The next four-mile stretch takes me from Northborough into Shrewsbury. US-20 takes a southwesterly dip through the outskirts of this town, about three miles south of the town's center. I left from Henry's Auto Parts two days earlier and stopped at Brody's Diner, at 308 Hartford Turnpike in Shrewsbury.
Along the way I encountered quite a bit of commerce, but not much to distinguish Shrewsbury from any other American town. Most of the historical sites are located on Main Street, north of US-20.
As with the towns I've visited previously, Shrewsbury is also an old town, having been parceled out in the mid-1660s, as were the other towns along this route. It was settled in 1722 and incorporated in 1727. It started out agricultural with apple orchards, then later turned to leather manufacture and clock making. It claims a bit of fame in its association with Shay's Rebellion in 1786--it was used as a camp site for rebels before they marched on the Worcester Courthouse. One famous resident was a scientist, Min Chueh Chang, who co-developed the combined oral contraceptive pill and helped create in-vitro fertilization. Another important individual from Shrewsbury is a candy maker who brought white chocolate to the U.S. in 1954, Frederick Hebert, who owned Hebert Candies, a store that has been in business since 1917, though is no longer family owned.
I did see an interesting institution, however: Al-Hamra Academy, located at 435 South St, very close to US-20. This school purports to be the first full-time Islamic school in New England. It's website is attractive, emphasizes STEM education and diversity, and makes the school seem like a good place to send your children if you're Muslim.
Well, I've arrived at Brody's Diner, a restaurant that was briefly famous for having been visited by Jerry Seinfeld as part of his program, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in 2014. It looks like a good place, so I think I'll stop in for a bite to eat. More miles and more hours of practice coming up!
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| Henry's Auto Parts to Brody's Diner in Shrewsbury |
As with the towns I've visited previously, Shrewsbury is also an old town, having been parceled out in the mid-1660s, as were the other towns along this route. It was settled in 1722 and incorporated in 1727. It started out agricultural with apple orchards, then later turned to leather manufacture and clock making. It claims a bit of fame in its association with Shay's Rebellion in 1786--it was used as a camp site for rebels before they marched on the Worcester Courthouse. One famous resident was a scientist, Min Chueh Chang, who co-developed the combined oral contraceptive pill and helped create in-vitro fertilization. Another important individual from Shrewsbury is a candy maker who brought white chocolate to the U.S. in 1954, Frederick Hebert, who owned Hebert Candies, a store that has been in business since 1917, though is no longer family owned.
I did see an interesting institution, however: Al-Hamra Academy, located at 435 South St, very close to US-20. This school purports to be the first full-time Islamic school in New England. It's website is attractive, emphasizes STEM education and diversity, and makes the school seem like a good place to send your children if you're Muslim.
Well, I've arrived at Brody's Diner, a restaurant that was briefly famous for having been visited by Jerry Seinfeld as part of his program, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, in 2014. It looks like a good place, so I think I'll stop in for a bite to eat. More miles and more hours of practice coming up!
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| Brody's Diner |
