Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States.

[4] During the 1800s, farming continued to be the major occupation, but woolen mills were being built along some of the town's brooks by the turn of the twentieth century.

While there is no exit for the town, there are two rest stops on the Mass Pike that are in Charlton.

14.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Charlton has an open town meeting form of government, with a five-member Board of Selectmen.

[18][19] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Charlton spent 1.73% ($306,971) of its budget on its public library—some $24 per person.

[20] The library gained national recognition in 1906 after it banned Mark Twain's short story "Eve's Diary" for its illustrations of Eve in "summer costume."

It appears that the pictures in Eve's Diary were first discovered by a lady librarian.

When she made the dreadful find, being very careful, she jumped at no hasty conclusions—not she—she examined the horrid things in detail.

I don't blame her for this careful examination; the time she spent was, I am sure, enjoyable, for I found considerable fascination in them myself.