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Brief History of Sudbury

Published

June 24, 2001

| Informational - Historic Articles
| Automatically Archived on 7/1/2002

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HISTORY
Incorporated in 1639 with a population of 476, Sudbury is one of the oldest towns in New England and has one of the oldest and longest running town meeting forms of government. A major battle of the King Philip War was fought in Sudbury in 1676, the Sudbury militia helped fire the “shot heard round the world”, and Longfellow wrote his tales in the town’s historic Wayside Inn. Primarily agricultural until after World War II and the ascendancy of the automobile, Sudbury is now a suburb of Boston, and largely a bedroom community. The colonial flavor of the town center and winding roads bordered by stone walls built by the farmers of yesteryear impart an historic, semi-rural ambience the town cherishes.

Sudbury has delineated its historic areas in town as Historic Districts, including the King Philip Historic District in south Sudbury, the Wayside Inn Historic Districts in western Sudbury and the historic town center running along Hudson and Concord Roads. There are approximately 120 Sudbury properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, in 1996 the local Historical Commission completed a survey of historic buildings in town, which includes 55 additional structures and properties outside the delineated historic districts,
which are thought worthy of recognition.

Article is an excerpt from the Town of Sudbury Master Plan, published October 1999.

Click Here To Download the Master Plan. This Plan is 137 pages in Adobe Acrobat, so be patient for downloading.