ALLEN ROAD- for William Allen who lived on Lenox street, who was grandfather of the Boydens- Frank, Maud, May and Mrs. Fred Harriott.
BEECH STREET- meaningless name. Was originally called “Fern street.’
BELLEVUE AVENUE- a development name.
BELMONT STREET- a development name.
BERWICK STREET and PLACE- named for James Berwick, president of the Berwick and Smith division of the Norwood Press, upon whose property and homestead the roads were built.
BOND STREET- named for Sarah Bond Morrill, youngest daughter of George H. Morrill of the Morrill Ink Co. Most of the street passes through the original Morrill estate.
BROADWAY- every town has its Broadway in honor of the original.
BROOKFIELD ROAD- there was a brook passing through a field on the original site.
BULLARD STREET- named for Elijah Bullard whose farm houses stood where the Norfolk Co. Trust company building now stands and whose farm ran westward up Day street towards Prospect street Part of Bullard street cuts this property at right angles.
CASEY STREET-named for Thomas Casey, who owned and developed the property in its neighborhood.
CEDAR STREET- originally this tract was covered with cedar trees.
CENTRAL STREET- original name was “Cemetery street” as it lead to the gate of the old parish cemetery. Later was changed to “Market street” in honor of Jim Hartshorn’s market. Perley Thompson’s drugstore. Nelius Morgan’s livery stables, Henry E. Farnsworth’s bakery. Harvey Hayford’s barbershop and Mrs. Creed’s shoe store.
CHAPEL STREET- named in honor of the First Congregational Church of Chapel and the latter, erected in 1828 on Washington street.
CHARLES STREET- named for Charles Gay who owned the land where it is situated.
CHICKERING ROAD- is located on the original Dean Chickering farm.
CLAPBOARDTREE STREET- early traditions say that the West Dedham settlers found especially fine trees in this section for the cutting of clapboards for their homes. “Clapboard” is supposed to be a corruption of “clay-board” – the siding board on a house upon which clay was daubed for plaster to keep out the weather.
CLARK STREET- for Mr. Clark who owned land there.
CROSS STREET- is a logical name for a way which cut across the principal north and south streets.
CURRAN AVENUE- for Steve Curran, a skillful trackwalker for the old Boston Hartford and Erie R. R., now New Haven. He had little education but could lay rails better than the engineers.
DAVIS AVENUE- For Mr. Davis, Mr.Carleton’s father-in-law. Is believed to have had a slaughter house on it.
DAY STREET- named for Joseph Day.
DEAN STREET- the old original Deans all lived on it
DOUGLAS AVENUE- for Forrest Douglas.
ELIOT STREET- Samuel Eliot Pond owned much of the land there and was one of the first three selectmen of Norwood when it was incorporated in 1872
ELLIS AVENUE- for all the Ellis family, starting with Aunt Sybil.
EVERETT AVENUE- named for Israel Everett who lived on it at top of the hill and who fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. The original Everett Avenue is what is now Winter Street between Washington Street and Broadway. It ran through George Everett’s home and mill property. The present Everett avenue is on land bought by that family from the Aaron Guild estate.
FISHER STREET- Eliphalet “Liph”Fisher was the father of Ed fisher and grandfather of Edward and Dana Fisher. The old homestead was the Fisher farm on which stood the present Nichols street extension.
GAY STREET- for Willard Gay’s sons.
GARFIELD AVENUE- President’s Park, but I think the original President’s Park was off Pleasant Street where Winfield and Oliver are.
GEORGE STREET- for George B. Talbot.
GUILD STREET- for Maj. Aaron Guild.
HARDING ROAD- Mrs.James Harding Smith, whose husband was a partner with the Norwood Press in charge of the electrotype department, named it for her ancestors in Medfield.
HEATON AVENUE- for old Dr. Heaton had a very dubious reputation and many pretty girls.
HILL STREET- for Carpet Shop Hill.
HOWARD STREET- for Samuel Howard. First constable in Norwood.
HOYLE STREET- for Raphael Hoyle who built the first house on it.
MONROE STREET- for William Monroe.
MERRIFIELD PLACE- for Isaiah Merrifield.
MORSE AVENUE- for Curtis Morse.
MORSE STREET- for George H. Morse.
NAHATAN STREET- named for Nahatan Hall in Westwood which stood next to the Ben White place on Nahatan Street as you go to the cemetery from the Unitarian Congregational Church. About 1870 it was used as a rectory by the Unitarian church and Rev. Mr. Crowningsheild. It burned down one Sunday morning, the original name “Nahatan” was an English corruption of the name of a famous Sachem of the Ponakpoag Indian tribe in Canton named William Ahautun. He was a good Indian who helped the whites who were busily stealing his lands.
NEPONSET STREET- named by Canton, doubtless for the Neponset meadows.
NICHOLS STREET- for Mr. Nichols who owned both sides of Nahatan street.
PHILLIPS AVENUE- for old Doc Phillips.
PLEASANT STREET- oldest street in Norwood. Was the original Indian trail called the Roebuck Trail, when named “Pleasant” is unknown but it is so styles on the 1851 map of South Dedham. It is well named, because with its fine view of the Blue Hills and the Fowl meadows, plus the many large trees which must have sheltered it long ago. it was indeed a pleasant street. Over it came all the earliest settlers of this town from their Dedham Village homes.
RAILROAD AVENUE- named for Norfolk County Railroads. Originally ran from Washington to Pleasant Streets, until some time in the 1870’s.
SUMNER STREET- named for the ancestors of Squire Nathaniel Sumner, first selectman to represent the South Dedham Parish at Dedham village. They owned much of the land through which it runs.
WALTER’S ROAD- named for Walter Chickering.
WARREN STREET-for J. Warren Talbot who owned some of the land and had his photographic studio about where the street starts and there was a fine old well near it.
WASHINGTON STREET- originally called Center Street, later called Main Street, and finally in 1876 the whole street from Haymarket Square, Boston to Providence, RI, was legally named “Washington Street,” by Act of Legislature. This was activated by the great Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Pa.
WHEELOCK AVENUE- Gilbert W. Wheelock owned land on Nichols Street back to Wheelock Avenue, and Elijah Wheelock owned form Wheelock avenue on Maple Street to Cottage street and on the later to Nicholas Street.
WILSON STREET- a man named Wilson owned much of the real estate in that locality.
WINSLOW AVENUE- the reason for the name is obvious.