1620 to 1700

the-boyde-house-86-myrtle-streetThe Boyde House
86 Myrtle Street

This was one of the original five houses on the Indian trail from Medfield to Wrentham. A portion of the house was originally built in 1681 by John Boyde - it was later enlarged in 1700 and again in 1797. In the latter half of the 18th century it became the home of Dr. Nathaniel Miller who also built a hospital on the hill next door. Records of the 1840s show the industrious Dr. Miller also operated a threadmill here at River End, along with Caleb Sayles, under the firm name of Sayles and Miller. Several of Dr. Miller's relatives were kept gainfully employed at this business. Dr. Miller's home became the original meeting place of the Montgomery Lodge of Masons. In fact one of Norfolk's several brushes with colonial history occurred here on July 10, 1797 when none other than Paul Revere came to the Boyde House to officiate at the lodge's chartering ceremonies. 

the-miller-house-granite-pillars-myrtle-streetThe Miller House Granite Pillars
Myrtle Street

In the latter half of the 18th century when the Boyde house became the home of Dr. Nathaniel Miller he also built a hospital on the hill next door. The hospital later became a private residence, and was know as Miller Hall but was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1878.. The four granite pillars still remain at sentry, two guarding each entrance of the semi-circular driveway curving out onto Myrtle Street near the intersection with Medway Street. The location now marks the opening to a residential development.

The Morse House
18 Campbell Street
the-morse-house-18-campbell-street
This home may be one of the oldest structures in Norfolk. It may have been built by Benjamin Morse and his wife Sarah Blake, circa 1728, just before he took over his father, Jeremiah's, sawmill. This was the town's first "industrial area" as over the centuries a wide variety of mills operated here including an iron smelter and a paper mill. The house has several unique features including two secret hiding places and rumors that it has connections to an underground tunnel that has since been filled in.

the-old-parish-house-25-north-streetThe Old Parish House
25 North Street

This house played a significant role in Norfolk History. The cape section was built by Josiah Ware, 2, the owner of the Josiah Ware Tavern. He built it after the Revolutionary War in the 1780's. He opened it to use for services of the North Parish while the meeting house was being built, 1796 to 1801. His youngest son, Elisha, built the attached two story structure in 1820. The house across the street (Peterson House) was built by Joshua Codding who married Josiah 2's youngest daughter, Lois. After Josiah died in 1836 the Coddings moved into 25 North Street.

the-samuel-dunton-house-cress-brook-farm-51-lake-streetThe Samuel Dunton House / Cress Brook Farm
51 Lake Street

This house is certainly a survivor as it made it through several fires in its over 300 years of existence. This was the original home of Samuel Dunton Sr. who died in 1749, "by the fall of a tree". He was the father of Samuel Jr. as well as Gershom and Benjamin who both settled in Medfield. Gershom Dunton achieved some notoriety for his participation in early colonial wars. Col. Ebenezer Blake who owned the "store near the old North Wrentham church" lived here in the 1800s. Ed Sumner, a descendent of one of the oldest Puritan families of the Dorchester colony, later raised watercress on the farm in the early 1900s for the trendy New York markets. The pond across the street is Crystal Lake. It was once called Toils End Pond and the stream that flows towards River End was Toild End Brook.