The Sherborn Community Center Foundation, Inc. Annual Meeting will be held on June 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the School Room of the Sherborn 1858 Town House.

The Board of Directors of the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, Inc., invites all Sherborn residents and Foundation members to attend the Annual Meeting, as well as a pre-meeting social reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and beverages by Pauline's Catering beginning at 6:00 p.m.

We encourage our Sherborn neighbors to join us to learn more about the Foundation’s contribution to the community and the future of the historic 1858 Town House. Members will vote for the new Board of Directors, and members unable to attend may vote by proxy. The proxy ballot is available on the Foundation’s website. Those interested in attending the reception or meeting, learning more about the Foundation, or exploring ways to become involved are encouraged to RSVP to info@sherborncommunitycenter.com

Although the Town House was built in 1858, the Foundation was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1985 to save the building from demolition and restore it for community use. Through private donations, gifts in-kind, and volunteer labor, the historic 1858 Town House was restored as “A Place for Everyone.” In 1993, the restoration received the Massachusetts Historical Commission Preservation Award, and the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This March, the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, Inc. launched the “40 Years Forward: The 1858 Town House Preservation Campaign,” seeking to raise $500,000 for essential capital improvements. This work will protect the Town House’s structure, modernize aging systems, and ensure that this historic landmark continues to serve as a vibrant center for civic, cultural, and community life for generations to come.

Since 1985, the Foundation has operated and maintained the 1858 Town House through private donations and membership contributions from local citizens. No tax dollars are used for its upkeep.

Built with a $5,000 bequest from Sherborn native Thomas Dowse, the Town House quickly became the center of town life. For its first century, it housed the high school, library, town offices, police department, and post office, while the Great Hall hosted Town Meetings, dances, lectures, and theatrical productions, traditions that continue today. By the 1980s, after years of disrepair, community members formed the Sherborn Community Center Foundation, Inc. and led a grassroots restoration effort, reopening the building in 1992 and securing its place as Sherborn’s oldest public landmark.

The Foundation Board of Directors also sponsors Friday Night at the Movies for local elementary school-aged children. Popular movies are scheduled monthly from October through March for a suggested $1 donation, although larger donations are always appreciated.

The Foundation also works closely with Student Directors to engage middle and high school youth. Through planning low-cost, high-energy community events and helping maintain the 1858 Town House as a center of community life, Student Directors gain valuable leadership experience and insight into how a self-supporting nonprofit organization operates. Student Directors also partner with the Town Clerk to organize the successful “Vote and Donate” food drive during local elections, benefiting A Place To Turn, a MetroWest emergency food pantry.

Community organizations and local groups are at the heart of the Sherborn 1858 Town House. Each year, the Foundation proudly provides tens of thousands of dollars in free and reduced-cost space to support Dover-Sherborn schools and student groups, sports teams, theater productions, scout troops, garden clubs, nonprofit organizations, cultural programs, educational events, and countless other community gatherings.

From children’s programs and local performances to lectures, celebrations, fundraisers, and civic events, the 1858 Town House continues to serve as “A Place for Everyone” and remains one of the few gathering spaces in town open to the entire community.

In addition to community programming, the building is also available for private event rentals, with proceeds directly supporting the preservation and operation of this historic landmark.

As the Foundation looks toward the future, we are always seeking volunteers, supporters, and community members interested in becoming more involved. Whether through volunteering, serving on committees, joining the Board of Directors, attending events, or making a donation, there are many ways to help ensure the Sherborn 1858 Town House continues to thrive for generations to come.

More information, including the proxy ballot for members unable to attend the Annual Meeting, is available here.

The launch of the 40 Years Forward Preservation Campaign marks the Foundation’s largest investment in the building in decades. Community members are encouraged to attend the Annual Meeting to learn more about the future of the Town House, ongoing preservation efforts, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support one of Sherborn’s most important public gathering spaces. Preserving Our Past. Protecting Our Future.