Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1281965
108 FOR CENTURIES, MIDDLETON—LITERALLY A "Middle town" between larger and more prom- inent surrounding communities—has been a place to simply drive through for people who don't live there. But pulling off of busy Route 114 and into the town library's parking lot or one of its side streets might reveal a different perspective. "It is the nicest town I've ever worked in, and there's such a positive feeling in this town," says Melissa Gaspar, director of Middle- ton's Flint Public Library. "It has a small-town feel, even though we have 114 roaring down the middle of the town." People like to park at the library and walk a loop through Middleton Square that includes a stroll around nearby Middleton Pond, she adds. e Flint Library is the literal and figura- tive heart of Middleton Square, a place where people come together not only for books, research, reading, and library events, but also for town and community gatherings. "People often say the library is the commu- nity center," says Gaspar. at's stayed true even during the CO- VID-19 crisis, when the library's services and Middleton Square programs had to evolve, including story hours, STEM programs, crafting programs, and discussion and writing groups. "Our patrons have just, for the most part, followed us online," Gaspar says "You really feel like you are basking in this positive place." Residents and others can also use the Internet to explore Middleton Square beyond the library, thanks to a virtual walking tour that Gaspar is working on for Essex National Heritage Area's annual Trails & Sails event in September. e virtual tour will show people the library, as well as the historic Estey Tavern, and the historic Tramp House, one of the few so-called tramp houses still standing, which were built after the Civil War to give people riding the rails from town to town looking for work or food a place to spend the night. Unlike many tramp houses, Gaspar says Mid- delton's was unusually nice, made of brick and containing a little potbellied stove. It just goes to show that Middleton has a long his- tory of being welcoming and kind. "ere's just a very friendly atmosphere in Middleton," she says. PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH JORDAN MCCAFFERY Melissa Gaspar is the director of Middleton's Flint Public Library. Scenes of historic Middleton. "THE NICEST TOWN I'VE EVER WORKED IN" N O R T H S H O R E N E I G H B O R H O O D S