Norfolk, Massachusetts, in Norfolk County, is 20 miles southwest of Boston in Eastern Massachusetts. The communities of Millis, Medfield, Walpole, Foxborough, Wrentham, Franklin, and Medway surround the town. In 2009, 10,968 people called Norfolk home (U.S. Census). Families make up 85% of the households as Norfolk is nearly an entirely residential community with only 4% of the town’s 15 square miles of land devoted to commercial or industrial uses.
First settled in 1669, Norfolk was not incorporated as a town until 1870. Norfolk contains many wonderful examples of historic architecture. Early in Norfolk’s history, scores of cotton and paper mills filled the City Mills section of Norfolk, while the remainder of the town consisted of housing for the mill owners or mill workers.
One of the main assets of Norfolk is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail station, which carries over 3,000 people per day to and from Boston. Norfolk is also served by U.S. Route 1, a major north-south highway through the New England area. The former Southwood Hospital Campus in Norfolk is also an asset for the town. This 86-acre site is being touted as one of Massachusetts’ biotechnology and pharmaceutical-ready sites.
Local schools and health care options are important to the quality of life in residential communities such as Norfolk. The highly acclaimed Norfolk County Schools serves Norfolk. The closest hospital for Norfolk residents is the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Foxborough.
There are two state prisons in Norfolk: the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Norfolk and the Bay State Correctional Center. The Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Norfolk, the largest state prison in Massachusetts, is a medium security facility known as a community prison. The prison’s architecture blends well with the surrounding community. The Bay State Correctional Center is also a medium security facility, which is committed to providing community service through a variety of programs including operating a greenhouse to provide plants to the Norfolk Town Hall and the Norfolk Council on Aging.
Health care and educational services are the top employers for Norfolk. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2009, 74.8% of the non-fatal occupational injuries occurred in service-providing industries. The Department of Industrial Accidents is responsible for overseeing the workers’ compensation system in Massachusetts.
The Stony Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Norfolk is an extensive boardwalk system along the edge of Teal Marsh, leading into a grove of beech trees in the middle of Kingfisher Pond, where wood ducks, black ducks, and Canadian geese can often be seen. The sanctuary adjoins the 140-acre Bristol Blake State Reservation.
There are many opportunities for outdoor recreation in Norfolk County. The F. Gilbert Hills State Forest spans 1,027 acres in neighboring Foxborough and Wrentham. The 7,000 acre Blue Hills Reservation in Milton provides a large variety of recreational opportunities, a museum, and the Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center.
Norfolk offers residents the best of both worlds, all of the cultural and employment advantages of Boston, located just 20 miles away, and the natural beauty and serenity of historic New England. Residents and visitors find an array of recreational, cultural, and community events in Norfolk throughout the year.
