Shirley, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Shirley, Massachusetts
nickname =
motto =


imagesize = 250px
image_caption = Shirley Shaker Village in 1884
image_

---

mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Middlesex
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1720
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1775
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Open town meeting
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 41.2
area_total_sq_mi = 15.9
area_land_km2 = 41.0
area_land_sq_mi = 15.8
area_water_km2 = 0.2
area_water_sq_mi = 0.1
population_as_of = 2007
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 7,726
population_density_km2 = 188.4
population_density_sq_mi = 489.0
elevation_m = 85
elevation_ft = 279
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 32 |lats = 37 |latNS = N
longd = 71 |longm = 39 |longs = 00 |longEW = W
website = http://www.shirley-ma.gov/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 01464
area_code = 351 / 978
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-61590
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0618234
footnotes =

Shirley is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,373 at the 2000 census. The town is home to "Benjamin Hill Recreation Area" and two state prisons, including the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center.

History

The first inhabitants were either Nipmuc (or Pennacook) Indians, who called the area Catacunemaug. Once part of "The Plantation of Groton," Shirley was first settled about 1720. It broke away from Groton to be incorporated in 1753. The town was named in honor of William Shirley, governor of Massachusetts (1741 - 1757). A paper mill was built here around 1790 and in 1812 Shirley established the first of seven cotton mills. Other local products included iron, nails, textiles, rope, and suspenders.

A utopian religious community was established in Shirley in 1793. The Shakers advocated pacifism, common property, celebacy and communal living. They are renowned for their plain architecture and furniture. The Shaker movement peaked in the 1840s, but gradually dwindled, perhaps because of greater employment opportunities offered by the Industrial Revolution, or because succeeding generations grew less tolerant of the Shaker church's insistence on self-abnegation. "Shirley Shaker Village" would close in 1908. Today, only one "society" remains in the control of the last Shakers, located at "Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village" in New Gloucester, Maine. Several communities operate today as museums. A similar community was founded in nearby Harvard, MA.

The meetinghouse of "Shirley Shaker Village" was moved in 1962 to replace an identical one razed in 1938 at "Hancock Shaker Village" in Pittsfield.

Geography

Shirley is located at coor dms|42|35|5|N|71|38|50|W|city (42.58472, -71.64722).GR|1

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²), of which, 15.8 square miles (41.0 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.50%) is water.

Demographics

"This article describes the town of Shirley as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Shirley (CDP), Massachusetts."

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 6,373 people, 2,067 households, and 1,426 families residing in the town. The population density was 402.7 people per square mile (155.5/km²). There were 2,156 housing units at an average density of 136.2/sq mi (52.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.90% White, 6.72% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.12% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.86% of the population.

There were 2,067 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 39.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 137.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 151.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,344, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $42,078 versus $32,130 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,556. About 1.9% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

*Lura A White
*Shirley Middle School

Points of interest

* Shirley Historical Society Museum
* Shirley Shaker Village [http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/shaker/shi.htm]

Transportation

Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Shirley on its Fitchburg Line. [ [http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/stations/?stopId=189 MBTA website] ."mbta.com". Accessed May 25 2008.]

Notable residents

* Benton MacKaye, forester who proposed the Appalachian Trail
* Earl Tupper, founder of Tupperware company
* Jerry White, former Major League Baseball player

References

Further reading

* [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_results.asp?ImageType=index&atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=&atlas=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&atlas_desc=MASSACHUSETTS+1871 "1871 Atlas of Massachusetts".] by Wall & Gray. [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=PAGE_0010_0011.jpg&atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=&atlas=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&atlas_desc=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&pageprefix= Map of Massachusetts.] [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=PAGE_0044_0045.jpg&atlastype=MassWorld&atlastown=&atlas=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&atlas_desc=MASSACHUSETTS+1871&pageprefix= Map of Middlesex County.]
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=QGolOAyd9RMC&dq=intitle:History+intitle:of+intitle:Middlesex+intitle:County+intitle:Massachusetts&lr=&num=50&as_brr=0&source=gbs_other_versions_sidebar_s&cad=5 "History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts", Volume 1 (A-H)] , [http://books.google.com/books?id=hNaAnwRMedUC&pg=PA506&dq=intitle:History+intitle:of+intitle:Middlesex+intitle:County+intitle:Massachusetts&lr=&num=50&as_brr=0#PPA3,M1 Volume 2 (L-W)] compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879 and 1880. 572 and 505 pages. [http://books.google.com/books?id=hNaAnwRMedUC&pg=PA506&dq=History+of+Middlesex+County,+Massachusetts#PPA297,M1 Shirley section] by Rev. Seth Chandler in volume 2 pages 297-309.
* [http://books.google.com/books?id=hteLiqhJBhYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=History+of+Shirley,+Massachusetts&lr= "History of the Town of Shirley, Massachusetts",] by Seth Chandler, published 1883, 744 pages.

External links

* [http://www.shirley-ma.gov Town website]
* [http://www.shirleylibrary.org/ Hazen Memorial Library]