Lincoln Town History
Mid-20th Century - Present Day
The economic boom following WW II brought new pressures. In the mid-1950s, Route 128, the circumferential highway, was completed around Boston, skirting the edge of Lincoln. Subdivisions grew in response to families seeking places to live in communities now readily reached by automobile. An important example of this development was Brown’s Wood, a planned community in Lincoln of twenty-three contemporary houses built in the early 1950s.
The town formed regulatory organizations and town boards to oversee planning and zoning in order to shape its growth and development. Lincoln has kept suburban sprawl at bay through innovative zoning and has honored its commitment to diversity in housing. It strengthened its rich farming heritage and demonstrated its keen interest in conservation by setting aside large parcels of land for conservation and open space. Lincoln has preserved 42% of its acreage through various conservation programs.
As the town’s population grew, the need for additional schools became obvious. Between 1949 and 1964, three new elementary schools were built, and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, the first regional high school in the Commonwealth, opened its doors in 1956.
Well into the second decade of the twenty-first century, with a population of approximately 6,400, Lincoln manages change while preserving its essence. Lincoln takes pride in its rural, agricultural character, its small town heritage, its open space, and its historical legacy.
Images from the Archives
Interviews from 2002 with life-long Lincoln residents, sharing recollections about growing up in Lincoln in the early to mid-1900’s.
Application for Brown’s Woods to be on the National Register of Historic Places
Old Town Hall in the 1950's: two gas pumps out front, a post office with PO boxes, and a general store, complete with a candy counter, cigars, canned goods, snacks, a meat counter and ice cream. Upstairs at various times included an apartment, a publishing offices, a law firm, and real estate offices.
Keep checking back in as we continue to build out this section.
Are you a “citizen scholar?” Would you like to add to this section with images, documents, maps or artifacts? Be in touch! We’re a volunteer organization, and we welcome your help and input!