Templeton was incorporated in 1762, rising from the Narragansett Number 6 township grant provided to soldiers and their heirs from the colonial wars. While it began with the typical agrarian grit of central Massachusetts, the town truly found its rhythm in the 19th century through specialized woodworking and furniture manufacturing. Its four distinct villages—Templeton Center, East Templeton, Otter River, and Baldwinville—each developed unique industrial identities, with Baldwinville emerging as a particularly busy hub for paper and chair production. The local economy was fueled by the power of the Otter River, which turned the wheels of numerous mills and established the town as a vital contributor to the region’s reputation for high-quality craftsmanship and “Yankee ingenuity.”

Today, Templeton has largely traded the hum of machinery for a tranquil, rural-suburban lifestyle that prizes its historical preservation and natural assets. The massive furniture factories of the past have mostly vanished, but their legacy lives on in the town’s meticulously maintained architecture and the quintessential New England charm of the Templeton Common. The community remains a haven for those seeking a slower pace of life, offering easy access to the Otter River State Forest and a variety of outdoor recreational opportunities. While it now serves primarily as a residential town for commuters working in nearby Gardner or Worcester, Templeton retains a strong, independent identity rooted in its “small-town” values and its deep pride in its industrial heritage.