Templeton

The villages of Templeton, originally called Narragansett, were founded in the mid-eighteenth century along the banks of the region's rivers and ponds. With adequate water power, agriculture and industry flourished, producing hay, corn, wool, paper, bricks, iron kitchenware, and all types of furniture. Templeton shares the history of the villages through the vintage photographs of Oren Williams and Wallace Underwood, two professional photographers who captured life there from the late 1800s to the early years of the twentieth century. Highlights include John Boynton, village tinsmith who founded Worcester Polytechnic Institute; the Templeton Hotel, which was destroyed by fire in 1888; and the Narragansett House, a popular destination for sleighing and school parties.