Templeton are churches, the Boynton library, the Narragansett Historical Society building, a country store, and John Boynton’s tin shop.

      This collection of images is a wonderful walk in and around Templeton in the late 1800s through the 1900s. Thankfully, these photographers were insightful enough to preserve the past. This book contains a few of the many images on display in the Narragansett Historical Society building.

      One

      TEMPLETON CENTER

      Two ladies are shown here out for a fall ride in Templeton Center. In the background is John Brooks’s farm, originally built as French’s Tavern. A. G. Bushnell built the small building on the right for use as a print shop. Bushnell was responsible for starting the Gardner News.

      Built in 1820 on the common, the Templeton Hotel was destroyed by fire in September 1888. Hotelkeepers during its life were Charles E. Ellis, Lipha French, Calvin Townsley, Levi Pierce, and Francis Twitchell.

      The Templeton Inn, better known as the Landlords Inn, was built in 1900 on the former site of the Templeton Hotel. Templeton native Ernest Maynard, who was also the architect of Keith’s Theatre in Boston, drew up plans for the inn. When it was initially constructed, there were a total of 40 rooms.

      An additional 60 rooms were built onto the Templeton Inn c. 1910. A water tower was also constructed to the rear of the building to provide adequate water for guests and fire protection. The inn offered two rows of garages across the street for guests to rent.

      Taken from the front of the Blodgett Building on South Road, this image offers a view of the inn after the expansion. It was said to be the finest inn throughout all of New England. A scale model constructed by former resident Charles Burpee is on display in the Narragansett Historical Society building.

      Some of the guests of the Templeton Inn are shown here enjoying a summer day, conversing and relaxing on the front porch. To the left in the picture, one can see some of the garages that

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