In 1987, Saint James Parish celebrated 100 years!   We formed a committee, worked on a celebration, and published a book on it, St. James Church, 1887-1987, Custombook, Inc., Tappan, NY.  The document that follows is an extract of information from that book, complete with images of past (and present) parishioners as well as photos of Saint James from 1896!

 

The story of the growth of the parish stretches back to the earliest days of New England history, before the town of South Grafton was established.  The region, originally known as Nipmuck, was inhabited by Hassanamesit Indians.  An early grant of seven hundred acres, parts of what are now Shrewsbury, Northboro and Grafton, was made to Elijah Corlet, who was called the first schoolmaster in America.  Upon his death in 1687, other people purchased the land.
      In 1724, forty men petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts to purchase a part of Nipmuc for a town.  The deed was signed with the Indians in 1727; and on April 18th, 1735, the General Court approved the incorporation of a town.  The name Grafton was chosen to honor the Duke of Grafton, Charles FitzRoy, who was a friend of the colonists.  The Duke was the grandson of Charles II of England, who had reigned from 1661-1685.
     Grafton began as a farming community and later gained prominence for its hometown industries.  By the mid-19th century, the town was divided into three parts: Grafton, North Grafton, and South Grafton.  South Grafton was home to many successful mills, including the Canal Cotton Company, which was later called the Fisher Manufacturing Company.  Hence, the South Grafton mill villages received their names Fisherville, Saundersville and Farnumsville.
      That company, the Canal Cotton Company, in 1883, donated land for St. James Parish, which had begun as a mission of St. Phillips in Grafton that same year.  Fisher Manufacturing Company also gave land to the Union Congregational Church in 1895.