Harvard

Harvard spans across rolling hills and farmland 25 miles west-northwest of Boston, bordered by Interstate 495 to the east and Route 2 to the north.

Founded in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, Harvard developed from a farming settlement into a center of dairy production, becoming Massachusetts' leading milk supplier by 1920.

The town features Saint Benedict Abbey, a Catholic monastery, and formerly hosted the Oak Ridge Observatory, which conducted astronomical research in eastern Massachusetts.

Harvard maintains an open town meeting system of government where residents participate directly in local decision-making through elected boards and committees.

The town contained Fruitlands, a transcendentalist community founded in 1843, which received visits from Henry David Thoreau during its brief seven-month existence.

Location: Worcester County

Inception: 1658

Elevation above the sea: 128 m

Shares border with: Ayer

Website: http://harvard.ma.us

GPS coordinates: 42.50000,-71.58333

Latest update: May 27, 2025 09:51