Maynard, Massachusetts

Maynard is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, located 20 miles west of Boston, in the MetroWest region of Massachusetts. Maynard was the site of the Assabet Woolen Mill, which produced wool fabrics near the Assabet River for more than 100 years, from 1846 to 1950, under various owners. Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) was based in Maynard from 1957 until 1998, when bought by Compaq.

Maynard, located on the Assabet River, was incorporated as an independent municipality in 1871. Prior to that, it was known as Assabet Village but was legally still part of Stow and Sudbury. The community was named after Amory Maynard, the man who bought water rights to the Assabet River, installed a dam and built a large carpet mill. The community grew along with the Assabet Woolen Mill and made the highest percentage of wool for U.S. military uniforms for the Civil War.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.4 square miles. Average elevation is roughly 200 feet above sea level. The highest point is Summer Hill, while the lowest is the Maynard/Acton border next to the Assabet River, which flows through Maynard from west to east. The river’s vertical drop from the Stow border to the Acton border is 30 feet. Initially, this was sufficient to hydropower the wool and paper mills but coal-powered steam engines were later added.