About Harvard's History

The town of Harvard, Massachusetts, incorporated in 1732, has a rich history of social and religious experimental communities.

In the 1720s more than 50 households were scattered on farms throughout the area that would become Harvard, on land belonging to the already established towns of Lancaster, Groton, and Stow. People settled on the edges of those towns had to travel a far distance to worship and attend town meetings in their respective meetinghouses, and they joined together to petition the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Province to form a new town. Their first request was denied, but they persisted in petitions and negotiations and finally were granted a bill for township. On June 29, 1732, Governor Jonathan Belcher signed the bill establishing 16,400 acres for the town of Harvard. For some reason, the petitioners had inserted no name for the town in the bill. The secretary of the province of Massachusetts Bay, Josiah Willard, had written in the name “Harvard.” Conjecture is that he chose that name partly because the Willards, several of whom were petitioners and large landowners in the new town, had strong connections to Harvard College. Josiah himself was a graduate, and his father Samuel had served as president for six years. The governor was also a graduate and, as such, he was inclined to accept the name Josiah Willard had proposed.

The act of incorporation was just the first step in creating an independent town. Harvard had to meet certain requirements or the act would be rescinded. The General Court, which enforced the integration of religious and civil affairs, mandated that the inhabitants of a town had two years in which to “settle a learned and orthodox minister among them and also erect an house for the publick worship of God.” Harvard met these requirements.

Harvard was a primarily agricultural community for much of its early history. The town was home to a number of orchards and dairy farms. In the early 20th century, Harvard became a popular destination for summer tourists. The town’s scenic beauty, natural resources, and proximity to Boston made it a popular spot for swimming, boating, and fishing.

Harvard has a rich history of religious and social experimentation. In 1781, Mother Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker movement, established a Shaker community in Harvard. The Shakers lived in Harvard for more than a century, and many original buildings remain in the village, now designated a historic district. In 1843, Bronson Alcott and his family founded Fruitlands, a utopian community based on the principles of transcendentalism. The experiment was short-lived, but it is still remembered as an important experiment in social reform. The Alcott farmhouse (c 1826) is part of Fruitlands Museum, now a property of The Trustees of Reservations.

Here are some of the notable events in the history of Harvard:.