Middleborough Historical Museum

03/16/2025

The First Congregational Church (the Church at the Green) is one of Middleborough's oldest institutions, dating back to when the Green was the center of town affairs, prior to the rise of the Four Corners area. The current church is actually the fourth incarnation of this congregation. The first minister was Samuel Fuller, son of the famous Pilgrim of the same name. Reverend Fuller was here before King Philip's War, but left when the rest of the town was burned to the ground in that conflict (1675). He returned and took up the position of preaching to the people here, but he died in 1694, only fifteen months after taking up this calling. According to Weston's history of the town, Fuller was one of the first people to return to rebuild the town after the end of the war. It seems certain that the first church near here, the first in town, was built between 1675 and 1700. The Parish cemetery across the street is also one of the oldest cemeteries in town (but not as old as the one on Nemasket Hill!) The oldest grave there, at the Green, dates from 1717. Virtually every early settler in town would have worshipped here; prominent family names known to have attended there include Eddy, Thomson, Soul, Wood, Fuller, Vaughan, and more. The third meeting-house was built here in 1745, and remained until 1829. The current church was built in 1827. It was designed by architect James Sproat. This beautiful, large New England church sits on about 11 acres of land near route 44, at the corner of Plympton and Plymouth Streets, and continues to be an active part of the vibrant and colorful tapestry of town life here in Middleborough.

B.C.

Local historian Mike Maddigan has written a lot about the history o this beautiful, historic church. You can read more about the Church at the Green on his blog, Recollecting Nemasket here: https://nemasket.blogspot.com/2011/01/church-of-green-1828.html

03/16/2025

THE C.P WASHBURN MILL once stood on the corner of Cambridge and Center Street. Similar to the gas ball that some of us remember, the Washburn Mill was something of a landmark for people in town. Here, several generations of the Washburn family operated a family-owned business that sold a wide variety of goods -- not the least of which was the animal feed and grain that once filled the massive cribs in the upper structure of the wooden building seen below. The large wooden structure dominated that part of town for almost a century, alongside the railroad tracks, and despite being identified as a local architectural building of special importance, was unceremoniously torn down at the turn of the last century, leaving behind an empty concrete hole in the ground. The vacant lot, now overgrown with vegetation, and marked with graffiti, remains empty to this day.

B.C.

02/09/2025

Historic Pratt Farm is beautiful all year round, but especially when under a fresh blanket of snow! The pristine public space offers miles of trails of forested terrain, rolling hills, streams, and a few ponds as well.

12/25/2024

12/01/2024

Don't miss our ::FREE:: CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE!

Sunday, December 8, 2-4pm!

Christmas decorations, music, hot chocolate and a bake sale!

@ the Millhouse Village on Jackson Street!

11/22/2024

Middleborough, MA built in 1786.

10/25/2024

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!

Admission gets you a great BUFFET dinner at the Boston Tavern and a historical program!

Email for more information!

10/12/2024

Middleborough on a beautiful, breezy autumnal Saturday in October!

09/29/2024

Downtown Middleborough is besieged by a heavy blizzard in this vintage photo of Center Street facing southeast. On the left is Benny's; opposite it, the post office. The Peirce block is visible in the center-left.

09/11/2024

ODE TO BENNY'S

After a great and respectable run of 81 years of serving the people of Middleboro, Benny’s closed up shop for good in 2017--the latest icon to close its doors in the age of big box retail and internet vendors. Benny’s was an integral part of life in town for a very long time, so let us take a moment to recount a brief history of the Age of Benny’s in Middleboro.

The iconic general merchandise store had been a landmark on Center Street downtown for as long as anybody could remember. They sold everything from bikes and toys to hardware, auto supplies and snacks.

The company was founded by Benjamin Bromberg--a Russian-born immigrant who came to Rhode Island as a child. He opened his first store in Rhode Island in 1924. Originally, they mostly sold auto parts and radios, in an era when most people were inclined to maintain their own cars, and radios were cutting-edge marvels of the modern age. Success came to the well-managed business, and it expanded over the following decades-- ultimately numbering 32 New England-based retail stores.

And then it came to Middleborough.

Right from the very beginning, at its grand opening on February 7, 1936 at 60 Centre Street, Benny’s was a big hit downtown. The Great Depression was on, and Benny’s offered Middleboro a modern and convenient retail experience coupled with competitive prices. On that business model, and marketing a diverse variety of merchandise--Benny’s has sold everything from toys and candy to tubs of canned grease and firearms--they prospered for almost a whole century.

The war years did not hurt Benny’s. In 1945, the store relocated to 43 Centre Street, and a year later, they proudly boasted of a brand-new neon sign on the downtown strip. The Eisenhower years were similarly kind to Benny’s, and in 1956 there was a major renovation and grand re-opening. This reopening was apparently a major occasion about town, and was reportedly “thronged,” according to contemporary sources. And all throughout the economic trials of the 70s, 80s and 90s, Benny’s remained a steadfast Middleboro landmark.

The location that we all know and remember (and miss) is a 5,600-square foot building, with red brick exterior walls, sitting on a tiny parcel of land, measuring less than a quarter of an acre. It is here, at the corner of Center and School Street, that many of us would go when we needed something like -- for example (from personal experience), wasp spray. They'd have it, and at a competitive price... and while there, you could also grab a snack and a cold drink, and eye that bicycle your kid wanted for their birthday.

While still a popular and busy location, with a faithful core of clientele who turned to Benny’s for their domestic needs, prevailing economic winds began to take their toll. The entire chain ceased operations suddenly in 2017, and now for the first time since 1936, downtown Middleboro is bereft of a general merchandise retailer. Such has been upsetting news for the chain’s many loyal Middleboro patrons, who will miss Benny’s bright, iconic storefront.

More recently, after being vacant for a number of years, Benny’s has been reimagined into Hatchet in Hand, a business which offers patrons the sublime luxury of throwing axes while enjoying a cold beer, as well as an eyeglasses store.

-B.C.

Do you miss Benny's? Please share your memories in the comments below!

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09/11/2024

Please be aware that the time of our presentation on THE COYLE BROTHERS has been changed! It will now be at 5:00PM on Thursday 9/26, at the Middleborough Public Library !

09/08/2024

-BEWARE THE PUKWUDGIES!

Pukwudgies are a part of local Native American legend. These magical, mischievous trouble-makers were part of the tapestry of native folklore in the region of New England, and as far west as the Great Lakes region. They had different names depending on where you went, but they were generally described in similar terms… they were small, maybe only up to your knees. Some accounts describe them as troll-like demi-humans, with gray skin, green eyes, and porcupine-like quills on their backs. In Wampanoag mythology, they could appear and disappear magically. Sometimes, they could change their shape. Often they were peaceful if left alone. Other times, they could be makers of great trouble. In any event, you didn’t want to make one mad, or it may follow you home.

Author of the first great tome of Middleborough history (1906), Thomas Weston mentioned them in a rather lengthy footnote. He ascribes it to old native legends that once, long ago, before European settlement came to these lands, there used to be two islands in Lake Assawompset -- which were presumably washed away during some storm, according to Weston. Previously, though, these islands were inhabited by these little people. The legend goes that two local native men, who were brothers, were fishing in their canoes in the lake. Their names were Kwah-sind (The Strong Man) and O-skin-a-wa (the Youthful). While O-skin-a-wa had a boat full of fish, Kwah-sind had none, because he had offended the water spirits, who had in turn frightened away the fish from his area. Kwah-sind tried to get O-skin-a-wa to give him some of his fish, but he refused. Kwah-sind became enraged, and struck his brother in the head with his paddle, killing him.

Kwah-sind realized he could not go back to his village, for fear of what he had done, and what would become of him. He paddled to the shores of one of the lost islands in Lake Assawompset, where he planned to lay down and rest, before escaping to the land of the Pequods. However, this island was inhabited by Pukwudgies. They’d been warned that a murderer was in their midst by the cries of a whip-poor-will. They found Kwah-sind resting on the shores of their island. They summoned a magician, who cast a spell over Kwah-sind, who never woke up again.

Kwah-sind was later found and taken back to his village by his people, but they could not wake him from his deep, dreamless sleep because of the enchantment of the Pukwudgies. In time, he died, and they buried him in the land reserved for murderers. Forever afterwards, however, they were wary of the two islands; and would never approach them after nightfall, for fear of the little people who had bewitched Kwah-sind.

Have you ever seen a Pukwudgie, or heard of their legends? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!

B.C.

You can read more about pukwudgies here. https://www.native-languages.org/pukwudgie.htm

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-Weston, Thomas. History of the Town of Middleborough. Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1906.

-Native American Legends: Pukwudgie.https://www.native-languages.org/pukwudgie.htm. Accessed 8 September 2024.

09/01/2024

Join us for the “Grand Opening” and “Open House” of the Picone Farm Conservation Land and Community Gardens! This event will be on Sunday, Sept 29 at 10am (rain date Oct. 6). You can learn about the property along with the gardens and take a walk on some of the trails. Afterwards, you will be free to walk the property, or you can take the guided hike at 10:30am through the garden and some of the trails on the property. This includes the trails that connect to Peter Oliver Conservation Land. The hike will likely last around one hour.
The entrance for the property is located next to 415 Plymouth Street. There is a parking area near the community gardens and a trail map posted on signage.
For more information, please contact Darren Vasa, Conservation Land Manager at 508-946-2406 or email at [email protected]

08/31/2024

What are all these state police doing in Middleborough?

In June of 1959, they were all part of the massive manhunt that sought to capture fugitive murderers John and William Coyle, who were on the run from Philadelphia. They had five pistols, a hostage and a stolen car when they came to Middleborough. After two gun battles with police, one of the brothers was taken into custody. The other was carried out on a stretcher.

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08/31/2024

MASSACHUSETTS STATE POLICE BARRACKS - TROOP D HEADQUARTERS

Few towns in Massachusetts can boast of possessing both a state police barracks as well as a National Guard armory!

Beginning in January of 1953, there was speculation in the Middleborough Gazette that a new state police barracks may come to town. In July, $400,000 was proposed for a new local headquarters for this part of the state. Hope seemed to diminish for a while, before the project was finally confirmed a year later, in July of 1954. The project went out to bid that October, and was won by the firm of Bagley & Mucci of Medford -- who had also recently built the National Guard armory on Elm Street (which probably explains why they’re kind of similar, when you think about it.)

The lot chosen for the honor occupies about nine acres of forested land at 326 West Grove Street between Massachusetts Route 28 and I-495. Both of the two main buildings are built in a simple, straight-forward brick design.

Construction was completed ahead of schedule in March of 1956, and the building was formally dedicated on June 21, 1956. It was here three years later, in June of 1959, that infamous cop-killer John Coyle was first booked and interrogated by state police before being taken back to Philadelphia to stand trial for murder.

Mertie Romaine wrote in her Middleborough history in 1969 that the barracks includes dormitory facilities, offices, cell blocks, lavatory and radio rooms, as well as kitchen and dining space. There are also facilities here for vehicular maintenance and radio repair, as well as communications equipment (namely that giant radio tower!)

According to the Massachusetts State Police website, Troop D is responsible for patrolling 21 miles of Route 24, 22 miles of Route 495, and 7 miles of Route 140. Additionally, its units also patrol a combined 94 miles of routes 44, 18, 28 and 138. Troop D

Middleborough hosts the headquarters of Troop D, which includes seven barracks in all. They patrol all of southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

-Romaine, Mertie. History of the Town of Middleborough, Volume II. Reynolds-DeWalt Printing, Inc; 1969.

-Town of Middleborough Assessor’s Office map. https://gis.vgsi.com/middleboroughma/Parcel.aspx?Pid=6343. Accessed 30 August 2024

-Massachusetts State Police website. https://www.mass.gov/locations/state-police-middleboro-barracks. Accessed 30 August 2024.

08/30/2024

Glorious summer in beautiful, historic downtown Middleborough!

School may be starting soon, but don't be fooled! There are still three weeks left of summer -- just ask the cicadas and katydids!

08/20/2024

The Middleborough Historical Association will be hosting a presentation on the story of John and William Coyle in September. After murdering a Philadelphia cop in 1959, the Coyle Brothers took a hostage and fled north in a stolen car. For three unforgettable nights in June, they hid out in the woods of South Middleborough, and were the subject of the biggest manhunt in state history up to that time.

Thursday, September 26, 2024, at 6pm at the Middleborough Public Library