Henry Norwell
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 hotel and one doctor. Transportation was by horse and
buggy or the "Old Colony" train to Boston by way of
Hanover. Commuters were few. Today Norwell is an affluent suburban
town of 10,000 residents. The farms and factories of a century
ago have given way to private country homes, modern schools,
shopping centers, churches, libraries, playing fields, health
facilities and a wild life reservation, medical center and two
large industrial parks.
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Norwell
Located just 20 miles from Boston, Norwell is connected
to the city via Route 3. Housing styles reflect a blend of new
homes, traditional colonials and custom contemporary designs.
The picturesque North River with its wide stretches of
salt marsh painting the surrounding landscape in seasonal colors,
continues to play an integral part in the lives of the 9500 people
who call Norwell "home." From the late 1700s through
the early years of the 1800s, the North River was one of the
most famous places in the world. Shipbuilding flourished on a
grand scale along its banks, and master craftsmen in Norwell
(then called South Scituate) produced some of the finest frigates,
schooners and merchant vessels ever to sail the seven seas. Shipbuilder
James Briggs, whose house still stands in Norwell, built the
famous 220-ton Columbia. After it was launched in 1773, the Columbia
wrote its own page in history as one of the first American ships
to "double" stormy Cape Horn and coast the western
shores of our own continent. Its crew discovered the Columbia
River in the Northwest Territory.
In addition to the shipbuilding industry, early settlers established
fisheries along the river and harvested valuable marsh grass
from large flat-bottomed boats called "gundalows."
When these old industries waned, enterprising Norwell residents
started new industries - poultry farming, shoe and tack manufacture,
wooden airplane making and general farming. The heritage of the
town's early settlers is still visible in the rustic character
of its narrow lanes and in the unhurried pace of today's modern
settlers. Although ships are no longer built along the North
River, it is still an important scenic site where artists find
inspiration in its changing moods and colors, and where wildlife
is safe from the intrusion of man. The river is one of only 20
in the United State protected under the Scenic Waterways Act.
A major archeological study is underway to collect ancient artifacts
that will enable historians to form a picture of life along the
river many centuries before the white man discovered it. The
Albert Norris State Park, Wompatuck State Park and town-owned
conservation land provide hundreds of acres for outdoor activities
year round. The South Shore Natural Science Center is nestled
among 21 acres of woodlands, bog and meadow, and offers a wide
range of programs including nature walks, pond studies, lectures
on birds and native wildlife. The popular center also features
in-school programs, workshops for teachers, vacation activities
for children and maintains a comprehensive natural science research
library. Norwell boasts two public libraries with more than 40,000
books, recordings, periodicals and historical collections. The
town's school children are recognized for their outstanding academic
achievements and involvement in extracurricular activities. A
new high school set on a 96-acre site reflects the community's
commitment to high educational standards. Norwell children may
also attend nearby South Shore Vocational Technical School in
Hanover. Town meeting form of government.
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Emergency Numbers
Police 659-2211
Chief's Office 659-7979
Fire 659-2211
Ambulance 659-2211
State Police 659-7911
Poison Information 233-2120
Drug Line 1-800-368-5363
Gas Emergencies 1-800-242-0220
Water Emergencies 659-4371
Transportation
Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway
Plymouth 746-0378
Hingham 749-5067
Mass Bay Lines, Inc. 542-8000
Registry of Motor Vehicles
Plymouth 746-6860
Quincy 479-1900
Brockton 586-1726
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Town Hall 659-8972
Connecting
Board of Selectmen
Animal Control
Assessors
Conservation Commission
Health Board
Planning Board
Town Clerk
Zoning Board
Housing Authority 659-7690
Council on Aging 659-7878
Library 659-2015
Public Works/School Department
Superintendent 659-2277
Administration 659-2277
West Roxbury 323-7700
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Guide
Hospitals and Medical Services
Brockton Hospital, Brockton 586-2600
Cardinal Cushing Hospital, Brockton 588-4000
Hanover Medical Ctr. (emergency
treatment) 826-3146
Harvard Community Health Plan, Braintree 849-1000
Massachusetts General Hospital 726-2000
Quincy City Hospital 770-1213
South Shore Hospital, Weymouth 337-7011
South Shore Medical Clinic, Norwell 878-5200
VA Hospital
Brockton 543-4500 |
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