$393,620Average Value$239Average Price per Sq Ft14Homes For Sale
A former industrial town with historic homes
First settled around the 1750s as an industrial town, Winchendon maintains a connection to its roots through a network of historical organizations, preserved homes, and supernatural entities. The proliferation of toy manufacturers led to the nickname “Toy Town,” a moniker kept alive by local entities like The Toy Town Barber Shop, Toy Town Car Wash and Toy Town Elementary. “It harkens back to an older time,” says Mark Kavanagh, a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty North Central. “It’s like being in the 50s in some ways. People are proud of their community, they go to the parades, it’s got that ‘Wonder Years’ type of feel.”
Celebrations, past and present
This small community has big stories to tell, and the Winchendon Historical Society helps to keep them alive through exhibits, ghost tours and themed escape rooms. Two iconic homes, the Murdock-Whitney House and the Isaac Morse House, were once inhabited by esteemed town figures ranging from manufacturers to physicians; today, they are meticulously preserved as relics of the town’s past lives. The Issac Morse House serves as a toy museum, showing examples of the town’s manufacturing history. It also hosts a retro ice cream shop called Seppie’s that serves old-fashioned banana splits . Today, the town of Winchendon hosts numerous community events to bring neighbors together. Taste of Winchendon is an annual festival featuring raffle contests, local vendors, and live music for residents to enjoy, “They bring around 40 different food trucks as well as entertainment, and it pulls a big crowd to town,” says Michelle Peterson, Winchendon local and Realtor with Elm Grove Realty. Another much-anticipated event is the annual Fall Festival, which includes food trucks, live music, a bike rodeo and a pie-eating contest.
From the 17th century to the 1990s
Many of Winchendon’s homes are as old the mid-1750s, with most of its more contemporary development happening in the 1980s. According to the census, the population jumped by 25 percent from 1980 to 1990, compared to an average 3-to-5 percent growth in the previous decades. Before that, the largest period of growth happened between 1860 and 1870, where the population increased by nearly 30 percent. Peterson attributes that growth in part to the manufacturers in operation during the time. “These manufacturers were behind a lot of the developments in town to house workers,” she says. “This is where many of those historic homes we see today came from.”
Today, single-family homes in Winchendon range from $200,000 to $500,000, with prices depending on the age and square footage of the house. Multifamily developments and empty lots for sale appeal to a range of buyers. A drive through Winchendon reveals its foursquare, split-level colonial and Cape Cod residences, nestled on grid-patterned streets with modest and prevalent sidewalks.
A row of quaint colonials outside of the main town of Winchendon.
A unique multi-sectional colonial ranch in Winchendon.
A colonial home with a lovely front porch in Winchendon.
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Businesses line up on Central Avenue
There may only be around 10,000 residents within Winchendon, but they have an impressive array of choices for commerce. Unlike a lot of towns with that population, it has a lot of businesses and shops, which the locals appreciate,” Kavanagh says. Along Central Street, residents can walk to four different pizza places that dish up pies, pasta and wings. Christos Place serves steak and cheese in sandwich and pizza form, while Two Foxes Farm Pizza a block away offers “Tuscan Grill” offerings like a boneless strip steak as well as wood-fired pizza and sandwiches. Like any small town main street, Central also has a locally-owned hardware store, Belletes Building Material. In addition to providing lumber and tools, the shop also coordinates the We Build It Forward (WBIF) Community Outreach Program, where tradesmen and volunteers get together to handle projects for community members in need. For farm-fresh ingredients, Not Just Produced is a one-stop grocery shop serving prepared meals, baked goods, and locally sourced meat, seafood, and produce. They are also a regular vendor in the Taste of Winchendon festival.
Winchendon is nicknamed "Toy Town" for its history of toy production.
At Dennison State Park residents can take their pets on a lovely walk.
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A central escape at Winchendon Community Park
One of the biggest appeals of the Winchendon area is the amount of green space that insulates the community. Parks and protected spaces create a buffer of natural boundaries around the town, creating a tranquility that’s appreciated by the locals. Smaller green spaces like Monument Park and Cannon Memorial Park offer mid-day retreats for downtown workers seeking a picnic setting for lunch, while Winchendon Community Park offers a disc golf course that’s still under development and a venue for events like a summer concert series, movie nights, and themed family events. At Whitney Pond, residents can fish for anything from largemouth bass to chain pickerel and trout. The North Central Pathway off of Hall Road is a 3.5-mile stretch of paved trail for walkers and cyclists to explore.
The Devils wear blue at Winchendon Public Schools
The township of Winchendon is served by the Winchendon Public Schools district. Students may attend Memorial Elementary School, rated a B-minus on Niche, or Toy Town Elementary School, which has a C rating. From there, they’ll move on to Murdock Middle, where students can participate in the Summit Learning program where they receive one-on-one counseling from mentors. The school has a C rating. Murdock High is home of the locally beloved Blue Devils football team and has a C-plus rating.
Residents of Winchendon can enjoy a lovely dinner with family at Harbour Restaurant.
Locals can get all their tools and hardware from Belletetes of Winchendon.
A doll shop and pizza parlor located on Main Street.
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Toy Town transportation
Winchendon is located along the New Hampshire border in northern Massachusetts. U.S. Route 202 runs through the town, connecting residents to the nearby towns of Gardner and Leominster. “It’s within commuting distance to a lot of decent-sized towns,” Kavanagh says. The largest nearby town is Worcester, 45 miles south of Winchendon. Heywood Hospital is located 9 miles south of the town and operates the smaller Winchendon Health Center in town.
Written By
Caitlin Coakley
Photography Contributed By
Matt Barrett
Video By
Benjamin Rose
Interested in learning more about homes in this area?
Reach out to
Mark Kavanagh,
an experienced agent in this area.
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