Paul Ellis' tavern, situated on the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike between Boston to Providence (now Washington st), brought stagecoach passengers and their drivers to his door and tap room regularly. A large hook on a post in front of the tavern allowed drivers to throw their reigns over easily when they arrived and also became an easy place to hang mail or other articles without needing to stop, saving the drivers time. Soon, drivers started calling the tavern "The Hook" and before long the nickname was applied to the area around Norwood's present Town Square. This article goes into more detail about the history of the Tavern and mentions some of the events that occurred there, including a gruesome murder/suicide (which will be the subject of an article on this page a few days from now) and a visit from a US President. The structure was known by many names over the years, including "Ellis' Tavern", "Hartshorn's Tavern", "The South Dedham Inn", "Norwood House" and "The Norwood Hotel". The Tavern was moved on #thisdayinnorwoodhistory in 1913 to the intersection of Nahatan st and Broadway, approximately where Santander Bank is today. The construction of the George T Lee Bridge and the extension of Nahatan st under the railroad tracks wouldn't happen until 1935, over 20 years later.
This Day in Norwood History-February 6, 1903-Norwood Business Association Votes On Names For Norwood Square
Norwood's town square was once known locally as"The Hook". The name came from the iron hook that hung in front of Paul Ellis' tavern, shown here on the left. Norwood … Continue reading This Day in Norwood History-February 6, 1903-Norwood Business Association Votes On Names For Norwood Square
This Day In Norwood History-January 30, 1943-Selectmen Urge Municipal Parking Lot
Voters To Act On Article Thursday Leaders Recommend Acquisition Of Land The Municipal Lot can be seen on the right side of this Google Earth photo. The location of the … Continue reading This Day In Norwood History-January 30, 1943-Selectmen Urge Municipal Parking Lot
This Day In Norwood History-December 21, 1912- Norwood Votes For New Balch School, Buys Lots For Common & Town Hall Purposes
This 1913 engineering plan shows the lots purchased from George H Willett which became the site of the Norwood Town Common and the Town Hall. BUILDING TO COST $57,000. Norwood … Continue reading This Day In Norwood History-December 21, 1912- Norwood Votes For New Balch School, Buys Lots For Common & Town Hall Purposes
This Day In Norwood History-November 27, 1942-Selectmen Approve Plans For Construction Of Honor Rol
Sanction Honor Roll For Local Service Men Cost Of Board Estimated To Be Approximately $1300 The Norwood Roll of Honor as it looked on Norwood Town Common in 1943. Norwood's … Continue reading This Day In Norwood History-November 27, 1942-Selectmen Approve Plans For Construction Of Honor Rol
This Day in Norwood History- August 30, 1913-“Old Tavern”, Norwood House Relocated
HISTORIC OLD BUILDING MOVED Norwood’s Once Famous “Old Tavern’’ to Be Used as a Workingmen’s Boarding House. Sun, Aug 31, 1913 – 6 · The Boston Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) NORWOOD, … Continue reading This Day in Norwood History- August 30, 1913-“Old Tavern”, Norwood House Relocated
1950’s Aerial Photo of Downtown Norwood Center
This 1950's aerial photo shows the downtown area of Norwood and includes the Norwood Town Common, Town Hall, The old Norwood Police and Fire Building (now the OCC), the Norwood … Continue reading 1950’s Aerial Photo of Downtown Norwood Center
Market and Central Street Relocation
This September 1910 plan of John E. Smith's Estate shows a very different downtown area than we recognize today. At that time, Market street ran from Old Parish Cemetery to … Continue reading Market and Central Street Relocation
Honoring Norwood’s Veterans
Norwood has a long history of proud military service, going back to the Colonial Wars, and the town and townspeople have done an excellent job of paying tribute to those … Continue reading Honoring Norwood’s Veterans