Norfolk, MA, (population 650,308 in 2000) is called the "County of Presidents".  Four United States Presidents were born in this small county:

• John Adams - Mass Bay Colony

• John Quincy Adams - Braintree

• George Bush - Milton, MA

• John F. Kennedy - Brookline

As with most short facts, that is only the tip of the iceberg politically, Adams National Historical Park, in the City of Quincy, Norfolk County, tells the story of the Adams family from 1720 to 1927. Two Presidents. two First Ladies, three U.S. Ministers, historians, and writers graced this Massachusetts family.

Norfolk, Massachusetts, is approximately ten miles south of Boston in the Neponset Valley. Bounded on the northeast by Massachusetts Bay, Norfolk includes the Blue Hills and the Charles and Neponset rivers as major attractions. The County Seat is Dedham. Originally, the county of Norfolk, included all the territory of what is now Suffolk, except for Boston and Chelsa. On May 10, 1643, the Colony of Massachusetts Bay was divided into four counties; Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk, and by 4 Feb 1680, with more redistricting, the County of Norfolk was officially non-existant. Gov. Hancock moved to re-incorporate Norfolk County on March 26, 1793. Today, towns and cities in Norfolk County are:

In 1635, an Indian war loomed over the Massachusetts Bay Colony area. For better protection for the coastal settlements in 1635, the General Court established two inland towns, as a buffer zone: Concord and Dedham. From the beginning, this beautiful land attracted people, and in 1636, a resolution was passed "…we shall by al means labor to keep off from us all such as are contrary minded, and accept unto us all such as may be probably be of one heart." The Reverend John Eliot, while following his calling of bringing Christianity to the Indians, sued Massachusetts Bay Colony for land when the Indians were rejected. The protracted suit was settled in 1659: the Indians were awarded title to 2,000 acres of what was then Dedham, MA.

Paul Revere, who made that famous 'midnight ride', also made the Dedham town bell. The National Historic Registry lists over 50 historical sights in Norfolk county.

The New Bedford Whaling Museum is the world's foremost museum devoted to the historic interaction of humans with whales worldwide.

For outdoor recreation, the Bay Circuit Trail links parks, open spaces and waterways from Plum Island to Duxbury Beach, the Boston Harbor Islands (30 islands), may be reached by ferry, water taxi service, or private boat, and offer spectacular views and unusual recreational opportunity.


Transportation has always been a priority in Norfolk County, Mother Brook was the first major project (1637). In connecting Charles River, East Brook, and Neponset River, it also provided a water source for Dedham. The Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike (est 1803), the Hartford and Dedham Turnpike (chartered 1804), stage lines, the Boston and Providence Railroad(1835), the Norfolk County Railroad(1848), the Boston and New York Central (1854), served as a catalyst for the establishment of taverns for the convenience of travelers. Today, Norfolk is served by several interstate highway routes, including Routes 95, 93 and 495.

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