Lincoln, incorporated in 1754, possesses the country charm as a small New England town, making it a great place to settle. This affluent community that started as a farming settlement has benefited from its close proximity to Boston which is only 12 miles away. The town has grown into a desirable suburb. The history of this place is closely tied to its neighboring communities, Lexington and Concord. What is now the Town of Lincoln was land formed from nipping parts of adjacent towns. It was for this reason that an old nickname for the community was "Niptown".
Lincoln prides itself on preserving the past, but looking to the future. This is seen in the value that is places on conservation and historical preservation while constantly seeking ways to improve education and town government. Lincoln's winding roads wander past fields which have been farmed for many generations, a true bog, groves of hemlock, and pristine woods of pine and hardwoods.
Well-to-do residential homes coexist in a landscape of stone walls, historic barns and farmhouses, giving quaint dimension to this lovely community. Blessed with ponds, Lincoln became a popular site for country estates and summer places. These substantial properties still exist for public use. Among the estate owners were Louise Hathaway, who built Drumlin Farm and whose estate now serves as the headquarters of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. James Storrow, financier of railroads and automobiles, built a mansion that now houses the Carroll School.
The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park is named for the original property owned by Julian DeCordova. Lincoln's rural roots are seen in the town's current layout. Because the new village was established in the outlying districts of its three parent towns, there is no closely built-up center; broad fields surround the central five corners and run up the slopes of Lincoln Hill.
However, the rural appeal of this community, marked by open-space and unspoiled surroundings does not diminish the quality of its municipal services. Lincoln has an excellent school system comprised of elementary schools and middle schools on two campuses, as well as the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School and the Minutemen Regional High School.