ASHBY

Places of Interest

Historical Society

The Ashby Historical Society was formed in 1900 with a goal of preserving Ashby's history for future generations. The group maintains and curates a small museum in the old engine house, located in the center of town that was originally constructed circa 1899. The society maintains a collection of artifacts from the town's history and continues to add donations and found artifacts to its collections. This collection of artifacts includes maps, books, letters, furniture, farm implements, firefighting apparatus, and much more. Hand pumped fire apparatus are on display at the historical society, along with fire related tools.

"The Town Pump"

The Town Pump, a newsletter published during the final two years of World War II, had its first edition published in June 1944 and last in September 1945. The Town Pump circulated as a means of keeping residents temporarily out of town supporting the war effort informed on that which was happening at home. The news letter circulated during 1944 and 1945, until publication ceased with the end of the war. Scanned digital copies of "The Town Pump" can be found online.

The Ashby Stock Farm

The Ashby Stock Farm, also known as the Middlesex Stock Farm, is situated on the largest parcel of contiguous open space remaining in town today. The farm consists of 238 acres of hay fields and forestland. The farm once stretched all of the way into downtown and up to the New Hampshire border. The farm has had several owners and was once a large dairy operation. The farm is currently privately owned and has horses and active hay production on the property.

Gazebo and Town Common

The Ashby town common is a familiar sight for anyone traveling through town on Route 119. The common is a moderately sized triangular parcel of land in the center of town, just at the crest of the hill in front of one of two remaining historic churches. The common was once shaded by several maple trees, many of which have since died and been removed. The gazebo stands where it has since the 19th century and was restored in the 2000s.

South Village (Mill Village)

The South Village area, also referred to on some historic maps as the "Mill Village", is the area surrounding the outlet of the Ashby Reservoir. This small section of town was home to a gristmill and some limited mill housing that was constructed by Ephraim Hayward circa 1800. There are two buildings that still exist to this day on the property now owned by Middlesex County Foundation. The property remains in operation by Camp Middlesex as a seasonal 4-H camp. The mill buildings, dam and bridge have been maintained over the years with the bridge over the spillway being replaced in the 2000s. The mills changed hands multiple times during their operation, eventually being operated by William O. Loveland, who continued to run the sawmill and retrofitted the gristmill to produce electricity. Loveland is believed to have been the person to convince the Board of Selectmen to construct poles and run electric power to light the center of town around 1902. The mills were eventually closed in the 1920s.

Cemeteries

West cemetery, originally a family burial ground started during the Revolutionary War, was later used in the 20th century by many Finnish families. This cemetery, as are the others, is now owned and maintained by the town.

Watatic Ski Area

Mount Watatic, located in the towns of Ashburnham and Ashby, was once home to a small ski area that operated from the 1930s until its closure in 1984. The ski area started with a small rope tow and expanded to the summit some time later, thought to be in the 1960s. At its height, the ski area had snow making and night skiing, impressive features at the time. The area also included multiple rope tows, two T-bars and double chairs that eventually replaced the old rope tows and one T-bar. In 1984, the ski area eventually succumbed to competition and its poor location in relation to major roads. There was one attempt to reopen the ski area in 1988, under the name Ski Adventure that was ultimately unsuccessful. The land of the former ski area is currently held in conservation and is accessible to the public for hiking. Hikers can find the old, grown-in trails and remnants of the area's structures still visible on the back side of the mountain.

Mount Watatic was also once home to state fire tower #31 that looked out over central Massachusetts at an elevation above sea level of 1590 feet. Phone lines to the tower ran up the Ashby and Ashburnham sides of the mountain over the years.

Recent History

250th Parade and Celebration

The Ashby 250th celebration in 2017 featured a year long schedule of events including a parade, tour of the historical society, ecumenical camp meeting, horse demonstrations, old fashion baseball game, bonfire, and several other events.

Other

The majority European-American town gained national attention in 1973 when the Ashby Town Meeting voted 148 to 79 against inviting non-white people to live there.