Quick History Stops: Sutton Center Historic District, MA, Part 1

Back in late June 2026, I visited the Sutton Center Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor (BHC) in Massachusetts. So many historic buildings, monuments, and stories were packed into this highly walkable area that I am dividing my adventure into three parts. The first part will focus on a church, town common, municipal building, and several houses. Aiding in my trip were easy-to-follow walking tours created by BHC over a decade ago and by Sutton Historical Society as part of America250.

The first stop was First Congregational Church of Sutton, which has a spacious parking lot. This building was constructed in 1829 as the third home of the congregation, replacing a building constructed in 1720 that burned down in 1828, which in turn replaced a building constructed around 1720. (Note that the BHC walking erroneously identifies the current building as the second.) The parsonage is located next door at 301 Boston Road. During the time of my visit, it was painted solemn blue-grey. The original Federal-style building was constructed in 1785 with updates around 1790, 1880, and 1907. The next neighbor at 297 Boston Road is the former site of La Baron Tavern, named for French Huguenot owner Lazarus LeBaron, also spelled La Baron. While the inn was constructed before 1777 and no longer stands, the current Federal-style house dates from 1794 and was built by LeBaron. It is alleged that the Marquis de Lafayette, Governor John Hancock, and at one General Putnam (either Brigadier General Rufus Putnam who led the first wagon train west or Major General Israel Putnam for whom Putnam, CT is named) stayed at the inn; claims very similar to those made by Dalton House in Newbury, MA and the Wayside Inn in Sudbury, MA. LeBaron lived until age 83 and is buried in Sutton Center Cemetery.

Across the street was a farmhouse built around 1902, although the farm itself was started around 1720. On the same side of the street at 314 Boston Road was the Red Brick Block, constructed by Simon Tenney as a store in 1839. Goods were originally bought on the bartering system, the most unique being Sutton Beauty apples developed at nearby Waters Farm. The store was successful because of its location on the Boston Post Road. Started in 1672 by King Charles II, the road was crucial for mail delivery between New York City and Boston. A replica of a Boston Post Road marker stands across the street and was dedicated in 2004. Today, the road is significantly less busy. The red brick building is home to Artisans at Polly's, a collective of local artists. As for Tenney, he lived until age 91 and is buried in Sutton Center Cemetery.

At the center of Sutton Center is First Settlement Common created between 1679 and 1718 according to an informational sign. In its heyday, the area included a gristmill, and local militia trained on the lawn. Other memorials on the common commemorate Naval lieutenant Ronald B. Gibson who died during World War II, all Revolutionary soldiers of Sutton remembered by the now-defunct General Rufus Putnam chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1914, and a bicentennial plaque erected in 1976. In the middle of the common is the Sutton Bandstand, dedicated in memory of lifelong Sutton resident Ronald Parker Annis, Sr. around 2015, as he specifically requested that the town fund a bandstand instead of holding a funeral for him. Across the street from the common is the original parsonage at 10 Uxbridge Road build for Rev. Dr. David Hall, a 1724 Harvard graduate who spent his career as the minister of Sutton. He seems to have served from 1729 apparently until his death in 1789 at age 84. The notable people of Sutton were long-lived, especially for the time. With its original portion dating from 1729, it is the oldest surviving building in the area. The house has expanded over the years and is now a three-story Georgian style painted a traditional rusty red.

Finally, next door to the parsonage at 4 Uxbridge Road is the combination Sutton Town Hall, Sutton Board of Health, Sutton Fire Department, and Sutton Public Library. That's certainly some small town Yankee ingenuity! With the neoclassical pillars in front of the main entrance, two cupolas, and separate branches for different town departments, the building appears to be a victim of too many renovations. Not much information is widely available about the building. The library as an organization was established in 1876 and now belongs to C/W MARS, the Central/Western Massachusetts Automated Resource Sharing network. Even with so many unique buildings and detailed plaques, my adventure in Sutton Center was only just beginning.