[1] In 1661 representatives of the Plymouth Colony purchased a large tract of land from the Wampanoags that includes present-day Attleboro and North Attleborough.

The Newell family became significant landowners in Old Town, and it through their efforts that the surviving powder magazine, a small circular brick building, was built in 1768.

It extends along Old Post Road, southeast of the junction of I-295 to Allen Street, as well as a short stretch of Mt.

The area was largely bypassed by the industrialization that spurred the growth in importance of the centers of Attleboro and North Attleborough.

A significant number of houses were built in the late 19th and early 20th century, when a streetcar line spurred suburban development in the area.