The Sudbury Historical Society is dedicated to bringing the rich history of the Sudbury Plantation into the lives and activities of the people of Sudbury. We collect, preserve and and communicate the history of Sudbury, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1956, and incorporating the earlier Goodman Society, the Society maintains its offices and collections on the second floor of Sudbury Town Hall. A non-profit organization, the society depends on donations of time, money and artifacts from its members and the citizens of Sudbury.

The Society has for sale a full range of books on the history of Sudbury, reproductions of Sudbury related artwork, and a variety of children's items. See our store for details.

Many questions about Sudbury's history can be answered by our curator and members. Whether you have questions about your neighborhood, curiosity about something you see in town, are interested in the genealogy of Sudbury families or you are pursuing academic research, please feel free to contact the Society.

Next Event

Februrary 5th (Sunday) at 2 PM  Signature Quilts & the Stories They Tell

Pamela Weeks — author and curator of the New England Quilt Museum will tell the story of Signature Quilts in Hew England.

See our calendar for information about all our programs for the year.

Tour the Town's History

Take a tour of 35 historic sites in Sudbury without leaving your comfy chair. Or, hop in the car and stretch your legs with the three hour long driving and walking version of the tour. Historic Sudbury Tour

Latest SHS Publication

“From your loving son” Civil War Correspondence and Diaries of Private George F. Moore and His Family. Based on our unique collection of letters from the front, our book includes rare answering letters from the family. Edited by Mary Ellen Hoover, Elin Williams Neiterman, and E. Dianne James, the book features eighty-four letters spanning the years from August 1862 to the end of the War, George's personal diaries from 1863 and 1864, and the 1867 diary of Sarah Jones, the girl he married. Details about the book.

This Month's Object of Interest

As early as the 18th century, Sudbury was vociferously arguing for the preservation of the flood plain of the Sudbury River. In the 19th century, they joined with adjacent towns and petitioned the legislature to have dams that destroyed the Sudbury River flood plain breached/modified. At issue was the raising of the water level of the river and the resulting destruction of the natural and abundant habitat of the flood plain wetlands. The eloquence of the selectmen of these towns arguing for the restoration of the river lands can't be matched in today's political discourse.