Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Longmeadow, Massachusetts
nickname =
motto =


imagesize =
image_caption =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Hampden County in Massachusetts


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Hampden
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1644
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1783
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Open town meeting
leader_title = Town
Manager
leader_name = Robin L. Crosbie
leader_title1 = Board of
Selectmen
leader_name1 = Robert Barkett, Brian Ashe, Kathy Grady, Bill Scibelli, Paul Santaniello
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 24.6
area_total_sq_mi = 9.5
area_land_km2 = 23.4
area_land_sq_mi = 9.0
area_water_km2 = 1.2
area_water_sq_mi = 0.5
population_as_of = 2000
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 15633
population_density_km2 = 668.9
population_density_sq_mi = 1732.5
elevation_m = 49
elevation_ft = 160
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 03 |lats = 00 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 35 |longs = 00 |longEW = W
website = http://www.longmeadow.org/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 01106
area_code = 413
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-36300
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0618186
footnotes =

Longmeadow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,633 at the 2000 census. Its town government consists of a Select Board with 5 members.

Longmeadow is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Longmeadow was first settled in 1644, and officially incorporated on October 17, 1783. The town was originally farmland within the limits of Springfield. It remained relatively pastoral until the street railway was built about 1910, when the population tripled over a fifteen-year period. After Interstate 91 was built in the wetlands on the west side of town, population tripled again between 1960 and 1975. Today it is one of the most affluent suburbs in the state west of Worcester, featuring one of the highest per capita income of any location in that region.

Johnny Appleseed once lived here, and Louisa May Alcott mentions a place called Longmeadow in Little Women. Longmeadow was also the home of Dr. Nathan Cooley Keep, a pioneer in the field of dentistry and the founding Dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Many recent celebrities are former Longmeadow residents, including actress Bridget Moynahan, actress Erinn Bartlett, Total Request Live host Damien Fahey, as well as New England Revolution defenseman Jay Heaps. Aaron Lewis of the band Staind graduated from Longmeadow High School, and author Anita Shreve is a current town resident.

Geography

Longmeadow is located in the western part of the state, just south of the city of Springfield, and is bordered on the west by the Connecticut River, to the east by East Longmeadow and to the south by Enfield, Connecticut. It extends approximately convert|3|mi|km north to south and convert|2.5|mi|km east to west. It is approximately convert|20|mi|km north of Hartford.

More than 30% of the town is permanent open space. Conservation areas on the west side of town include more than convert|750|acre|km2 bordering the Connecticut River. The area supports a wide range of wildlife including deer, beaver, wild turkeys, foxes, and eagles. Springfield's Forest Park (Springfield), which at convert|735|acre|km2 is the largest city park in New England, forms the northern border of the town. The private Twin Hills and public Franconia golf courses, plus town athletic fields and conservation land, cover nearly 2/3 of the eastern border of the town. Two large public parks, the Longmeadow Country Club, and three conservation areas account for the bulk of the remaining formal open space. Almost 20% of the houses in town are in close proximity to a "dingle", a tree-lined steep sided sandy ravine with a wetland at the bottom that provides a privacy barrier between yards.

Longmeadow has a town common located along US Highway 5, on the west side of town. It is about 0.75 miles (1.2 kilometers) long. Roughly 100 houses date back before 1900, most of which are in the historic district near the town green. Houses along the photogenic main street are set back farther than in most towns of similar residential density. The town has three recently remodeled elementary schools, two secondary schools, and one high school. The commercial center of town is an area called "The Longmeadow Shops," including restaurants and clothing stores.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²), of which, 9.0 square miles (23.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (5.05%) is water.

Demographics

The censusGR|2 of 2000 shows there were 15,633 people, 5,734 households, and 4,432 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,732.5 people per square mile (669.2/km²). There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of 651.5/sq mi (251.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% White, 0.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. 1.09% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,734 households out of which 37,1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69,1% were married couples living together, 6,4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22,7% were non-families. 20,4% of all households were made up of individuals and 14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 26,8% under the age of 18, 4,6% from 18 to 24, 22% from 25 to 44, 28,7% from 45 to 64, and 17,8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 87.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.0 males.

The median household income in the town was $75,461, and the median family income was $87,742. Males had a median income of $88,238 versus $40,890 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,949. About 1.0% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.

Athletics

Longmeadow is also known for excellence in athletics, particularly their rivalry against neighboring suburb, East Longmeadow, and their Thanksgiving Day football game is very popular among residents of both towns. Longmeadow High School's team name is the Lancers. Other rivals include Minnechaug Regional High School, Agawam, Springfield Central, Westfield, and South Hadley. Approximately 85% of students are involved in sports at Longmeadow High School.

Longmeadow is best known for their storied high school lacrosse tradition in both the boys' and girls' programs. Since 1970, the first year of varsity play for the Boy's Lacrosse program at Longmeadow, the team has established a tradition of excellence and earned a position as one of the top programs in the State, winning Massachusetts State Championships in 1970, '74-'75, '77, '79-'81, '83-'86, '88-90, '92 and '97 and most recently 2008 (Boys). Longmeadow's Boys team has produced 33 All-American selections and 5 Academic All-American selections, and many of the lacrosse alumni have gone onto play lacrosse for top collegiate programs.

In 2006 Longmeadow High School's Hockey Team was the Division III state champions and in 2007 lost to East Longmeadow in the semifinals. 2004 Girls Lacrosse Were Division I State Champions. Longmeadow High School's Football team has gone to ten straight Western Mass-Central Mass Super Bowls under Head Coach Alex Rotsko. Four out of the last five seasons, the football team has gone undefeated, including back to back to back perfect seasons. The 2005 football (12-0) team beat Leominster, Massachusetts in the Division 1 Super Bowl 21-20 in Holyoke. The 2006 team (12-0) beat Leominster again, but in a more dominate fashion, 42-0 at Worcester State College . The 2007 team finished 13-0, a school record due to the new playoff system, and beat Leominster 21-0 in the Division 1 Super Bowl at Westfield State College. They now hold a 37-0 record over the past 3 seasons, the best in the state.

Education

The Longmeadow public school system comprises six schools. Blueberry Hill School, Center School, and Wolf Swamp Road School are K-5 elementary schools. Williams Middle School and Glenbrook Middle School serve grades 6-8. Longmeadow High School serves all students in the town between grades 9 and 12. Longmeadow is known for its outstanding public education. The high school newspaper talked to 172 seniors in 2007, of whom 10 have decided to enroll in Ivy League colleges, 13 more in other schools in the top quarter of the US News & World Report "Top National Universities."

Longmeadow also hosts a private parochial school, the [http://www.lya.org/ Lubavitcher Yeshiva Academy] (LYA). LYA was established in 1946 in response to the Greater Springfield Jewish community's need for a quality Jewish day school. In 1999, LYA became the first Jewish day school to be accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The more than 120 students that the school serves each year from across the spectrum of Jewish life includes orthodox, conservative, reform and unaffiliated families.

Longmeadow is also known for its phenomenal music program. Approximately 50% of the students at Longmeadow High School participate in the music program. The choruses have won gold medals at the MICCA competition. The jazz ensemble has won numerous gold medals as well, but no longer competes. The wind ensemble and symphony orchestra have had the honor of performing in Indianapolis, Boston (Boston Symphony Hall), and New York (Carnegie Hall). However, the music program's crowning achievement has been receiving three national Grammy Awards based on the high level of excellence maintained throughout all groups in the music program.

The physical facilities of the Longmeadow school system are considered to be a weakness by many parents and students. The town's elementary schools were recently rebuilt, but plans for improvements to the two middle schools and Longmeadow High School were not filed with the Massachusetts School Building Authority until 2007. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) recently lifted a 'warning' about the schools' physical condition, citing the filing of these plans with the MSBA, support from the Longmeadow Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF), a plan by the town to study all town buildings, and reorganization of the town's building maintenance budget including the schools.

References