Despite many changes, Wrentham has kept a community feel
Although the town of Wrentham was incorporated 350 years ago, in a little over two decades, the community has grown rapidly. Where once there were few restaurants and getting to the mall meant driving 30 miles, the town now has an outlet mall, dozens of eateries and even a few traffic jams now and then. Despite the area's changes, “it has a local feel,” says Diane Hughes Valente, Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, who moved to Wrentham 14 years ago with her four children. “I wanted to give my kids a calm life. It still is like an old-fashioned Huckleberry Finn town.” Wrentham’s location puts it just over 30 miles from Boston and a little over 20 miles from Providence, which has made it appealing to working families.
Wrentham Day unites the community
Though the last two decades have brought change to the town, Wrentham Day has remained an annual tradition for nearly 40 years. The festival starts with a morning run — appropriately called the Wrentham Wroad Wrace — while food vendors, bands and kids' games fill the town common. Pat the Patriot, the mascot of the NFL’s New England Patriots, even journeys from his home at Gillette Stadium to make an appearance. The town also holds celebrations for national holidays, including a Memorial Day Parade and a Thanksgiving morning Turkeywacker 5K Trail Race. In the summer, the Concerts on the Common series brings residents together on Sunday evenings.
From White Barn Farm to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets
One of Wrentham’s most beloved restaurants is Nicky’s, which has served the community for more than 50 years. Hughes Valente says it's always packed with diners who come for their fried clams and ice cream. People who live near downtown can walk to eat at The Looking Glass Café or The Gavel Public House. Farther from the center is James’ Breakfast and More, which Hughes Valente says “has a crabcake eggs benedict that is to die for.” Café Assisi, an Italian bistro plating pasta dishes like ravioli stuffed with caramelized pears, opened in the 2000s and has since become so popular that reservations are almost required. Shoppers flock to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets, which has more than 160 stores. Farm stands, including White Barn Farm, carry fresh produce and flowers. There is also a Stop & Shop supermarket and Target situated less than a mile south of Wrentham.
Paddling in Lake Pearl and playing pickleball at the Rice Recreation Complex
The town is expanding, but large swaths of public land give residents many opportunities to enjoy nature. “You’ve gotta love Lake Pearl,” Hughes Valente says. “You can take your kayak or motorboat out to the island in the middle.” The lake also has a beach, Sweatt Beach, where parents relax in the sand as their kids swim under the watchful eye of a lifeguard. The Wrentham State Forest lies in the southern part of town. During summer and fall, dirt bikers can ride the trails, and hikers and equestrians have year-round access. Sports teams converge at the Rice Recreation Complex, which has pickleball courts and rugby fields, as well as a large playground with a towering metal slide. Football fans can drive less than 5 miles to Gillette Stadium to watch the New England Patriots tackle their opponents.
Housing developments in Wrentham
In the center of town are several well-preserved 1800s homes, most of which have been converted into businesses, including a yoga studio, law offices and shops. Small mid-1900s subdivisions are tucked away along Wrentham’s arterial roads. Within them, Colonial Revivals and Cape Cod-style houses rest on rolling lawns, with front doors often flanked by neatly clipped shrubs. Two-bedroom starter homes may be priced as low as $400,000, but prices climb north of the $1 million mark for three-bedroom houses with waterfront views of Lake Archer or Lake Pearl. Hughes Valente mentions that new developments are cropping up as well. Housing in these developments usually runs between the upper $900,000s to nearly $2 million — at the high end, homes generally have around 4,000 square feet of living space on a 1-acre lot.
Two school districts for Wrentham students
Elementary-aged children stay in town to attend Wrentham Public Schools’ two campuses: Delaney Elementary School, which hosts prekindergarten through third graders, and Charles E. Roderick Elementary School, for grades four through six. Both schools get Niche grades of B-plus, and each campus is home to an innovation lab where kids can explore coding. Secondary students are routed to the King Philip Regional School District, starting with King Philip Regional Middle School 3 miles north of Wrentham in the town of Norfolk. Kids at the B-plus school can race down the powdery slopes of Wachusett Mountain if they join the ski and snowboard club. Meanwhile, teens at B-plus-rated King Philip Regional High School, located in Wrentham, can earn college credits through the school’s Advanced Placement courses. Wrentham children may also apply to attend the A-rated Benjamin Franklin Classical Charter Public School, which teaches kindergarten through eighth grades.
Making the drive into Boston or Providence
Though Boston is around 32 miles from Wrentham, the drive along U.S. Route 1 or State Route 1A can take up to an hour and a half during rush hour. With a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail station in Foxboro, people can opt to drive about 5 miles, then park and ride the rest of the way into Boston. Interstate 495 passes through town and connects with Interstate 95. Those who work in Providence can take I-95 straight into the city.
Homebuying considerations
Some parts of Wrentham are in floodplains or protected wetlands. Homeowners must obtain approval from the conservation commission before damming up streams on their land, removing wetland plants or beginning any new construction. Those who live in floodplains may also be required to purchase flood insurance.
