Part of The Plantation of Groton, Shirley was settled by Europeans in 1720 and incorporated in 1753. The town was named after William Shirley, then governor of Massachusetts. Shirley’s well-preserved town center is surrounded by gracious historic homes and is the site of the First Parish Meeting House, built in 1772. A center for cultural and community events, the Shirley Meeting House is now lovingly preserved by a private non-profit group.

In 1793, a utopian religious community, the Shirley Shaker Village was established in the town. Although its population had dwindled to just 15 people by the 1880s, it remained open until 1908. Since being purchased by the state in 1909, much of the site has been converted to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Shirley and Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. A more than 700-acre historic district encompassing the Shaker-related resources on the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Shirley is served by the MBTA Commuter Rail, with service to Boston’s North Station making it a convenient location for residential development.