ASHLAND MA

ASHLAND MA

Stone Park

Built - 1987

The area now known as Ashland was first settled in the early 1700s and later incorporated in 1846. The early development of the town was due to the establishment of the Boston to Albany railroad in the mid 1800s although it remained more of a residential rather than industrialized town until the mid 20th century.

Inventor Henry E. Warren lived in the area and developed the Warren Synchronizing Timer in 1916 which revolutionized the electronic clock industry by keeping alternating current flowing from plower plants at a consistent sixty cycles per second. Mr. Warren went into partnership with General Electric and manufactured electric clocks in Ashland until 1979.

Ashland is mostly being residential once again and is considered an ideal location to live since it is halfway between the cities of Boston and Worcester and has two major highways located in the area. Ashland is known as the "Home of the Electric Clock."

Its bandstand, better known as "The Gazebo." is located in Stone Park and was built due to the fact that the townspeople felt the need for such a structure in 1987 when many exuberant citizens got together to erect the structure from donated labor and materials.

The bandstand has served many functions so far, from weddings, church services, fund raising events, movies and, of course, band concerts. Tuesday evenings during the summer months find many people gathered around their bandstand enjoying many fun events from June through August.

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
David Foster, Parks Department