Place Information
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Gardner, Massachusetts is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,770 at the 2000 census. Gardner is home to Dunn Pond State Park, Gardner Heritage State Park, Lake Wampanoag Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mount Wachusett Community College. History
Named after Col. Thomas Gardner, the community was first settled in 1764 and officially incorporated as a town in 1785 after receiving land grants from the surrounding towns of Ashburnham, Westminster, Templeton and Winchendon. Dating from about 1805, it became a center for lumber and furniture industries. Indeed, Gardner is known as the "Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England" due to its long history in furniture production. By 1910, it had 20 chair factories which produced 4 million chairs per year. It was also noted for silvermithing. The Gardner State Colony for the Insane pioneered the use of cottage residences. Gardner was incorporated as a city in 1923. It became a filming location for the 1992 movie, School Ties. Gardner is the birthplace of Heywood - Wakefield furniture, when the five Heywood brothers began to fashion furniture in a barn near their father's farm back in 1826. Brothers Walter, Levi, Seth, Benjamin and William in 1826 began making wooden chairs in the barn. In the early years, Walter fashioned chairs by hand, and a foot lathe. He was soon joined by his brothers Levi and Benjamin, part-time, while running a nearby country store. A new store was built across the street from the original store. In 1831 Levi moved to Boston where he established an outlet store to sell the chairs, while Benjamin and William remained in Gardner to manufacture the chairs. A fire destroyed the Heywood's chair shop in 1834. In 1835 the partnership of B. F. Heywood & Co. was formed, comprised of Benjamin, Walter and William, with Moses Wood and James W. Gates. Research Tips
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