Canton in Norfolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

From Brown Field to Green Park

— Paul Revere MoDI —

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, August 14, 2026

1. From Brown Field to Green Park Marker

Inscription.
More than two hundred years of industry took their toll on the land. The factories on this site processed huge amounts of metal, chemicals, fuels, and other materials. For much of that time, work was done with little concern for long-term environmental effects.

When the Plymouth Rubber Company went bankrupt in 2006, the ground was contaminated and the site was scattered with dangerous and decaying buildings surrounded by rusted fences.

After years of negotiation and preparation, the town of Canton and private developers agreed to a plan to reclaim the site, build housing, preserve two historic buildings, and create the heritage park and museum. Today the site provides much needed green space and housing. Even the wildlife is beginning to return to the waterway.

(Paul Revere MoDI Industrial Site Highlighted Locations)
PAUL REVERE'S HOUSE
In 1801, Paul Revere moved his business from the North End neighborhood of Boston, where he had spent his whole life, to Canton to focus on the new copper mill he was building. He lived in a comfortable, though modest, wooden house next to the mill buildings. "Paul Revere House, 1916" - Image courtesy of Canton Historical Society

[1] COPPER MILL WORKERS AND CANTON RESIDENTS
Each

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

day, a bell called workers from their nearby homes to the copper mill. Many were skilled workers drawn to Canton from across the country and around the world for the opportunities offered at the mill. "Workers Outside the Foundry Building" - Image courtesy of Canton Historical Society

HIDDEN RIVER
The East Branch of the Neponset River flows under the park in a box culvert. You can see where it dips underground. The lines of birch trees trace its underground path. "Revere & Son Copper Company, circa 1880" - Image courtesy of Canton Historical Society

RAILROAD SPUR
Joseph Warren Revere, Paul Revere's son, understood how important railroads would become. When the first railroad line from Boston to Providence was being planned in the 1830's, not only did he make sure it ran through Canton, he also arranged for a spur to go straight to his copper mill. It is likely that this was the first railroad spur in America. Detail from "A View of Canton," 1878 - Image courtesy of Canton Historical Society

FACTORY COMPLEX
The brick building you see is the only remaining building of a large sprawling factory complex. The building was built in

From Brown Field to Green Park Marker (wide) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, August 14, 2026

2. From Brown Field to Green Park Marker (wide)

1850 as a copper rolling foundry. Next to it there were once boilers, a blacksmith shop, a machine shop, and more. Later it stood at one end of a long line of brick and wooden mill buildings. "Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Plymouth Rubber Company, 1927" - Image courtesy of Canton Historical Society

(Illustration captions)
Site of the Plymouth Rubber Company, 2015. Courtesy of George T. Comeau

Erected 2025 by Paul Revere MoDI.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 2006.

Location. 42° 9.342′ N, 71° 9.001′ W. Marker is in Canton, Massachusetts, in Norfolk County. It is on Rolling Mill Way. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2 Rolling Mill Way, Canton MA 02021, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Boston.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in New England,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

From Brown Field to Green Park Marker Location image. Click for full size.

Photographed by G.W.Bartlett, August 14, 2026

3. From Brown Field to Green Park Marker Location

The marker, which faces south, is on the patio of the Paul Revere MoDI building to the right of the middle lamp post.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A View Across Time (here, next to this marker); Immigrants, The Key to the Site’s Success (a few steps from this marker); Made in Canton (a few steps from this marker); Copper Rolling Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Birthplace of U.S. Copper Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Draft Horse Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); The Canton Viaduct (within shouting distance of this marker); Paul Revere Heritage Site (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Canton.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. [1] Canton Dale Resident, Copper Mill Laborer

Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 19, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 19, 2026, by G.W.Bartlett of Hingham, Massachusetts. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.