In the 1850’s a man by the name of Josiah French willed an amount of land to the Town of Braintree. His will stated that the land “be used and occupied by the said Town as a common or common field for companies and buildings for Town of public business, but no private dwelling houses or buildings whatever to be placed on said premises, but to be forever French’s Common…” To this day French’s Common has been used only for acceptable purposes as outlined in French’s will.