Photograph provided by the Sharon Historical Society
history
Originally laid out in 1739, the Sharon Green was initially a place for grazing animals and for gatherings of townspeople. Almost all the town’s stores and shops were on Main and Upper Main Streets, located in many of the historic homes that are still standing today. It was the heart of the village—the center of town where people went to do business.
In the mid-19th century, many New England towns undertook village improvement projects with a special focus on town greens. In the 1860s, the Sharon Green was planted with four rows of elm trees along both sides of Main Street and Upper Main Street. The trees were unimposing at first, but by the end of the century, the Green had been transformed into a beautiful public space lined by rows of stately elms.
As automobiles became more common in the 20th century, businesses around the Green began to struggle as people drove to larger towns to shop. Then, in the 1960s, the town pharmacy, post office, and the grocery store left the Green for the new Sharon shopping center, just north of the Green.
As a result, the old Sharon grazing ground has become the quiet, grassy, park-like Green that we know and love today.
Learn more by going to the Sharon Historical Society’s website.