SHREWSBURY MA

SHRESBURY MA

Shrewsbury Town Common

Built - c. 1900

The town of Shrewsbury was first established in 1664 and named after Shrewsbury, England. Its first settler was a Mr. Gersham Wheelock in 1720 at which point it grew rapidly becoming an important suburb of neighboring Worcester. It was an unusual town from the beginning since it was neither your typical New England mill or farming community but became an important apple orchard town in the area and by 1750 had two stores and four taverns with small industries popping up. It also became a staging area for the Revolutionary War and at one point had an encampment of 400 insurgents.

By the late 1700s, the leather industry thrived in the town along with later watch producing factories and gunsmithing operations were developed. However, due to a lack of large waterpower sites and the tardy arrival of the railroad, its role as just a suburb of Worcester grew more importantly.

Shrewsbury's bandstand was origianlly built around 1900 and was located closer to Main Street near the Civil War monument but moved in the 1950s to its present location which is more toward the center of the Town Common. It was rebuilt in 2000 with its exterior roof completely redone with a handicapped ramp added. The interior sheathing of the structure is original. The rebuilding process was done by the Antonelli Construction Company paid by grants from a Tourism Grant from the Turnpike Authority and a state grant through Guy Glodis who was a State Senator at the time and now a Worcester County Sheriff.

The bandstand is mainly used now as a venue for band concerts and occasionally for weddings and photo opportunities as well as community functions and caroling on the common.

INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY:

George C. Brown

Asst Director & Head of Adult Service