2018 Map of Grafton

About this map

The Blackstone River valley dominates this landscape, anchoring a chain of industrial-era mill settlements from Saundersville and Fisherville to Farnumsville. This waterway, once a primary power source for New England manufacturing, is paralleled by historical transport routes like the Hartford Pike and the rail corridors near Millbury Junction. The map reveals the dense layering of community life in Grafton and Northbridge, where numerous burial grounds such as Riverside Cem and Saint Johns Cem provide critical touchpoints for genealogical research. Further north, the Tufts Univ Grafton Campus marks the modern evolution of the landscape, while the southern reaches feature the striking geological formation of Purgatory Chasm. The distribution of smaller settlements like Axtell Corner and Kittville illustrates the transition from river-centered industry to the upland agricultural hills that surround the valley.