Small-scale mills were established along the Assabet River in the 18th century but it was not until 1847 that the Assabet Mill was founded by Amory Maynard and William Knight, originally producing wool carpets and wool yarn. The business was reorganized as the Assabet Manufacturing Company in 1862 and prospered during the Civil War. In 1898 it became the American Woolen Mills. Most of the existing brick mill buildings were constructed between 1875 and 1915. The mill complex includes twelve brick mill buildings comprising one million square feet of industrial space, as well as the mill pond, canal, sluiceway and dam impoundment. These mill buildings are vital to Maynard’s economy.

The Assabet River is also central to Maynard’s identity and is closely linked with the history of the community. Early settlers located their homes along the river. The waterpower provided by the river led to the creation of the mill complex that has been the visual and economic focal point of the community for 160 years.

The Cutting property includes several large parcels of land along the east side of Parker Street and Old Marlborough Road in the southeastern part of Maynard. It is former nursery land that is no longer actively farmed. It is also part of a visually important gateway to the community from the south.

The Derby Orchard is located primarily in Stow with a small section along the north side of Summer Street in Maynard. While the part in Maynard is small, it is important to Maynard residents as the only remaining active agriculture in town and as a particularly scenic spot along Summer Street.

Downtown Maynard includes the town’s main commercial area, civic institutions and some residential neighborhoods. It is a diverse compact downtown area comprised primarily of small-scale buildings except for the massive mills. Streetscape and views are important to downtown character, especially Nason Street and Main Street. The economic vitality of the downtown is closely linked with the adjacent mills which bring many people to the downtown area. Maynard residents also value the diversity of the downtown businesses.

The Maynard Country Club was founded in 1921. Present facilities include a nine-hole golf course and the clubhouse. It is a visually important open space at the northern gateway to Maynard. The Country Club is also highly valued by the community for its toboggan and sledding hill.

The Maynard Rod and Gun Club consists of over 93 acres in Maynard and Sudbury, including a lodge, picnic pavilion, fishing pond and recreational facilities. It is an unusually large open space parcel in the eastern part of town that is zoned for industrial use.

Maynard has many distinctive residential neighborhoods ranging from compact mill worker housing to large houses on generous lots. One of the best known is the Presidential neighborhood, where each of the streets is named for a United States president.