Medway, MA : Town Profile

The Town of Medway is a beautiful residential town in the southwestern suburbs of Boston with easy access to Route 495. Henry Gamsey was the first settler in town. Beginning in 1700 with the first modest home built by Henry for his wife Sarah, settlers filtered in and by 1713 residents had petitioned for a new town charter, and the town, to be known as Medway, was incorporated. By 1800, there had been many saw and grist mills and several textile mills established and Medway continued to grow over the years as an industrial center because of its location along the river. Campbell Brothers ran a paper mill from 1854 to 1890 and the Sanford Mill was in operation in 1885. The establishment of a railroad through Medway did much to attract new mills to town. The charter for the railroad was granted by the state legislature in 1847 and served all the towns in the area, extending as far as Blackstone. The first post office was established in 1803, at which time there were just eight homes, a grist mill, two sawmills and a store. Because of its proximity to Route 495 and other highways, Medway residents are confident the town will continue to grow residentially, industrially and commercially.