Braggville is a former

postal village A postal village or post-village (p.v., P.V., PV or p-v) is generally a settlement that has a post office. Definition and abbreviation In North American usage, the term "post village" refers to a small community (a village) which has a post office. ...

located in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, now within the towns of

Holliston Holliston may refer to: *Holliston, Saskatoon, Canada *Holliston, Massachusetts, USA **Holliston High School, a secondary school in Holliston, Massachusetts * ''Holliston'' (TV series), a television show on Fearnet, set in Holliston, Massachusetts ...

in Middlesex County,

Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...

in Norfolk County and

Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...

in Worcester County. Though people had settled the land long before the incorporation of the town of Holliston, Braggville's unofficial history began on March 8, 1785 when Alexander Bragg purchased farmland there. The village itself however, would be named for his nephew, Colonel Arial Bragg, Holliston's first shoe and boot maker as well as the agrarian community's first wholesale manufacturer. Braggville was also the site of several quarries of

Milford pink granite Milford pink granite, also known as Milford granite or Milford pink is a Proterozoic igneous rock located in and around the town of Milford, Massachusetts, covering an area of approximately , as mapped by the USGS. It is also sometimes referred to ...

, which supplied buildings and railroad projects in the United States in the late 19th century. After a century of economic prowess, the village fell into decline following the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Decline and obscurity

With the emergence of the

Post–World War I recession The post–World War I recession was an economic recession that hit much of the world in the aftermath of World War I. In many nations, especially in North America, economic growth continued and even accelerated during World War I as nations mo ...

much of the town's business came to a standstill. By March 1919, the

Boston and Albany Railroad The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pass ...

had ceased providing passenger service to the Braggville station, as well as all freight service. Although its schoolhouse would remain standing for several more decades, the end of Braggville as a would-be town came in June 1919, when the

U.S. Mail The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

shuttered its post office.

Geography

Braggville does not have official borders defined by the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, and throughout its history has held nebulous boundaries. The

U.S. Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and ...

places it as a populated place solely in the town of Holliston, however historical accounts describe it as partially extending into

and

It is located west of Boston and is adjacent to Interstate 495.

Massachusetts Route 16 Route 16 is a east–west state highway in Massachusetts. It begins in the west at an intersection with Route 12 and Route 193 in Webster, just north of the Connecticut state border. It runs in a generally southwest-northeast routing through ...

passes through the village, bisecting it almost evenly.

Adjacent towns

Braggville is located in eastern Massachusetts, and bordered by: *

on the north *

on the south and east *

on the west

Notes

References

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External links