ABOUT NORTH BROOKFIELD
Incorporated 1812

LOCATION
Worcester County, central Massachusetts, bordered by West Brookfield on the west, New Braintree and Oakham on the north, Brookfield and East Brookfield on the south.  Approximately 25 miles from Worcester, approximately 55 miles from Boston.

POPULATION

2006 Census figure: 4694

TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS

State Route 9 runs east and west adjacent to North Brookfield, and State Route 67 and 148 run north and south through the center of town.

The Worcester Municipal Airport is easily accessible to the east.

Both Interstate 90 (Massachusetts Turnpike) and Interstate 84 are accessible in Sturbridge, approximately 15 miles to the south.

Click here to view a map of North Brookfield from Mapquest.

AREA
21.1 square miles, 12,303 acres, 70.35 miles of paved road and 12 miles of dirt roads

TYPE OF GOVERNMENT
Open Town Meeting with a three member Board of Selectmen.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION AS A VOTER
Must be 18 years of age, American born or a fully naturalized citizen, and a resident of North Brookfield. Register in Town Clerk's office at the Town House, before elections and town meetings on dates announced by the Town Clerk. Absentee Voting for all elections.

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING & ANNUAL TOWN ELECTION

The Annual Town Election is held on the first Monday In May of each year and the Annual Town Meeting is held the first Friday following the first Monday in May of each year.

A BRIEF HISTORY
The Town of North Brookfield, situated in Worcester County, has a very varied history with many distinguished residents. The town had rich agricultural lands which were profitably farmed by early settlers, but developed a vigorous industrial economy as well, primarily in the shoe manufacturing and rubber products industries.

Rufus Putnam, one of George Washington's chief engineers during the Revolution, served his apprenticeship in the town as a millwright at the Matthews Fulling Mills from 1754 to 1757. The Matthews Mills were themselves a tribute to 18th century engineering, since they included several canals and tunnels which made the natural glacial kettle holes in the area part of a mill ponding complex for the fulling mill.

The town avoided the deadly smallpox epidemics of the 1770's by inoculating over 200 people with weakened smallpox virus. People came from as far away as Worcester to receive the inoculations of the experimental vaccine from North Attleborough physicians, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Kittridge, and then to convalesce through a mild form of the disease in small hospitals the town built on the outskirts of the community. 

Along with its neighboring town, North Brookfield sent 150 Minutemen to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. But they also demonstrated against the government they had helped create when residents of North Brookfield were involved in Shays Rebellion in 1780, holding meetings in town and hiding their weapons at Ayre's Tavern, one of the oldest buildings in town.

Nineteenth century American poet William Cullen Bryant, lived in North Brookfield when he prepared for college with his uncle, the minister in town for 64 years. Bates Observatory was given to the town in the 1890's and on a clear day, townspeople say, you can see all the way to Boston. George M. Cohan, actor, producer and playwright, was a frequent visitor to town when he came to stay with his grandparents. In the summer of 1934 both Cohan and Connie Mack, another former resident, were honored by the town. The stage of the present Town House was the site of a performance of "Ah, Wilderness," with the original New York cast directed by Cohan, and the Philadelphia Athletics played an exhibition baseball game in town with the Quabaug Rubber company team, who defeated them, townspeople are quick  to note.

EDUCATION
Approximately 500 children in grades K-6 attend North Brookfield Elementary School and about 300 students in 7th - 12th grades attend North Brookfield High School. Please visit the schools page for detailed information.

LIBRARY
The Haston Free Public Library is on Main Street. Please visit the library page for more details.

RECREATION
North Brookfield and East Brookfield share the town beach at Lake Lashaway. Activities at the lake include fishing,  boating, swimming, picnicking, skating and hockey. Horse Pond and Doane Pond are places for fishing, nature observing, and walking. The Five Mile River travels north and south along the eastern part of North Brookfield. It has been cited by the Massachusetts Watershed Coalition as a good example of how wetlands provide natural flood protection. The Town Common has areas for the public to use the swing sets, and to play baseball and basketball.

More information can be found at the Parks And Recreation Page.