Westborough – The next session of the popular Westborough 300th Anniversary Architectural Walking Tour will be held Saturday, Aug. 19, at 1 p.m.
Less than 20 years after the 1835 Boston and Worcester railroad came through, the second oldest common carrier line in Massachusetts traverses the downtown as new mid-19th century to early 20th century neighborhoods begin to develop on the historic village’s northeast area.
By the 1860s and the Civil War, the area held cottage shops of boot and sleigh manufacturing, like in the southwest and northwest neighborhoods, before much of it moved to the manufacturing district demarcated by South Street and East Main. The northeast neighborhood holds the last remaining manufacturing mill in the historic downtown.
Successful manufacturers begin speculating in real estate development. High Style Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Stick, Colonial Revival and Bungalow influenced single and multi-family homes set up on the northeast knoll. Join this tour and find out why the Brigham, Forbes, Forbush, Kimball, Mason, and Turner families found the new neighborhood to their liking.
Guide R. Christopher Noonan, historic preservationist and historic real estate specialist, will lead the tour. Sound track will be provided by Luanne Crosby on ukulele, singing her 300th Anniversary Song, a tribute to the town’s evolution, and other relevant compositions adding some musical fun to the festivities. Guest Speaker will be Rick Kaplan, K Milk Street LLC, owner/manager of 69 Milk St. (Westboro Weaving Co. 1902, Renaissance Revival Style), the last manufacturing mill building in the historic downtown.
Participants will meet at Bay State Common Bandstand, 10 Union Street at 1 p.m. If heavy rain is forecast, the event will be held Sunday, Aug. 20, at 1 p.m.
For more information visit www.westborough300.com for weather updates and a full listing of the Walking Tour for the year.
