Natick: The First Praying Indian Town
In 1651, missionary Rev. John Eliot established Natick as the first of the “Praying Indian” towns in Massachusetts. He named the town after the Natick American word Natick, translated as a place of hills or a place of searching. He worked closely with local Massachusett and Nipmic people, teaching them Christianity in their native tongue and translating the Bible into Algonquian, launching America’s first Bible printed in an Indigenous language
On this site, in South Natick, the first Indian meetinghouse was built. It served not only as a church but also as a public town meeting house for the Indigenous community living here
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Daniel Takawampit
Daniel Takawampbit, an Algonquian leader, stands as one of the most extraordinary and overlooked figures in New England’s Colonial past. He was the first Natick American ordained as a Puritan minister, the student and successor of John Eliot, and a spiritual guide to the Praying Indian community of Natick during some of the most challenging […]
Moses Eames House
The Moses Eames House, built in 1839, is one of the most visually striking historic homes in South Natick. Finished in white clapboard and fronted by prominent classical pillars, the house is a refined example of Greek Revival architecture, a style that swept through New England in the early 19th century. The home was built […]
Shaw Park
Shaw Park, located in South Natick, is not a grand park in the monumental sense. Yet, it is a space with a profound sense of intention as captured in the words that accompanied its gift to the town of Natick: “For the use of the Public Forever” These words were written by Isabella Hunnewell Shaw. […]
