Boxford dates to 1645, and 9 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 84% of U.S. towns · #200 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
Most of Boxford was built recently: 10% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 9 places in town are on the National Register, among them three historic districts with 60 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1888 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1813.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Boxford’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Boxford is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #200 of 283 in Massachusetts. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Boxford’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Boxford’s 81.6 sits near the middle of its state (59% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 67 historic buildings outnumber those of 87% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1645.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.1 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Boxford’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Native Americans inhabited northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European colonization of the Americas. At the time of contact, the area that would become Boxford was controlled by Agawam sachem Masconomet, but the Agawam would experience severe population loss from virgin soil epidemics, especially in 1617–1619, killing an estimated 50–75% of the indigenous population in the region. Although Boxford was settled by Europeans in 1646, it was not until 1700 that the selectmen of Boxford would pay Masconomet's grandson Samuel English nine pounds for the rights to the town land.
Passages that mention Boxford, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the earliest settlement known to the present time1880 · page 307Read the page →
Read the text
A small village having sprung up in the southern part of the town of Groveland, those families that resided on an adjacent corner of Boxford desired to be set off to Groveland, and thus form a portion of the rising village of South Groveland. A petition was sent to the General Court, who granted their request, providing “that the inhabitants and land thus set off shall be holden to pay, and shall pay, to said town of Boxford, the sum of one hundred and ten dol-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts, from the earliest settlement known to the present time1880 · page 110Read the page →
Read the text
“We, whose names are underwritten, having been appointed by the town of Rowley May Ith, 1699, to empower the town of Boxford to settle bounds with the towns of Salem, Topsfield, Andover, and Bradford, or any other that the township of Rowley formerly granted was bordering upon; we do fully and absolutely grant and give to the town of Boxford as full power to settle any bounds, or run any line or lines, with any town or towns, farm or farms, that was formerly adjoining to the bounds of the town of Rowley before Boxford had the
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Boxford, decade by decade
3 decades in the archive, from the 1880s to the 1960s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1645, according to Wikidata. Boxford’s post office opened in 1813, and the first U.S. census counted 925 people here in 1790.
How does Boxford rank for history?
Boxford is more historic than 84% of U.S. towns, #200 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Boxford?
9 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Holyoke-French House (listed 1972, the first), and 3 historic districts, the Howe Village Historic District, the Boxford Village Historic District and the Towne Farm, with 60 contributing buildings. 67 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Boxford?
10% of Boxford’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.1 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1979.
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).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (9), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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