Concord was the first settlement in Massachusetts, which grew away from the tidewater on a non-navigable river. It was incorporated in 1635. The American Revolution began in 1775 at North Bridge in Concord and both Concord and Carlisle sent men to serve in the Continental Army. During a time described as the "Flowering of New England," Concord was home to literary giants, such as Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne and Alcott. Carlisle separated from Concord in 1780 and was incorporated in 1805. They sited religious differences and a desire to find a convenient place to worship as the reason for separation. Early industry included grist, sawmills, granite and copper mining and the cranberry bog, which is still operational.

Today, Carlisle is still a country town with much undeveloped land. From wetlands and cranberry bogs to rocky pastures and woodlots, approximately 25 percent of land in Carlisle is protected conservation land. More than 2,000 acres are publicly owned and dedicated to the preservation of open space to protect wildlife and forest land, as well as to provide a setting for outdoor recreation. Cross-country ski trails are maintained and lit in the winter and bicycle time trials are held weekly in the summer.

Both Carlisle and Concord are committed to the conservation of land with ecological and historic significance. The Walden Woods Project in Concord helps protect beautiful Walden Pond, the famous retreat of author Henry David Thoreau and the Thoreau Institute, which is located in Walden Woods near the Pond. There are other recreational getaways in Concord, such as Great Meadow, Minuteman National Park and Estabrook Woods, which is shared with Carlisle residents. The Concord Museum is a center of learning and cultural enjoyment and the Concord Orchestra and Concord Youth Theatre provide quality cultural entertainment.

What was once a farming community are two separate suburbs of the greater Boston metropolitan area. Concord and Carlisle are charming, rural New England Villages with community connections and deep historical ties. The Goddess of Liberty marble monument in Carlisle, erected in the memory of dead soldiers from past wars, is a lasting reminder of the history these two towns share.