First Parish Church
In the center of Sherborn stands the First Parish in Sherborn, the town’s original church, whose history reaches back to 1685. Just eleven years after Sherborn was incorporated in 1674, the parish formally gathered, establishing the religious and civic heart of the young community.
In colonial Massachusetts, a “parish” was more than a congregation. It was the foundation of town life. The meetinghouse served not only for worship but for civic gatherings, town decisions, and the shaping of community identity. The minister was supported by local taxes, and participation in parish life was woven into the fabric of daily existence. To establish a parish was to declare that settlement had taken root.
Today, the church stands at the center of Sherborn as both a historic landmark and a living institution. Its presence connects the modern town to its earliest settlers, reminding visitors that long before suburban development, this was a gathering place of a small colonial community determined to shape both it spiritual and civic life.
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Boggestow
Before it was called Sherborn, the area was known as Boggestow, a native place name that likely described the landscape, interpreted as “rocky” or “hilly” land. The region was inhabited by the Massachusett people, specifically bands connected to the Nipmuc and other Algonquian-speaking tribes of central Massachusetts. The Massachusett were part of a larger network of Native communities living throughout eastern and central […]
Pacificist Memorial
Tucked quietly within the grounds of what was The Peace Abbey in Sherborn, lies one of the most thought provoking memorials in New England: The Pacifist Memorial. Unlike traditional monuments that commemorate battles, this space is dedicated to those who chose a different path: the path of nonviolence. Established in the late 20th century as part of […]
