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Norfolk, Massachusetts

39 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1887 and the latest in 1989. It stands in Norfolk town. It lies in ZIP code area 02056. It stands on Stony Brook. The Survey maps it on the Wrentham quadrangle.

Research this city

Norfolk within Norfolk County

Then and now

1887 to 1989

The same ground, surveyed 102 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Norfolk, surveyed 1989
Topographic sheet of Norfolk, surveyed 1887

On record in Norfolk

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 5 records

Topographic sheets covering this place

19 surveys from 39 printed sheets

Matched 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.

In the county-history sources

3,254 words on this township

History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884 names this settlement in its chapter on Norfolk Town. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

He resembles, in a certain leonine cast of face, the late Chief Justice Lemuel Shaw, who was his friend. He is a good type of that better class of country lawyers out of which such men as John Adams and Fisher Ames came. He has always been rich in brains and law-books, and a certain racy humor and

Passage source: History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884.

Settlements were made here at an early day, and among the prominent namés here in 1795 were David Holbrook, Josiah Ware, Moses Mann, Samuel Richardson, James Holbrook, Asa Ware, Elisha of Wrentham, and following in an easterly course the present line of division between Wrentham and Medfield to Stop River; thence running southerly along said river, and separated by the thread of its stream from Walpole, to a point forty rods north of the mouth of the first brook running into said river, below Campbell's Mills, on the easterly side; thence from said point, by a straight line, ranning to the junction of Back and Bird streets, in Walpole; thence to the easterly side of said Bird street to its junction with West street; thence westerly by the northerly side of West street, twenty-five rods; thence southerly, and near to and westerly from the barn belonging to the home estate of Charles Bird, until said line strikes Stop River, one hundred and twenty rods southerly from West street; thence along said river as far as Wrentham and Walpole are separated by the thread of its stream; thence by a straight line, running westerly of the Walpole almshouse and easterly of the farm | buildings of Patrick Reardon, and easterly of the Dupee Blake | place, so called, to a point on the line between Walpole and Fox- | borough, one bundred and twenty-five rods north-easterly from | Dedham Rock; thence from said point, following the present line of division, between Wrentham and Foxborough, to Dedham Rock; thence southerly from said rock along the present | line of Wrentham and Foxborough to a point on said line on | the southerly side of Pine street; thence by a straight line to a | point on the westerly side of Everett street, northerly of the | house of Edmund T. Everett, and southerly of the Pondville Cemetery, to a point on the westerly side of North street, five rods southerly of the farm buildings of Samuel J. Benn; thence through the Stony Brook reservoir, near to the house of H. 8. Nash, to a point on the line between Franklin and Wrentham, | ninety rods southerly of the house late of Eliphalet Lawrence; thence running northerly, by a straight line, near to and west of the farm buildings of the home estate of J. E. Pollard, near the Elliot Felting Mills, near to and thirty-five rods west of the present residence of Saul B. Scott, to the southern extremity of Populatic Pond; thence along the western shore of said pond, at | low-water mark, to Charles River; thence in an easterly course upon Charles River, and separated by the thread of its stream from Medway to the centre of the iron bridge over said river; thence upon the thread of said river to the bridge of the Med- | way branch railroad; thence along the southerly side of said south-easterly of and near to the village of Deanville, near to and south of the old barn belonging to John Barber, to a point | on Baltimore street, two rods from said barn; thence by a straight line to the easterly side of the great bend in Charles River and near the old fording place; thence upon said river, and separated by the thread of its stream, from Medway to the point of beginning ; - is hereby incorporated into a town by the name of Norfolk ; and said town of Norfolk is hereby invested with all the powers, privileges, rights, and immunities, and is subject to all the duties and requisitions to which other towns are entitled | and subjected by the constitution and Jaws of this Commonwealth.

Passage source: History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1884.

Josiah (4), the eldest son, and ancestor of the Josiah whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was born in Needham, Sept. 15,1742. He removed when young to Wrentham, married Lois, daughter of Elisha and Phebe Ware, June 8, 1770. He was a very worthy man, and an industrious, enterprising farmer, and was one of the building committee for erecting the first church in North Wrentham. His children were Rhoda (died young), Eunice, (married Daniel Cook), Josiah, Elisha, Lucy (married Benjamin Rockwood), Darius, and Lois (married Josiah Codding). He died Oct. 23, 1836.

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 Norfolk Town - it names this place 14 more 14 times.

Photographs

8 of 32 photographs shown,

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

General Dynamics Corporation Shipyard, Apprentice School, 97 East Howard Street, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
General Dynamics Corporation Shipyard, Apprentice School, 97 East Howard Street, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Edison Electric Illuminating Company, Charles L. Edgar Station, Bridge Street at Fore River, Weymouth, Norfolk County, MA
Edison Electric Illuminating Company, Charles L. Edgar Station, Bridge Street at Fore River, Weymouth, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Daniel Vose House, 1370 Canton Avenue (moved from 38 Adams Street), Milton, Norfolk County, MA
Daniel Vose House, 1370 Canton Avenue (moved from 38 Adams Street), Milton, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Caryl Parsonage, Dedham Street, Dover, Norfolk County, MA
Caryl Parsonage, Dedham Street, Dover, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Milestones H, I, CCC, DDD & EEE, Various Quincy locations, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
Milestones H, I, CCC, DDD & EEE, Various Quincy locations, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
General Dynamics Corporation Shipyard, Outfitting Pier No. 2, 97 East Howard Street, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
General Dynamics Corporation Shipyard, Outfitting Pier No. 2, 97 East Howard Street, Quincy, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Cochituate Aqueduct, Brookline Reservoir Gatehouse, Boylston & Warren Streets, Brookline, Norfolk County, MA
Cochituate Aqueduct, Brookline Reservoir Gatehouse, Boylston & Warren Streets, Brookline, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress
Allin Congregational Church, High Street, Dedham, Norfolk County, MA
Allin Congregational Church, High Street, Dedham, Norfolk County, MA
Photographer not recorded. Library of Congress

Every photograph of Norfolk County

Fires near this place

139 since 2007

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 139 fires within 5 miles of Norfolk between 2007 and 2020, burning about 58 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined53
Recreation and ceremony49
Smoking16
Debris and open burning15
Equipment and vehicle use2
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Arson/incendiarism1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
25 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlMEDFIELD
23 September 2015Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlSHARON
22 September 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
15 September 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
14 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlWRENTHAM
13 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlFRANKLIN
13 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlFRANKLIN

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Norfolk County

Specimens collected near this place

12 of 4,083 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 4,083 specimens collected within 10 miles of Norfolk between 1867 and 1975: 2,233 Animalia, 1,054 Fungi, 647 Plantae, 102 Protozoa, 22 Chromista, 20 Unrecorded, 5 Bacteria. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A Herz, A. A. Eaton, A. B. Seymour 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 SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Hypoprepia fucosa Hübner, 1831Hypoprepia fucosa Hübner, 18311900not recordedSherborn
A photograph of the species Grammia arge, not of this specimenGrammia arge Drury, 17731867not recordedSherborn
A photograph of the species Carex swanii, not of this specimenCarex swanii (Fernald) Mack.1870Joseph BlakeSharon
A photograph of the species Chamaecyparis thyoides, not of this specimenChamaecyparis thyoides (L.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.1870Joseph BlakeSharon
Chantransia hermannii (Roth) Desvaux1870F. W. Dewart
A photograph of the species Trichophorum planifolium, not of this specimenTrichophorum planifolium (Spreng.) Palla1870Joseph BlakeSharon
A photograph of the species Hamamelis virginiana, not of this specimenHamamelis virginiana L.1871T. Morong
A photograph of the species Ranunculus trichophyllus, not of this specimenRanunculus trichophyllus Chaix1871Joseph BlakeSharon
A photograph of the species Operophtera bruceata, not of this specimenOperophtera bruceata (Hulst, 1886)1873not recordedSherborn
A photograph of the species Gymnocarpium dryopteris, not of this specimenGymnocarpium dryopteris (L.) Newman1874not recorded
A photograph of the species Nitella tenuissima, not of this specimenNitella tenuissima (Desv.) Kütz.1874Piper, S. M.
Thelypteris phegopteris (L.) Sloss.1874not recorded

All 4,083 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 22 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 22 workings within 5 miles of Norfolk: 10 past producers, 10 producers, 2 unknowns. 10 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Bates Bros QuarryGraniteProducer
Iron Mountain MineIronPast Producer
Needham PitStonePast Producer
Walpole QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Wrentham QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenUnknown
Wrentham QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Chestnut Street PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Dedham Pit & PlantSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Dedham Sand and Gravel CoSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
J Colella and Son IncSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary

Every working recorded in Norfolk County

Storms near this place

9 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Norfolk in 9 storm reports between 1996 and 2020: 4 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 lightning. The reports record 7 injuries. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
June 1996LightningNorfolk7 hurtno account filed
July 1998LightningNorfolk$100,000no account filed
June 2010Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$30,000Trees on Myrtle and Holbrook Streets were downed by thunderstorm winds. One of these trees fell on a house on Myrtle Street.
February 2016Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$15,000Trees and wires throughout Norfolk were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$1,000A large tree was reported down on power lines at an unspecified location in the town of Norfolk.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindNorfolk$500In Norfolk, a tree was down on Cleveland Street.
July 2008HailNorfolk-Penny to nickel size hail fell in a swath from Norfolk to Walpole.
June 1999HailNorfolk-no account filed
July 1997HailNorfolk-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Norfolk County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Highland Lake0.9 miles43
Campbells Station1.6 miles43
City Mills1.7 miles39
Rockville2.3 miles43
West Walpole2.4 miles43
Cedar Hill2.4 miles43
Pondville2.7 miles39
Acorn Terrace3.0 miles39

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 612094. 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.