A view of the old bell on the Lynnfield town green between the Meeting House and Lynnfield Center Congregational Church at the intersection of Main and Summer streets.
(JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)
COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT
Lynnfield
A view of the old bell on the Lynnfield town green between the Meeting House and Lynnfield Center Congregational Church at the intersection of Main and Summer streets.
(JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)
September 7, 2008
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THE GOODS: Remnants of Lynnfield's past - when it was essentially two villages with a single governing body - are still noticeable. Lynnfield Center was quaint and made up of a mostly agricultural population, while South Lynnfield was a crossroads linking larger, neighboring towns. Today, Route 1 runs through South Lynnfield, a development that brought population growth in the last century. While farming is no longer a part of Lynnfield's economic mix, Lynnfield Center remains a sleepy focal point for the upscale homes that ring it.
PROS: Lynnfield's school system is a source of local pride and neighborly envy. Lynnfield High School was named a Blue Ribbon School by the Department of Education in 2005, and the school system's students consistently post some of the highest standardized test scores in the state. Generally, the housing stock draws from well-preserved Colonials of various eras. The higher end of the housing market has contemporaries of both edgy and grand design.
CONS: New construction is on the rise. While the trend may be upended in 2008 with the housing slump, some residents fear the addition of homes and residents will strain town services and chip away at the small-town feel that permeates most of Lynnfield.
DAVE COPELAND
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
