Histories of Marlborough

In 1656 a number of the pioneer inhabitants of Sudbury petitioned the General Court for leave to attempt a new settlement upon the wild lands of the colony, saying

“God hath beene pleased to increase our children, which are now diverse of them grown to man’s estate; and wee, many of us, grown into years, so that wee should bee glad to see them settled before the Lord take us away from hence, as also God having given us some considerable quantity of cattle, so that wee are so straightened that we cannot so comfortably subsist as could be desired and some of us having taken some pains to view the country; wee have found a place which lyeth westward about eight miles from Sudbury which wee conceive might be comfortable for our subsistence . . .”

The land that they asked for and upon which they settled became the town of Marlborough. The route west was then called The Great Trail, later known as the King’s Highway, and today it is State Route 20.

In 1680, Fort Meadow was deeded from Great James, "an Indian," to Thomas Martin, a shoemaker from Marlborough, for six pounds, ten schillings.

The deed, pictured at right, along with a transcription, is available here as a PDF.

General histories of Marlborough

History of the Town of Marlborough, by Charles Hudson, was published in 1862. The entire 544-page book can be searched online or downloaded as a PDF here. Bound reprints are available for purchase at the Historical Society, and the book is available at the Marlborough Public Library.

Historical Reminiscences of the Early Times in Marlborough, Massachusetts, by Ella Bigelow, was published in 1910. The entire 488-page book can be searched online or downloaded as a PDF here. Bound reprints and an index can be purchased at the Historical Society. The book is also available at the Marlborough Public Library.

In addition, 124 of the original paintings from the book, most depicting homes throughout Marlborough, are displayed on the lower level of the library.

Sketches of the Town of Northborough with the Early History of Marlborough, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by Rev. Joseph Allen, was published in 1826. The entire 66-page book can be searched online or downloaded as a PDF here.

Marlborough resident John Buczek has a large collection of information, including maps and photographs, on the history of Marlborough here.

Marlborough is included in the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1964 book by Sumner Chilton Powell, Puritan Village: The Formation of a New England Town.

The Marlborough Historical Commission has this history.

Click on the pictures to view plaques marking (l-r) the founding of Marlborough, road to Spring Hill Cemetery, and John Brown Bell.

Photographic histories

Images of America--Marlborough is a pictorial history compiled by Society member Susan Alatalo and published in 2003. It's available for purchase at the Historical Society. The book is also available at the Marlborough Public Library.

Some pictures from the Society's archives are in this slideshow.

Histories on specific items and individuals in Marlborough

Marlborough Historical Society member Joan Abshire, after months of exhaustive research in Massachusetts and West Virginia, wrote The John Brown Bell--The Journey of the Second-Most Important Bell in American History, from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, to Marlborough, Massachusetts, pictured at right. This book is available as a free download here.

The History of Artemas Ward Park was the title of a very thoroughly researched presentation given by Marlborough Historical Society Trustee Paul Brodeur in March 2011. Additional information and his presentation are here.

Each year the Society awards a scholarship to a student who has written a report on some aspect of Marlborough's history. Some of the reports are available here.

"The 1938 Hurricane," by Peter B. Snyder, winner of the 2011 Annual Scholarship Award includes interviews with long-time residents of Marlborough.

Historical maps

The Society has several maps in its archives. The maps below were scanned by the City and are available here as downloadable PDFs that range in size from 500 KB to 1.5 MB. The high resolution enables you to zoom in and see details. (Information on working with PDFs is here.)

1667: Marlborough Plantation
1794: Town of Marlborough
1803: Town of Marlborough
1835: Marlborough
1878: View of Marlborough--Detail at right
1908: Center of Marlborough
1937: North Sudbury Watershed
1948: City of Marlborough
1956: Zoning for City of Marlborough
1958: City of Marlborough
1962: City of Marlborough

Several of these and many others are in our archives.

Architectural histories

The Marlborough Survey of Historic, Architectural, and Cultural Resources was conducted in 1994 and 1995, and the Society put the entire five-volume report online in 2008. The report includes an excellent narrative on the history of Marlborough with a special emphasis on the evolution of the architecture and the factors that drove that evolution. It also includes detailed information on areas within Marlborough and the hundreds of historic structures throughout the city.

Reconnaissance Survey Town Report on Marlborough. This nine-page report, drafted in 1980, is part of the Massachusetts Historical Commission's series of reports on towns throughout the state. Similar material appears in a longer form in the narrative of the Marlborough Survey of Historic, Architectural, and Cultural Resources (above).

Cemeteries

The 1908 book Marlborough, Massachusetts, Burial Ground Inscriptions: Old Common, Spring Hill, and Brigham Cemeteries can be read and searched online or downloaded from Google Books as a PDF here.

More information on Marlborough cemeteries is at the bottom of our page on Genealogy.

Let us know of other historical resources you've found helpful.