Dear Editor,
The Wayland Historical Commission strongly believes the historic character of Sherman’s Bridge should be protected. Sherman’s Bridge, which spans the Sudbury River and joins Wayland and Sudbury, is a beloved landmark in an historically significant and important landscape.
Joining Sherman’s Bridge Road in Wayland with Lincoln Road in Sudbury, the current bridge occupies the spot where a bridge has served travelers since 1743. Evidence shows that this area served as a fording location for native peoples. A registered archaeological site of significance is nearby.
Henry David Thoreau referenced the bridge several times in his journals: “After getting in sight of Sherman’s Bridge – counted 19 birches on the right hand shore in one whirl.”
The bridge has been repaired and rebuilt through the centuries, but its stewards have always respected and retained its historic character. We urge Wayland and Sudbury to continue doing so.
Tangible evidence of our community’s history is eroded every day by natural degradation and by human hands. But we can also choose to preserve historic structures and vistas. Preserving a sense of historic authenticity – if not the original structure itself – offers us a bridge to the past that invites observation and reflection, both of which seem all too fleeting in our modern lives.
Katherine Gardner-Westcott
Chair, Wayland Historical Commission
