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A man who moved to the Muttock (Oliver Mill) Area
in 1744 would become a prominent citizen in the colony and perhaps do
more for our town than any other individual was Peter Oliver of Boston.
He bought most of the land around the Muttock (Oliver Mill) including
the dam and the water privileges. He erected a forge and slitting mill
on the dam. The iron foundry, called Oliver's furnace was located just
below the dam. The dam had to be enlarged and strengthened to provide
power for these new works. While the construction was going on the bed of the river was changed by digging a canal above the pond, which extended along and then ran back into the river. Afterward the ditch was refilled. In 1747 Oliver was appointed Judge of the common pleas. Later he became judge of the Superior Court of Judicature (1756) and was appointed chief justice, the second man in the colony next to the governor, in 1762. These positions undoubtedly helped him obtain large contracts from the crown for cannon balls, mortar, howitzers, shot and shell. Letters still exist to substantiate these orders. Hollow-ware was also manufactured. This business made the Muttock the largest and most enterprising village of the town. Besides employing many full-time men at the slitting mill, over 50 men, when not working on their farms, aided in the making of establishments at this location such as the blacksmiths shop, shovel shop, finishing shop, and nearby was a store. Oliver Hall, the judges home, was one of the finest country residences outside Boston. The style was of "an old English mansion with steep roof and deep jutting eaves, with walls of white plaster and portico oak." It was located between two hills at the Muttock. The grounds and park included all the land from Nemasket Street to the river. The Oliver's continued to gain in wealth from their salaries for serving the colony and from their business enterprises on the river. At the outbreak of the revolution in 1776 one might have expected the town of Middleboro to stay loyal to the king. After all the Oliver's were influential people and had greatly helped the growth of Middleboro. But the town was opposed to the British from the beginning of the war. Judge Oliver "was impeached for receiving a salary from the crown" and he and his family then left the country along with the other Tories. The Judges home Oliver Hall was burned to the ground, in 1778, but the son's house was sold and although owned by others, has returned to the ownership of Oliver descendants. |
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