Southborough dates to 1660, and 12% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 86% of U.S. towns · #180 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 82 buildings between them. Below: maps from 1887 on and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1815.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Southborough’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Southborough is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #180 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Southborough’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Southborough’s 80.1 sits near the middle of its state (58% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 84 historic buildings outnumber those of 88% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.3 points). Two sources give 1660.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Southborough’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Southborough was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in July 1727. Southborough was primarily a farming community until mills began to tap the small rivers that ran through the town. By the end of the 19th century, Southborough was home to the manufacture of plasters, straw bonnets, boots, and shoes, among other things.
In 1727, Southborough split off as the "south borough" of Marlborough, much as Westborough had split off from Marlborough in 1717, ten years before.
In 1898, the Fayville Dam was constructed to produce several reservoirs to supply a growing Boston with water. As a result, manufacturing vanished, and Southborough did not see substantial growth until the high-tech boom of the 1970s.
Passages that mention Southborough, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 18811882 · page 886Read the page →
Read the text
15, 1839; shoemaker; m. Sarah Jane Gilmore, dr. of Moses and Sarah (Leonard) Gilmore, b. in Sherborn, March 20, 1841; cer. in Sherborn, June 15, 1871, by the writer. Issue: — • Fred, b. in Southborough, Dec. 1, 1872. Mr. William R res. formerly in Milford 6 yrs., and latterly 10 in Southborough. He takes much interest in Mil. History and Genealogy, and I am indebted to him for most of the data here given concerning the McFarlands.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the town of Milford, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its first settlement to 18811882 · page 876Read the page →
Read the text
Lois, b. Southborough, 1810: d. 1812. Adams, b. Southborough. 1812: d. Mil., Jan. 10, 1S3S, a. 25 yrs. Warren, b. Southborough, 1815: d. Mil., Jan. 12. 1S38, a. 23 yrs.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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In 1660, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Southborough’s post office opened in 1815, and the first U.S. census counted 837 people here in 1790.
How does Southborough rank for history?
Southborough is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns, #180 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Southborough?
4 listings: 2 buildings and 2 historic districts, the Sudbury Dam Historic District and the Southborough Center Historic District, with 82 contributing buildings. 84 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Southborough?
12% of Southborough’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.3 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1981.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikidata (4), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
