Sharon (Massachusetts)

Sharon is a town of 19,000 people (2020) in Greater Boston, about 17 miles (27 km) southwest of downtown Boston.

History
It was incorporated as the Town of Stoughtonham in 1775, and was named Sharon in 1783, after Israel's Sharon plain, due to its dense forestation. During the American Revolution, the townspeople of Sharon made cannonballs and cannons for the Continental Army at a local foundry. In front of the Sharon Public Library stands a statue of Deborah Sampson, Sharon's town heroine. Sampson disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War. After the war, she married Benjamin Gannett, a farmer and lived in Sharon until the end of her life. Sampson began a campaign in 1790 to secure a pension from her time in the Revolutionary War, which earned the support of well-known public figures, including Paul Revere. In 1804, Revere visited Sampson (then Sampson Gannett) at her farm in Sharon and wrote to the congressman of her district, William Eustis, that he found her "much more deserving than hundreds to whom Congress have been generous." Sampson was placed on the United States pension list a year later, and awarded an annual payment. She is buried in the local Rockridge Cemetery. A street in Sharon is named Deborah Sampson Street in her honor.

The Unitarian and Congregational churches in the center of Sharon have church bells manufactured by Paul Revere.

By car
Exit 8 of Interstate 95 is on the Sharon/Foxborough border, with access to both the northbound and southbound directions of the highway. Exit 10 of Interstate 95 is on the Sharon/Walpole line, with access to the northbound direction of the highway and from the southbound direction. Exit 9 of Interstate 95 is also in Sharon, located on Route 1. This exit allows North or Southbound access to I95.

In addition, Massachusetts Route 27 runs through the center of the town and leads to Route 1.

By plane

 * T.F. Green Airport in Warwick (Rhode Island) and Logan International Airport in Boston.

By train

 * The local regional rail system is the MBTA Commuter Rail. Sharon's stop lies between Mansfield and Canton on the main branch of the Providence/Stoughton line. Located on 1 Upland Road down the street from the center of town. If you are coming from Providence, the Commuter Rail is significantly cheaper ($4.75 from Providence Station from $5.25 from Providence's T.F. Green Airport, as of Dec 2020) than Boston ($8.75). Scheduled travel times are approximately 38 minutes from Providence, 25-30 minutes from Boston Back Bay Station, and 30-35 minutes from Boston South Station.
 * Amtrak 's Acela and Northeast Regional trains stop at Route 128 Station in nearby Westwood (as well as Providence Station further down the line). From there, backtrack on the Commuter Rail ($3.50 as of Dec. 2020, and 8-12 minutes depending on whether the train stops in Canton Junction) or take a taxi for the 10 to 12-mile journey to downtown Sharon.

See
In Sharon there are six historical properties or districts that are registered with the state. Of the six, five are listed on the National Register and three are certified local historic districts:

Do

 * Sharon has many scenic trails through the conservation land within the town's borders. Trails found in Sharon include the Massapoag Trail, the Warner Trail, the Bay Circuit Trail (known as the Beaver Brook Trail in Sharon), and the King Philip's Rock Trail. There are also trails at Borderland State Park and at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sleep
There are only two hotels within the town boundaries of Sharon, although there is plenty of lodging in the nearby towns of Walpole, Foxborough, and Norwood, particularly along US-1 (though expect limited availability and high prices if the New England Patriots are at home or if Gillette Stadium is hosting a concert or other event).