John Eliot Historic District - Natick, MA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The section of Natick named South Natick has many links of historical significance.

First, it is actually where the town of Natick was first established. In 1651, Reverend John Eliot established his first "Praying Indian" town to teach Native American Indians under the leadership of Waban Christianity as well as the English way of living. The town grew and soon other communities were established. However, in 1675, the Metacomet/King Phillip War began where a band of Native Americans raided and burned English towns. The Praying Indians were sent to Deer Island for their own 'protection' until the end of the war. Natick was one of the four towns that survived after the war, but the community was never the same, and the Indian church was disbanded in 1716 with the death of Eliot's successor, Daniel Takawampbait, who was possibly the earliest Native American ordained minister in Massachusetts. Perhaps Eliot's greatest accomplishment (likely with the help of Native Americans) was his translation of the entire bible into the Algonquin Language. A few copies still exist and are treasures for linguists.

Second, South Natick was likely the community that Harriet Beecher Stowe used in her novel, "Old Towne Folks," based on memories of her husband who grew up in Natick and her own observations.

The center of South Natick is located at the junction of Eliot Street (Route 16), Pleasant Street, and Union Street. At this junction, literally surrounded by roads, is the Eliot Church. Though the modern structure and assembly are not directly linked to the old church, the modern structure stands on the location of the original meetinghouse.

The next prominent structure is the Bacon Free Library, which is in a triangular plot of land bounded by Eliot Street, Pleasant Street, and Mill Street. This building houses a library and the town's natural history museum, which is also the headquarters to the Natick Historical Society. It is well worth the trip to visit! On the property is the Indian Burial Grounds. There are also several houses part of the list.

The Natick Historical Society web site has web pages of the history of the area. Another web site, provided as the secondary site has a walking tour of South Natick. It does not strictly say that these buildings were part of the national historic district, though most or all likely are.

The link at the end and the hours provided are for the Bacon Free Library and are only general (each day has different hours). Check their web site for details, and the Natick Historical Society web site for the hours to the Natural History Museum. The secondary web site link is for the walking tour of South Natick.

Other Sources Used:

Natick Historical Society:
(visit link)

Bacon Free Library
(visit link)

Eliot Church
(visit link)

Street address: 58 Eliot Street Natick, MA United States 01760 County / Borough / Parish: Middlesex Year listed: 1983 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Information Potential, Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1650-1699, 1700-1749, 1750-1799, 1800-1824, 1825-1849, 1850-1874, 1875-1899 Historic function: Domestic, Education, Funerary, Recreation And Culture Current function: Domestic, Education, Funerary, Landscape Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2009 To: 12/31/2009 Hours of operation: From: 12:00 PM To: 5:30 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Privately owned?: Not Listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.