Lincoln Roadside Herritage

Much of Lincoln’s road system dates back to the Colonial period when roads were laid out for travel by foot or on horseback. Lincoln’s earliest road was the Battle Road, built in 1636, to connect with Concord. During the rest of the 17th century, additional small stretches of road were built west to Concord and east to Watertown. No roads, however, were built in what is now the historic center since there were few residents there until the 18th century.

In the first half of the 18th century, roads were gradually built to the meeting house in the center and to link up with the 17th century roads. After the incorporation of Lincoln in 1754, road connections north, south and west were extended. In the 19th century, some Lincoln roads were re-routed and others discontinued.

Scenic roads are the public face of Lincoln. Although roughly half of the roads in Town have been designated as scenic roads under the Scenic Roads Bylaw, preserving their rural character while accommodating necessary modern use remains a constant challenge.

Historic photos of Lincoln show how open our roadsides and our viewscapes were 100 years ago:

Map of Old Roads of Lincoln shows when many of Lincoln's roads were built.

Map of Lincoln's Scenic Roads shows Lincoln's designated Scenic Roads.