The story
Read it all →How Hunnewell came to be
From Wikipedia’s history of Hunnewell.
Hunnewell was founded in 1880. It was named for Boston financier and railway owner H. H. Hunnewell.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
–Not graded
History · Hunnewell
Hunnewell dates to 1880, and 38% of its homes were built before 1940
1880founded
0on the National Register
38%homes built before 1940
Quick answers
How Hunnewell began, and where its name came from
When was Hunnewell founded?
1880
Hunnewell dates its founding to 1880 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1880.
2020 census: 44146 years
How did Hunnewell get its name?
Hunnewell was named for Boston financier and railway owner H. H. Hunnewell.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1880. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
What stands out about Hunnewell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
★ What stands out · Help out
Start Hunnewell’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Hunnewell’s history is told.
Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.Timeline
Hunnewell, 1880 to 1960
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
- 19th century
- 1880FoundingHunnewell is established
- 1880Post officeThe Hunneweil post office opens
- 20th century
- 1960Post officeThe Hunneweil post office closes
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Add from your albumFamous people
See all →Famous people close to Hunnewell
Nobody well known was born in Hunnewell itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
G
Gladys EmersonAmerican historian, biochemist and nutritionist · b. 1903F
Frank Marshall DavisUnited States writer, political and labor movem… · b. 1905
Places that used to be
Lost post offices
Another post office, Hunneweil, opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Hunnewell’s history
What year was Hunnewell founded?
In 1880, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hunnewell’s post office opened in 1880.
Memory lane
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Start a conversation
Sources
Where this page comes from
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikipedia, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.