Settled in 1650, the Town of Carlisle has very much remained a quiet country town. Rolling fields, winding roads, extensive woodlands and intermittent old, rustic, weathered barns dot the landscape. Only 15 square miles, approximately 26% of the land is designated conservation property, which illustrates the commitment the residents have to maintain Carlisle as a bucolic haven. Sitting directly on Route 225 within close proximity of Routes 128, 495 and 3, the Town is a short, 40 minute drive from Boston making it an ideal commuter community. However, unlike its adjacent neighbors of Concord, Bedford, Acton, Billerica and nearby Lexington, Carlisle has minimal commercial business and even less opportunity to add any in the future. With a recent surge in upscale new construction, residential is its decided character. As a result, with property taxes averaging nearly $8,000 (residential/ commercial tax rate $15.05*), it's no wonder that the Town ranks #3 in Massachusetts in household income and, with a population that only recently broke 5,000, its overall tone remains that of a quaint, yet affluent New England village. For over 200 years, the Town has managed to quietly go about its business without succumbing to suburban pressures. In keeping with its rural atmosphere, two acre zoning is the standard and town services are minimal with no town water or sewage systems. Nor is there any trash pickup. Rather, residents happily cart their trash and recyclables to the town transfer station where they enjoy the social camaraderie with neighbors. In fact, the transfer station is one of the only two places in town where folks can bump into one another. The other hot spot is Ferns Country Store which has a decidedly better ambiance then the Transfer Station! During 2004-5, the big doings around town was watching the team from This Old House construct what was dubbed "The Carlisle Project". They took an old, run down farmhouse in Town and transformed it into a luxurious home for the 2000's. During their construction phase, we thoroughly enjoyed serving as their "Official Production Caterer" during the year-long project. And then once the project was completed, we then enjoyed working with WGBH-TV during their Designer Open House which attracted 15,000 people from around the world!

Most certainly, we enjoyed having Tom Silva, Norm Abram, Kevin O'Connor and the film crew stop by for their morning coffee and lunches. They're a great bunch of folks! Check out their handy work on their website www.ThisOldHouse.com! Check for your local listings of re-runs of the project that continue on PBS stations. And be sure and watch for Ferns when they came to the store and shot a segment… we've been advised to not quit our day jobs…

Carlisle's highly efficient Town Meeting form a government ensures community representation where the citizens continue to maintain a proud independent Yankee heritage. Active discourse over a myriad of issues is commonplace, yet while townsfolk may disagree with one another, the sense of community prevails at the end of the day.

Carlisle Mosquito
To borrow a well-known tagline: "All the news that's fit to print" is probably more appropriate for Carlisle's only newspaper The Mosquito. And yes, the name has to do with our Town Bird. The Mosquito is mailed weekly to every household in own for free on Fridays. Those wanting a jump on the news can pick up a copy at Ferns on Thursday afternoon for 50c. You can also catch up on the news at <CarlilseMosquito.org>

Town of Carlisle Demographics*

Population 5,000
Square Mileage 15.37
Town Budget $18,000.000
Tax Rate (Residential/Commercial) $15.05
Average Tax Bill (2002) $7,913
Median Family Income (2002) $130,000+
Median Home Price (6.16.03) $1,000,000+
2003 Boston magazine ranking of Massachusetts Healthiest Towns" - Carlisle #5

*As of June 2003

We're right heah in the village center.

In "downtown" Carlisle, all five main roads converge in the center at a traffic rotary. From here you can follow Rt. 225 to Bedford, Lexington and Rt. 128/95 or take one of the other roads to neighboring Concord, Acton, Lincoln or Westford. The rotary is graced by a large marble statue, called Goddess of Liberty, that was dedicated in 1885 to honor local Civil War heroes. The intersection is extremely busy particularly at rush hours. Indeed, a traffic study conducted in April 2003 shows upwards of 15,000 cars pass through in a 24-hour period.

However, it's a bit of a stretch to call Carlisle's hub "downtown." The traffic island is virtually the only indicator that you've arrived at the commercial and social hub of the town. Next to the extremely busy rotary is a Bank of America ATM machine residing in a low resting building alongside the local Coldwell Banker office. Next door is a Carlson real estate office and across the street is a long, turn of the century building with a dentist office at one end of the block and an adjacent building housing an insurance office and Barrett & Co., yet another upscale real estate office. The fact that there are three real estate offices within shouting distance of one another is a strong indicator of the local market where most homes often push the $1 million mark.

Directly off the other side of the traffic circle on the corner of two of the main roads Ferns Country Store proudly stands in a two-story yellow building with green trim. While there have been numerous stores around town since the mid-1700's, all are long gone. Except our particular location, which has had an operating store since the mid-1844.

Click here for directions

That's it. That's downtown Carlisle, Massachusetts. Quaint, comfortable, and home to Ferns Country Store. "We're right heah in the village center."