Dedham

Historic Dedham is a beautiful suburban escape, located right on the principal southern corridor of metropolitan Boston. This beautiful town is the site of the earliest surviving framed house in all of New England, the stately Fairbanks House. This house was built around 1641, and stands today as a living reminder of America's history.

The 10.7 square mile Community of Dedham received its grant as an official town from the famed Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, placing it among the oldest communities in the state. Dedham was a town well before the United States was a country of its own. The rich colonial agricultural became a thriving economy, expanded from farming lands into industry only after the town, in 1639, built one of the earliest water power canals connecting the Charles River with a tributary of the Neponset River. This change brought sufficient water power for grist and fulling mills, and thus, Dedham was born as an industrial innovator.

Dedham was a town destined for great things. Named as the county seat of Norfolk County, Dedham changed drastically in 1796. A courthouse was built, and the die was cast – Dedham would become a thriving, booming little town. As local historians pointed out, the change drew in lawyers and officials - trained, educated and ambitious men and women who changed the history and prosperity of Dedham by investing in, and supporting wholeheartedly, new industrial development. Woolen mills were built, and innovations such as power broadlooms were introduced to the Community at large. By 1830, Dedham was becoming an industrial center with two woolen mills, two cotton mills, four sawmills, and five factories. Most of these were staffed by the growing population of Irish and German immigrants – these families alone counted for 27% of Dedham's total population. Everything, from pianos to furniture was made right in Dedham, including famous Dedham crackleware pottery.

A long and interesting history makes Dedham today a feast for the eyes: the town shows a rich and diverse architectural face to the world, with its monumental granite court house of Greek Revival design, a stunning Victorian prison, the limestone Neoclassical Registry of Deeds, a stately Romanesque Revival public library, and the beautiful Renaissance and Georgian Revival schools. Dedham has a remarkably well preserved historic town center with many handsome, historic houses of which the Community is very proud.

Today, Dedham is a thriving, modern town, but it still holds strong to its long and winding history. In Dedham, both the past and future combine to give citizens a peaceful, happy Community where all can thrive. In fact, the first settlers of Dedham wanted to name the town "Contentment," and this word even became the town's motto for a time. Contentment... now, doesn't that sound like the perfect place to live? To learn more about the history of Dedham, just get in touch with the Dedham historical society, dedicated to preserving the rich and incredible history of this beautiful town.

The people of Dedham enjoy economic stability. The U. S. Census shows that the median income for a Dedham household is just over sixty-one thousand dollars a year, and for a family the median income is more than seventy-two thousand annually.

There is something for everyone to do in Dedham. Can't get the kids out of the house? Get them involved with one of Dedham's many youth sports programs. Soccer, hockey, and little league are just a few ways you can get the younger members of the family involved, and help them meet new people and make new friends in friendly Dedham. The Boy Scouts is also always looking for Dedham boys, to teach them the meaning of teamwork and Community. For adults, Dedham is rich with clubs and organizations catering to a more sophisticated grouping. The Knights of Columbus, Rotary Club, American Legion, Dedham Square Circle, and Freemasons all have members in Dedham, and they're always happy to accept newcomers. There are almost twenty-four thousand people living in Dedham, and together they make up a rich and varied Community. The population density of Dedham is 2,235 people per square mile.

You might want to enrich your mind at the Dedham Public Library, or you may want to do the exact opposite at the MOBA. The MOBA is a collection that's totally unique to Dedham – you won't see art like this anywhere else in the world. The Museum of Bad Art pays homage to those works that are laughably strange. This collection is definitely one worth seeing – no trip to Dedham would be complete without a stop at the MOBA! For art and entertainment, make sure you go upstairs from the MOBA to enjoy Dedham's one-of-a-kind Community theatre.

And currently Dedham is undergoing one of the most exciting new retail constructions in the Boston Suburbs! An expansive new shopping complex is being built upon the land that once housed the Dedham Showcase Cinema. Set to open in mid 2009, this will be a great boon to the local Dedham area.