NORTHBOROUGH – The lot at 63 Main Street is now home to Northborough’s Town Hall. However, the site was once the residence of Henry Gassett, who was born in Northborough on February 1, 1774, and worked as a merchant for over 40 years.
According to a diary from Massachusetts state senator and Revolutionary War officer Israel Bartlett, Gassett – who was age 3 at the time – remembered British general John Burgoyne’s army passing through Northborough after it was defeated by American forces at Saratoga. Gassett’s home was part of the encampment on the night of November 2, 1777; the barn, house, and outbuildings were used.
From his early years living in Northborough, Gassett gained a fondness for the town. In 1831, Gassett designated a sum of $3,000 – an amount worth over $115,000 today – for the “Gassett Fund.” The money was meant for Northborough, including to “relieve the inhabitants from all burdens of taxation for town purposes.”…