Dedham Tales

This handsome dwelling once occupied a prominent site on a very busy street in town; much of the stone wall still stands and you probably recognize it. If you want to test yourself, I’ve placed the modern day photograph at the bottom of the page so you can scroll down after you’ve made your guess.

Built in 1834, this was the home of Thomas Barrows, mill owner and prominent Dedham citizen. Born in Middleboro in 1795, Barrows began working in mills in Plymouth County at age 17, making his way to Dedham in 1825 to work as an agent for Benjamin Bussey. Barrows’ life is a perfect example of a rags to riches story. After working at several Dedham mills, Barrows purchased the 1835 Stone Mill on Mother Brook in 1863 and expanded and renovated the mill to manufacture wool products. Barrows had 4 children; his oldest son Thomas was killed in a railroad accident, his daughter Elizabeth married Eliphalet Stone, another influential citizen who lived on Mt. Vernon Street.

This 1876 map shows the Barrows estate on High Street, as well as other Barrows properties, including Barrows Street, which was named after the mill owner.

Barrows was president of the Dedham Institution for savings and a committee member of the Brookdale Cemetery Commission. He sold a portion of his land for the development of the cemetery.

The land was purchased by the Archdiocese of Boston for St. Mary’s Church and the house torn down in 1959. For the next 50 years, the elegant stone wall of Dedham granite bordered a parking lot that was quite full on Sundays during the church’s heyday in the 1960s and 70s. The large rectangular lot also served as the playground for students from the school. I recall running up and down that giant tar playground during 7th and 8th grade recess in the early seventies; 50-80 rambunctious middle schoolers running wild under the semi-watchful eyes of just a few nuns.

The Town of Dedham purchased a portion of the land in 1976 to develop the Dedham Housing Authority O’Neil Drive Elderly Housing complex. In 2009 the Town purchased the rest of the land (about 2 acres) and used the lot for various purposes including DHS band practice and snow removal. In 2011 about half of the property was developed and private homes were built.