Norton, MA

Norton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,812 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Greater Boston metropolitan area.

The town of Norton was first settled in 1639 as part of Charlestown. The land that would become Norton was purchased from the Wampanoag people by Thomas Dudley and his son-in-law Samuel Willard for £100 on July 4, 1639. Dudley named the new settlement after his home town of Norton in Northamptonshire, England.

In 1775 during the American Revolution, British troops marched through Norton on their way to Lexington and Concord. On July 18th of that year, local militia led by Captain Ebenezer Richardson fought a pitched battle with 400 British troops at nearby Stillwater Hill which resulted in a decisive American victory.

In 1853, the Boston and Maine Railroad built a line through Norton connecting Boston with points west. This helped spur development in the town as businesses began to move into downtown Norton to take advantage of its proximity to both Boston and Providence (the latter being then a major transportation hub). In addition, many wealthy families who lived in suburban Boston began moving into Norton due to its close proximity to downtown Boston and its many amenities such as schools and parks.

Today, much of downtown Norton has been preserved as an historic district which includes several well-preserved Victorian era buildings including the Town Hall (built in 1892), St John's Episcopal Church (1868), and The Old Bank Building (1881). In addition, several newer buildings have been erected adjacent to or near these older structures which have helped revitalize downtown Norton over the past few years.

One such building is The Atrium at 101 Main Street which houses several restaurants and retail spaces within its glass walls overlooking Main Street. Another recent development is The Residences at 50 Main Street which consists of 14 luxury apartments located within two renovated 19th century commercial buildings on Main Street just south of downtown Norton. These developments are indicative of how rapidly downtown Norton has been growing over recent years; however there is still room for further redevelopment given that much of Downtown remains vacant or underutilized despite recent efforts by local businesses and developers alike