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The
Norwell Chamber
of
Commerce
P.O.
Box 322
Norwell,
MA 02061
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| Norwell.... |
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This is the Town of Norwell named for
Henry Norwell, a dry-goods merchant who provided funds
for the maintenance of the town roads. Once known
as South Scituate, Norwell's twenty-one square miles
include many beautiful Colonial and Early American
homes, authentic sea captains' house and historical
residences. |
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Shoulder To Shoulder with History |
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Since its founding in 1888, the town of
Norwell has kept pace with the rapidly changing American
scene. During the late 1880's Norwell had about
1600 residents, three churches, one bank, one library,
one hotel, one doctor, five dressmakers, half a dozen
general stores and provision houses, two undertakers,
two coach lines and seven elementary schools.
Transportation was by horse & buggy, or
the "Old Colony" train to Boston by way of Hanover or
Greenbush. Commuters were few, however, most men worked
their farms. Many also worked in local shoe
factories, box and trunk factories, a tack plant, a wood
plane mill, a saw mill and supporting services such as
blacksmithing. Women were "at home."
Today, Norwell is an affluent suburban
town of approximately 10,000 residents many of whom earn
their living in the city of Boston and surrounding
communities. The farms and factories of a century
ago have given way to private country homes, modern
schools, shopping centers, churches, libraries, playing
fields for baseball, football, soccer and lacrosse,
health facilities, a wild life reservation, a medical
center and other support services, as well as two large
industrial parks.
The historic area known as Norwell
Center presents a quaint, old New England setting.
And since further development is not allowed in this
area, except by special permit, the very special
ambience will remain.
Preservation of Norwell's rural
character is assured, in other ways too. |
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Easy Location |
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Approximately 35 miles from Boston,
Norwell is bordered by Hingham and Scituate to the
north, and Marshfield to the east. Norwell's
neighbors to the west and south include Rockland,
Hanover and Pembroke.
Route 3 makes Norwell an easy commute
to the rich cultural, educational and historic
attractions of Boston and Cambridge, as well as many
high technology centers along Massachusetts' "Technology
Highway," Route 128. |
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Recreation |
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With the scenic North River forming the
town's southern boundary, Norwell is an ideal place for
boat owners who want access to some of the top
fishing/cruising waters on the Atlantic Coast.
Fuel, chandleries and other marine services are
available along the river, as well as quiet anchorages
well protected from harsh sea winds. Ocean beaches
and other picturesque New England harbors are only a few
miles away. Norwell residents
can also enjoy canoeing on the North River as well as
the quiet serenity of a local wildlife reservation.
The Albert E. Norris Reservation bordering the North
River, provides miles of hiking and cross -country
skiing trails, swimming, bicycling, areas for
snowshoeing, and ponds for ice skating.
Traditional activities such as Little League and youth
soccer are popular too.
During the year, The Norwell
Recreation Office organizes a wide range of activities
for residents of all ages. For children there's
bowling, gymnastics, roller skating and more.
Adults can participate in a wide range of activities
from woodworking to money management. |
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Places to Visit-Things to Do |
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The South Shore Natural Science
Center on Jacob's Lane offers a wide variety of
youth and adult education courses, nature field trips,
craft workshops and lectures. The center also
includes a library, exhibits, six trails, some live
animals and special events for children. For more
information The Company
Theater is one of the few independently owned
professional, regional theaters in the country.
theater goers can choose form a variety of professional
productions ranging from comedies, to musicals.
The James Library is
North and South River Watershed
Association
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Services: |
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Medical: The South Shore
Medical Clinic in Norwell and the South Shore Hospital
in nearby South Weymouth provide excellent health care
facilities to area residents
Norwell Council on Aging
provides hot lunch programs and transportation for many
of the town's elderly population. Classes in
stitchery, painting, bridge and sewing are also
available
Newspapers: There is a
local newspaper, the Norwell Mariner which is published
weekly. The Patriot Ledger and The Boston Globe
are daily publications serving communities all along the
South Shore.
Government: An open
annual town meeting is held in the spring and residents
are invited to participate. Elections are held
during March. Special town meeting are called at
the discretion of the selectmen or on petition of at
least 200 voters. A three member Board of
Selectmen meets weekly to execute the town's business.
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Excellence in Education |
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The town of Norwell has a superb school
system run by the local school committee. there
are two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high
school facility complete with football and soccer
playing fields, tennis courts and an auditorium.
Norwell public schools reflect the
intellectual strength and character of the community.
Students are provided every opportunity to achieve their
full scholastic potential. what's more, our
students consistently score above state and national
averages on SATs, and do well on MCAS; and over 80% of
our high school seniors continue their education at
colleges and universities from coast to coast.
Norwell Public Schools |
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The Early Years |
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Originally part of Old Scituate, Norwell
retains much of the natural beauty that greeted its
first settlers in 1636. due to the rolling
topography of the land and the abundance of unforgiving
New England rock, the area offered little tillable land.
As a result, early settlers were quick to take advantage
of lush river marsh grass for cattle forage. It
wasn't long before every inch of meadowland was deeded.
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The Shipbuilding Years |
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Certainly one of the strongest influences
in the economic progress of coastal New England during
the 17th and 18th centuries was the ready availability
of timber for shipbuilding and a naturally jagged
geography which made for safe, secure harbors and handy
inland waterways. This combination of raw
materials in abundance and easy access to the sea formed
the basis of many Yankee fortunes and set the stage for
America's "Age of Sail." From
1645 to 1871, shipyards along the North River
contributed iron muscle and seasoned timber to New
England's growing shipbuilding industry. During
that time, more than 1000 ships were launched from 15
different yards in Norwell, Pembroke, Hanover,
Marshfield and Scituate. Many of these "North
River" Ships, as they were known, sailed with the great
whaling fleets out of Nantucket and New Bedford.
After 1871, this colorful era lapsed and nature
reclaimed the river once again. |
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New Industries, New Progress |
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For decades, Norwell has worked hard to
attract businesses looking to expand operations on the
South Shore. Norwell has attracted many quality
firms to locate in Norwell's business zones. |
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Accord Pond Park |
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Situated on the easterly side of Route 3,
Accord Pond Park has enjoyed substantial growth since
its construction in the late 1960's. Today, the
122 acre site is home to more than 20 businesses which
employ over 300 people. |
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Assinippi Park |
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Across the highway from Accord Pond Park,
the 150 acre Assinippi Industrial Park provides over
3000 feet of frontage along Route 3 with some 25 firms
employing over 3000 people.
Norwell's foresight in zoning these areas for commercial
development has been successful in separating busy
industrial centers from residential communities.
And although land is still available for further
business development, the essential small town character
of Norwell has been preserved. |
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