Holiday Cheer in Townsend Massachusetts

According to the United States Census Bureau, Townsend Masschusetts has a total area of 33.1 square miles (85.8 km²), of which 32.9 square miles (85.1 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km²) (0.72%) is water. Townsend has the largest land area of any town in Middlesex County but is by far not the most populated.

Townsend is a beautiful old town with many historical buildings a beautiful river feeding into a pond which feeds into a water fall in what is called Townsend Harbor. The river and pond support the annual Townsend Lions Club Canoe Race.  The Reed Homestead shown above is only one of the houses the Historical Society oversees , there are several such properties in town. Townsend Harbor is a village in Townsend, Massachusetts, containing Harbor Pond dammed from the Squannacook River.

The painting above of the harbor in fall was commissioned of a well-known local artist, Samuel Thorpe, who passed away in 2005 at the age of 71.

At this location Jonas Spaulding and his brother Waldo started a mill in 1873 that made leatherboard (composed of leather scraps and wood pulp). They did business as Spaulding Brothers. Operation of the leatherboard mill at Townsend Harbor ceased in 1957, after the last two surviving siblings, Huntley Spaulding and his married sister Marion S. Potter, died.

The town is also home to Willard Brook State Park including Damon Pond and Townsend State Forest which includes Pearl Hill. Pearl Hill's campsites in Massachusetts are spacious and private. There are 51 campsites with a modern bathhouse. A day use area includes a 5 acres (2.0 ha) pond with a beach. A recently completed and somewhat challenging trail connects to Willard Brook State Forest. The Willard Brook property has 19 campsites and one Yurt at Damon Pond. Campground office hours are 9 am – 10 pm. The regular camping season is from late May to early September. The fairly challenging "Friends Trail" that connects the campground to the one at Pearl Hill State Park takes up to 3 hours to complete and hikers should be in good physical condition.

Steeped in so much history it is no wonder that Townsend also has a large antique shop community.  Starting on the Eastern edge in the Harbor with small individual shops like Harbor-side Antiques and Estate Service or  B and G Antique Clock Repair Shop the antique trail finishes on the Western edge with large group shops like  Hobart Village Antique Mall and Antique Associates  as well as individual vendors like   J Delaney Antique Clocks a family business that has been featured on the Antiques Roadshow.

Great food is also a part of the Townsend Experience.  Lunch or Dinner or Sunday Brunch at Bailey’s Bar and Grille is a treat. They offer senior discounts along with vegetarian and gluten free options and a special burger where a portion of the proceeds supports various local fundraising and charitable organizations.  Live entertainment at the full  bar or on the deck (seasonal ) is a real draw. 

Several other local establishments are hometown and visitor favorites, like Cliffs Café for breakfast , indoors or out on the porch (weather permitting).   The Townsend House , as another example, is host to several local and surrounding town organizational dinner meetings proving that the food has to be good. 

Holidays in Townsend  provide many shopping and entertainment delights.  Beginning with the  events such as the library's Winter Holiday Art Showcase opening November 5^th , an indoor church fair November 23^rd at the Congregational Church on the common, followed quickly by the Townsend Lions Annual Christmas Tree Sale which begins the weekend following Thanksgiving with the delivery from a local NH tree farm to the back of the Townsend Common. 

The library will open their Festival of Trees on December 7^th which will display many artificial trees decorated by local businesses and families. 

 One of the most magical of events is deemed “Christmas in Townsend”.

This is a choreographed light and holiday music display put on annually by a Townsend teenager, Chris Puglia. It will rival any professionally developed display you might encounter.  2012 was their third and a record year for the display. Chris attributes that partly to a video segment appearing on the Groton Channel News, click here and see. The songs are advertised on the website ahead of time and each year the results are documented .  Bonus!  There is a mobile site that works for Windows, iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, check it out here. It is very well done. 

So much to see and do.  Too little space and time to write.  I will cover Townsend again in the spring.

GrotonFest Has It All, Make a Weekend of It

If you are interested in fun, food and collectibles, you will find it all at GrotonFest 2013. Refer to the link for a list of businesses and vendors as well as schedule of events. 


Groton celebrated it's 350th anniversary in 2005. It is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts and so in the country. It has withstood many hardships, not the least of which was being nearly irreparably destroyed by fire during King Phillips war, if not for the resolve of the townspeople to return and rebuild. Still today it appears the quiet New England oasis in a very busy and unsettled world. Just spending the day there can begin to melt the cares away. It is a town with a slower pace where health food stores and eastern medicine coexist profitably with a modern hospital and large grocery chain stores. Expect to find these business represented at the festival along with craft and food vendors. 

To start the first fall weekend, there will be an auction Friday evening Sept. 20, 2013 sponsored by the Groton Historical Society at the Groton Country Club with Hor d'Oeuvres and a Cash Bar.
The festival itself will take place Saturday Sept 21, 2013 (rain date Sunday Sept. 22) in Groton MA. See map below: 

More than 150 business, non-profit and artisan booths, llama's, all kinds of amazing food and much more. FREE, handicap accessible. Craft vendors will include the likes of SQUG where they create these squeezable, huggable, funky, one-of-a-kind toys that children of all ages enjoy
 
and Doll Designs by Jane where they design the most adorable outfits for 18 in dolls.


There are too many other craft vendors represented  to mention but just a few that I can link to, include Harry's Bird Houses,  Balanced Khaos , 8th Wonder Clothing for your Soul , Massapoag Pond Photography , Laura's Loops and so many more. 
As usual representation by many different types of businesses including Food vendors such as Balckbird Cafe, Devens Grille, Gibbet Hill Grille, Whacky Candy Shack and Fudge Everything will be onsite. 

While there are several options for a meal, a uniquely quaint rustic and very inviting New England drive in for breakfast, lunch, dinner or ice cream while in town is the not to be missed Johnson Drive In Restaurant and Dairy Bar. 

Overnight lodging is a bit more difficult to find but in surrounding towns like Ayer and Leominster you will find several options like Hilton Garden Inn, Sheraton, Super 8 etc. 

Take a lazy ride out to Groton Center on a wonderful Fall weekend and enjoy the festivities. 

North Central Worcester County Hidden Jewels

Templeton Mass is a picture perfect New England town with all the typical quiet charm. It is on the edge of Worcester County but seems a world away from some of the more bustling areas that are so geographically close like Fitchburg, Leominster, Gardner or even Worcester Mass itself.  In the center of Templeton where you will find some of the most serene settings is where the heart beats. There are town fairs and picnics throughout the summer months.

In the center of town is also a spectacular find for any antique-er or anyone hooked on New England eateries with a charm and personality all their own. It is Country Mischief. It is a restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch and Sunday Brunch as well as several rooms (and now several buildings) of antiques, crafts and collectibles in which to browse and shop before or after your meal. You will not make this a quick bite stop so make sure you schedule your calendar accordingly.

I visited there for a breakfast meeting with my grandchildren and at the suggestion of my grandson's wife. I had never been. First off I was surprised at the size and various settings for the restaurant itself. There is a seasonal summer porch. It is enclosed and overlooking the lawn, which is where we were lucky enough to be seated. There are several indoor rooms, and fireplace, just the thing for a winter visit.  

Most menu items are below $10. So a meal including drinks and dessert would likely be less than $20. 

Several local artisans display their works there as well. One such craft-er is Jan Scott who has her dolls on display there for sale. 

Country Mischief is a magical place to visit and it's kind of like potato chips. You will not visit only once but it is not the only place in the area. There are several shops in Templeton and surrounding towns of similar beauty and once a year, in December, they have a special event called Country Roads Christmas. It is a roadtrip of sorts with many surprises along the way.  In   Petersham for example there is an Alapaca Farm with a shop and it's also a B&B. Phillipston has a Christmas Tree Farm and Barre has a B&B/Herb Farm combination. There are leather shops, quilt shacks, restaurants etc. Check it all out on the Country Roads Christmas link above for directions, hours and contact details. Whether you wait for the event or you visit them all during a nice fall drive you will be surprised to find what is waiting for you on this unbeaten path. Bring your camera.