BlockHolbrook, Massachusetts
42 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Holbrook town. It lies in ZIP code area 02343. It lies near Turkey Hill. The Survey maps it on the Blue Hills quadrangle.
Then and now
1886 to 1989The same ground, surveyed 103 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
On record in Holbrook
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
Holbrook Square Historic Districtlisted 2006
Roberts Schoollisted 2007
Businesses named in the fire insurance atlases 5 records
- Methodist ChurchChurch, in the atlas of 1903 to 1909
- Vine Street Publie SchoolSchool, in the atlas of 1903 to 1909
- Summer SchoolSchool, in the atlas of 1903 to 1909
- Austin, J. B., Fruit PackingPacking House, in the atlas of 1909
- Public School, at BrookvilleSchool, in the atlas of 1903
Topographic sheets covering this place
19 surveys from 42 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1886 USGS Dedham quadrangle1:62500
- 1894 USGS Dedham quadrangle1:62500, 10 printings
- 1919 USGS Dedham quadrangle1:62500
- 1936 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:24000
- 1941 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:31680, 4 printings
- 1943 USGS Boston quadrangle1:125000
- 1946 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:24000
- 1948 USGS Boston quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1954 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:25000
- 1956 USGS Boston quadrangle1:250000, 6 printings
- 1958 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
- 1958 USGS Boston quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1961 USGS Boston quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1971 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:25000
- 1971 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:24000
- 1977 USGS Blue Hills quadrangle1:25000
- 1985 USGS Boston quadrangle1:100000
- 1985 USGS Norwood quadrangle1:25000, 2 printings
- 1989 USGS Boston quadrangle1:100000, 2 printings
In the county-history sources
7,011 words on this townshipHistory of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884 names this settlement in its chapter on Holbrook Town. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.
ELSEWHERE in this volume Holbrook is alluded to as the daughter of Randolph. Technically, this is correct enough ; practically, however, the distinction between the West and East villages of the present town - now respectively the towns of Randolph and Holbrook - was as marked for many years previous to the division as it has ever been since.
Passage source: History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884.
General History. - The division of the town of Randolph, by a line running in the vicinity of the Cochato River, had been a topic of conversation, especially in East Randolph, for many years previous to the autumn of 1871, when the first really decisive steps were taken. to consider the subject were held, at which it was dolph were in favor of the formation of a new town east of the Old Colony Railroad line ; but there was not the harmony and unanimity which seemed desirable, and the matter was dropped. Early in the autumn of 1871, however, it seemed to some that the | meeting, held on Saturday evening, December 9th, was made noteworthy by reason of the proposal by Mr. K. N. Holbrook, there advanced, to give to the new town, in the event of its incorporation, the sum of fifty thousand dollars - of which twenty-five thousand dollars were to be expended for a town hall and library building, ten thousand dollars fora public library, and the remaining fifteen thousand dollars for the pay- The tent, more particularly outside the borders of the present town, that Mr. Holbrook made his munificent gift conditional upon the proposed town being named for him, deserves emphatic contradiction at the hands of the present writer, based upon the most reliable At the meeting where the generous proposal was made, the citizens assembled at once brought forward the name " Holbrook" for the new town, and it received almost unanimous approval by the townspeople. The name was adopted not so
Passage source: History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884.
All this was done in the face of the vigorous opposition of the citizens of East Randolph, but they were outvoted, as often before. The hearings before the legislative Committee on Towns were begun on January 24th, Mr. Morton, as previously stated, appearing of the people of East Randolph with profound sadness. This was the sudden death, on Feb. 5, 1872, of Mr. Elisha Niles Holbrook, the benefactor of the future town. Though a digression from the subject immediately in hand, perhaps no more appropriate place than the present may be found in which to allude to Mr. Holbrook's career.
Passage source: History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Holbrook Town - it names this place 31 more 31 times.
Fires near this place
416 since 2015Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 416 fires within 5 miles of Holbrook between 2015 and 2020, burning about 194 acres in total. 3 started naturally. 3 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Recreation and ceremony | 142 |
| Debris and open burning | 105 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 98 |
| Smoking | 40 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 22 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 3 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | BROCKTON |
| 9 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | ABINGTON |
| 8 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | ABINGTON |
| 7 September 2015 | Natural | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | BROCKTON |
| 7 September 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | BROCKTON |
| 7 September 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | WEYMOUTH |
| 7 September 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | BRAINTREE |
| 7 September 2015 | Recreation and ceremony | under an acre | Massachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Control | BRAINTREE |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Specimens collected near this place
12 of 5,484 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 5,484 specimens collected within 10 miles of Holbrook between 1832 and 1975: 2,465 Plantae, 1,486 Animalia, 1,372 Fungi, 114 Protozoa, 28 Chromista, 15 Unrecorded, 4 Bacteria. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by (MARSDEN, H W), A W Cheever, A. A. Eaton and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.
| Image | Species | Year | Collected by | Where, as recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lysimachia × producta (A.Gray) Fernald | 1900 | A. P. Chute | |
 | Pyrola elliptica Nutt. | 1900 | Leavitt,S.D. s.n. [1900-06] | [label: O. Leonhardt, Nossen i. S. Germania. Berliner Botanischer Tauschverein] Flora Am. bor.: North Easton (Mass.) |
 | Cornus sericea subsp. sericea | 1832 | Nathaniel T. Kidder | Milton, Brook Road |
 | Carex trisperma Dewey | 1836 | J. W. Robbins | |
 | Cladonia rangiferina (L.) Weber | 1844 | J. L. Russell | Hingham |
 | Lopadium disciforme (Flot.) Kullh. | 1848 | J. L. Russell | |
 | Cladonia gracilis (L.) Willd. | 1849 | J. L. Russell | Hingham |
 | Spyridia filamentosa (Wulfen) Harv. | 1849 | see Collection Note | |
 | Frullania asagrayana Mont. | 1850 | J. L. Russell | |
 | Hypnum curvifolium Hedw. | 1851 | W. L. Russell | Hingham |
 | Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. | 1851 | J. L. Russell | |
 | Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur, 1819) | 1852 | S. Baird | Hingham Massachusetts |
All 5,484 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
Mines and quarries near this place
10 of 23 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 23 workings within 5 miles of Holbrook: 14 past producers, 8 producers, 1 plant. 9 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Granite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Brothers Seam Face Granite Co | Granite | Past Producer | Granite | |
| Marshfield Sand and Gravel | Granite | Past Producer | Granite | |
| Weymouth Quarry | Granite | Producer | ||
| Bates Brothers Realty Trust Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer | ||
| Bristol Pit & Plant Lorusso | Stone, Crushed/Broken, Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Simeone Stone Corp | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Stoughton Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| A A Will Materials Cord | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| A Edward Sarni | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary | |
| Avon Building Supply Co | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | Sedimentary |
Storms near this place
6 since 2005Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Holbrook in 6 storm reports between 2005 and 2020: 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flood, 1 hail, 1 lightning. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Holbrook | $15,000 | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Lightning | Holbrook | $10,000 | At 11:35 AM EST, lightning from a thunderstorm over Holbrook started a house fire on East Shore Road. |
| September 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Holbrook | $1,000 | At 1020 AM EST, an amateur radio operator reported a tree down in Holbrook...on Weston Avenue at the intersection with Union Street. |
| June 2020 | Flood | Holbrook | - | In Holbrook, a nearly stationary thunderstorm along a sea breeze front caused one foot of street flooding at Route 139 and Poole Circle and on South Franklin Street (Route 37) just north of Collins Road. |
| October 2014 | Flood | Holbrook | - | Route 37 was flooded in Holbrook. Route 28 was closed in both directions between Royal Crest Drive and Gordon Street in Randolph due to flooding. |
| August 2014 | Hail | Holbrook | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braintree Highlands | 1.7 miles | 42 | |
| Randolph | 1.8 miles | 42 | |
| Brookville | 2.1 miles | 42 | |
| Avon | 2.4 miles | 42 | |
| South Braintree | 3.1 miles | 38 | |
| South Weymouth | 3.4 miles | 38 | |
| North Stoughton | 3.5 miles | 42 | |
| West Corners (historical) | 3.7 miles | 42 |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 612936. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.