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
Read More From Nancy
The Squares of Natick: Remembering the Names Behind Our Freedom
On a crisp fall day, walking through Natick is more than just enjoying the foliage — it’s also a journey through history. Scattered across town are memorial squares, quiet markers that carry the names of those who served, sacrificed, and shaped the story of our community. Three in particular stand out: Dennis J. Moran Square, […]
Home of Calvin Ellis Stowe
This 1816 Federal-style home in South Natick was the childhood home of Calvin Ellis Stowe a biblical scholar and later the husband of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Calvin Stowe became a scholar of Hebrew and biblical literature and met Harriet Beecher at the Lane Seminary in Cincinnati. They married in 1836, […]
The Peletiah Morse Tavern
Within less than a mile from my home lies the historic heart of South Natick. From the legacy of the Praying Indians to the colonial homes and 19th-century landmarks that still line the streets, this small village holds a deep well of history waiting to be shared Today, I share one of these colonial treasures, the Peletiah […]
