Millis Center Historic District - Millis MA
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nomadwillie
N 42° 10.272 W 071° 21.301
19T E 305481 N 4671469
Millis Center Historic District is a historic district on Curve, Daniels, Exchange, Irving, Lavender, Main, Union Streets in Millis, Massachusetts.
The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.
Waymark Code: WM5XEB
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 02/24/2009
Views: 2
Millis was first settled in 1657 and was officially incorporated in 1885. Millis was originally part of Dedham, Massachusetts until that town granted the lands of Millis, and other present day surrounding towns, to Medfield in 1651. In 1713, pioneers of Medfield applied for a grant to create a new town and, when approved, named this new land Medway. This new town consisted of West Medway (the present day town) and East Medway (present day Millis). Lansing Millis, the founder of the town, successfully incorporated Millis into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on February 24, 1885.
Lansing Millis was successful in turning the small town of Millis into an important area of Massachusetts. Lansing Millis, who was widely known as a connoisseur in railroads and trains, built up a strong rail system in Millis. This was arguably his most important accomplishment, as the rail system is regarded as the most significant factor in its independence from Medway. In addition, the railroad system was a major factor in the early promotion of economic growth in the town and the integration of Millis to the larger cities of Dedham, Boston, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Currently, this old railroad that used to begin in Medway is known as the Bay Colony Railroad. The Medway tracks have since been dismantled, making Millis the railroad's western terminus. The railroad is now mostly defunct, but several miles of the Bay Colony tracks in Millis are privately owned and operated by the GAF industrial enterprise located in the Clicquot neighborhood of Millis. The Bay Colony Railroad merges with the present day MBTA Commuter Rail in Needham.
Aside from the tremendous contribution of the rail system to Millis' integration with the major Massachusetts cities, another important moment in the town's history was the construction of the Hartford and Dedham Turnpike, known today as Massachusetts Route 109. The road was constructed in 1806 and officially accepted by the town of Millis in 1896. The Hartford and Dedham Turnpike connected Millis, Medway, Medfield, and several other towns directly to Dedham and Boston. Today, Route 109 still serves as a major road connecting Metrowest Boston communities to the city of Boston.
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