Reservoir, changing borders all part of West Boylston history
Historical Society safeguards the past in former tavern
Editor's note: This story is one in a series of stories on the treasures found in local historical societies. Features on the Clinton Historical ran April 17, Lancaster Historical ran May 1 and Bolton Historical ran July 10.
WEST BOYLSTON – The town history goes back quite a ways, formed in 1808, but settled well before then.
The land now incorporated as West Boylston started when white settlers created towns, as part of Shrewsbury. It was then part of the town of Boylston when that community was formed from mostly Shrewsbury land.
Then, Ezra Beaman, a key figure in creating Boylston, again split with his neighbors, largely due to his demand that the new church be built closer to his home in what is now West Boylston, which also incorporated parts of Holden, Lancaster and Sterling. The road from Boylston, Scar Hill Road, no longer gets one between the two towns, since it runs through what is now the Wachusett Reservoir.
And the reservoir itself redefined the town as the community entered the 20th century, erasing much of its history while creating a whole new history.
Many buildings from the valley, once a vibrant industrial center producing everything from boots to carpets, were moved to higher ground, so they remain a link to the old development. And wood from many of the dismantled buildings was reused in newer structures. The cellar holes under the reservoir are silent testimony to the magnitude of the impact of quenching Boston’s thirst.
But the town’s history is still safeguarded.
The West Boylston Historical Society, with its home in the old Bigelow Tavern on Worcester Street, has in its collections bits that reflect the scope of the town and the stories of its residents over the years.
One of the most photographed structures in the region, the Old Stone Church is a link to history that was almost lost. Neglected by the state after it took the land, it sat on the edge of the new reservoir and over time became a symbol of all that was lost.
In the 1970s, time and nature caught up with the building when the roof and three walls collapsed.
Persistent lobbying by residents kept the state from razing the remainder and in the end the old church was rebuilt.
It remains a solid symbol, though there are concerns about lack of maintenance again threatening the historic church, which served its congregation a short time between the old church burning and the reservoir displacing them.
Pieces of the church survive in new locations.
The rose window is now located in the Masonic Temple on Church Street. Interior pieces were reused in various places.
And the Historical Society has a significant item, the old silver service.
West Boylston was not yet a town when Bathsheba Spooner was hung. The Brookfield case involved a woman who had two former British soldiers and her Continental solder lover kill her husband, Joshua, and dump him down a well. Her father was a well-known judge, but a Tory who had left for Nova Scotia during the revolution.
The trial in Worcester in 1778 was a major event after rebel colonists had just defeated the British to create a new nation. And the event, perhaps witnessed by a person who stayed at the Bigelow Tavern, in drawings reflecting accounts of the trial, was captured for posterity.
In the attic, the story is told through several sketches, including the hanging.
The Historical Society has made images for display since it is not practical for visitors to climb into the attic, and a booklet of the history is for sale.
Paintings hang on the walls of the tavern, some historic, some capturing town scenes. And some can go home with visitors. Paintings by Shirley Smith are for sale with the Society keeping 50 percent of the proceeds. And graduates of the local schools may recognize the style of other paintings by art teacher Emily Boosahda.
And back in the Winn barn behind the house is a carriage, built in the WB Sawyer Carriage Shop that once was located on Central Street.
And the Society has a carriage given to the society with more recent connections to stardom. Old as it may be, the old carriage was once owned by Elvis Presley, who gave it to Dr. Robert Tashjian, who cared for Presley’s dogs and horses.
Old factory buildings remain scattered around, such as the Reed Organ factory, moved up from the valley and now standing (check this) overlooking the reservoir and for many years serving as Ray’s Furniture. Others remain, passed by daily with little note.
But the Society has many records that detail the history.
Some buildings, of course, were there long before the reservoir, such as the home of Robert B. Thomas, on North Main Street. The publisher of the Old Farmer’s Almanac, Thomas had an impact far beyond his local home, and his almanac is still used today.
Volunteers run the Society.
Carol Parker, president, said the Society welcomes new members.
All it takes is an interest in history.
Volunteers like Janet Buck work on a variety of projects such as documenting items.
“There are a lot of artifacts to organize and catalog,” she said.
And fundraising is always a piece of the mission.
The Society is normally open various times over the course of the year, with the schedule varying by season.
It also maintains a website with information about the town and its collections and can help with historical research.