Sterling

From Nashaway Native American territory to a robust hay farming industry, Sterling is a Central Massachusetts town teeming with history. The community was also home to Mary Sawyer, the muse behind the 1830 nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” “It’s something we're known for,” says Caryn Gorczynski, the vice president of Century 21 Center Home Team, who is also a Sterling resident. “Mary’s original one-room schoolhouse is a historic landmark, and we have a lamb statue dedicated to her on Main Street.” Colonial-style storefronts in the quaint downtown, Rail Trail access on Waushacum Avenue and proximity to Interstate 190 add elements of modernity to Sterling’s small-town history. Homebuyers will find well-preserved properties built throughout the mid-1700s and the 19th century closest to Main Street. Side-gabled Federal dwellings sit on half-acre lots filled with pine trees. Second Empire homes have gravel driveways leading to detached two-car garages. Three-to-six-bedroom Queen Anne’s have restored interiors and wrap-around front porches. The town’s outskirts have two-to-three-acre parcels dotted with New Traditional estates circa the early 2000s and midcentury ranch styles. A Sterling home of any style typically costs between $400,000 and $700,000, a range similar to a Worcester County home’s average $400,000 selling price. “The housing market in Sterling is hot,” says Gorczynski. “Right now, there is low inventory. Once something goes up, it’s gone within a week.” Until 1988, the cider mill on Waushacum Avenue produced 2 million gallons of juice and vinegar every year. Today, the building is home to an antique store, and the trailhead for Sterling’s portion of the Central Massachusetts Rail Trail. Hikers traveling this 4-mile gravel route will pass cattail swamps, oak-pine forests and a bridge over West Waushacum Lake. “The Waushacum Lake is split into an eastern part and a western part,” says Gorczynski. “Only Sterling residents can use them. You can swim at the town beach or kayak. It’s busy in the summer because of camp kids.” The town is also home to several other recreational hubs. Residents can join the true crime book club or attend a board game night at the Conant Public Library on Meetinghouse Hill Road. Besides ample picnic tables, Memorial Park at the heart of Sterling has a gazebo to host community events, like the Veterans Day ceremony. The Sterling Greenery Community Park, less than 2 miles away, has a modern playground and several baseball diamonds. “Over 30,000 people go to the Sterling Fair every September,” says Gorczynski. Located at the Sterling Airport, the event has been held off and on since 1859. Farmers can compete in the tractor race or sign their animals up for the oxen and horse pull. The weekend-long celebration also has local food vendors, live musicians and classic carnival attractions. Children in Sterling can go to Houghton Elementary, which has a B-plus grade from Niche. Next, they may attend the B-plus-graded Chocksett Middle, where students can join the conservation club to research endangered species, tend to the school garden and clean up local wildlife preservations. Lastly, students can attend Wachusett Regional High School. Lending to its A-minus grade, the school offers 18 Advanced Placement classes, including music theory and African American studies. Residents can head to Main Street and start their morning at Emma’s Café, a locally owned breakfast spot serving omelets, sandwiches and smoothies. The thoroughfare is also home to Sterling Village Pizza & More, known for its casual atmosphere, thick-crust pies and classic pasta dishes. While Notown Goods sells locally sourced honey and handmade home décor, big-box shopping options are outside Sterling. The town is less than 5 miles from Hannaford, Shaw’s and Walgreens in downtown Clinton. An 8-mile drive north takes shoppers to Orchard Hill Park Drive in Leominster, where they can find stores like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Best Buy. Sterling’s winding, rural roads don’t have sidewalks, and the town doesn’t have public transportation options. “Whether you work somewhere as close as Leominster or farther away in Boston, this is the ideal commuter town,” says Gorczynski. Interstate 190 spans Sterling’s western region, and a 50-mile drive east on the highway leads to Boston’s core. A 15-mile trip south also leads to downtown Worcester.