Northbridge, Massachusetts

Northbridge, Massachusetts
—  Town  —
Northbridge Town Hall
Seal
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°09′05″N 71°39′00″W / 42.15139°N 71.65°W / 42.15139; -71.65Coordinates: 42°09′05″N 71°39′00″W / 42.15139°N 71.65°W / 42.15139; -71.65
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1704
Incorporated	1772
Government
– Type	Open town meeting
Area
– Total	18.1 sq mi (46.8 km2)
– Land	17.2 sq mi (44.5 km2)
– Water	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2)
Elevation	300 ft (91 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	15,707
– Density	867.8/sq mi (335.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01534
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-46925
GNIS feature ID	0618376
Website	http://www.northbridgemass.org/

Northbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,707 at the 2010 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park Service. Northbridge claims to history include: Native American Nipmuc lands, Colonel John Spring, who led the Uxbridge militia training company in the American Revolution, Samuel Spring, Revolutionary War Chaplain, the Residence of Ezra T. Benson 1830-1832, the birthplace of President Millard Fillmore's mother, Phoebe, and home to the Whitin Machine Works from 1831 to 1964

For geographic and demographic information on the village of Whitinsville, please see the article Whitinsville, Massachusetts.

History

Early history

The earliest residents were the Nipmuc, or "Small Pond People". They had a well-developed agriculture, made tools, and had a graphite mine at Sturbridge. Northbridge was first settled by Europeans in 1704 and was officially incorporated on July 14, 1772. The town was once part of Mendon, from 1667 to 1726, and part of Uxbridge, from 1727 to 1772. Colonel John Spring, who had agitated for the new town of Northbridge, and later reversed his position, led a company of men in the Massachusetts Militia in the Revolution. Dozens of local men fought at the Lexington alarm, and at Bunker Hill. Samuel Spring, John's son, became a Revolutionary War Chaplain commissioned in the militia at the Siege of Boston, and who also served in the Invasion of Canada (1775) under Colonel Benedict Arnold.[1] Samuel carried Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr, his Princeton classmate, off of separate battlefields. Colonel Seth Read and his brother, Colonel Joseph Read owned more than half of the land in this town at the time of the American Revolutionary War.^[1] They both fought in the Massachusetts Militia, and the Continental Army.^[1] The mother of President Millard Fillmore, Phoebe Millard (Fillmore), was born in Northbridge. Ezra Taft Benson, Sr., a famous Mormon pioneer, lived here from 1830 to 1832 on his sisters farm.^[2] He married Pamela Andrus, of Northbridge, and also apparently her sister, Adeline Brooks Andrus.^[2] He then married six more times and served as a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, and in the Utah Territorial Legislature.^[2]

Manufacturing and Mill Villages

The former Whitin Machine Works, now known as the Whitinsville shop, located in the village of Whitinsville in the town of Northbridge.

This suburban, Worcester, community has a rich manufacturing heritage. The Blackstone and Mumford Rivers run through the Town and in the early 19th century numerous industrial developments were erected along the riverbanks, most notably the Whitin Machine Shop in Whitinsville, at its peak the largest manufacturer of textile machines in the world.^[3] The textile machine company and industrial village was written up as one of the Harvard studies of history in business.^[3] Northbridge stands as a testament to the success of mill villages throughout the 19th and 20th centuries when production was expanding so greatly that immigrant labor from Canada, Holland and Armenia was imported.^[4] Now, these mills stand, mostly renovated into housing and various businesses along the Blackstone River. Home of Lookout Rock through which the bike trails pass and which overlooks the meandering River below, this picturesque Valley community's outskirts are filled with horse farms and rural settings.^[4] Today most of the mill buildings are no longer used to full capacity, however, they do offer valuable incubator space to small businesses. Further, most of the Town's architecture developed during the 19th century has been preserved and serves as a fascinating view into the past.

National Heritage Corridor

Northbridge is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission and is actively working with its neighboring communities to promote the region's special character and sense of history. The Blackstone River Valley was the first industrialized region in the United States. Northbridge has a number of valley sites designated by the National Park service.^[5] The Reservoir of the West Hill Dam flood control project and recreation area also lies within the town limits of Northbridge.

Town goals

Several goals of the town at present are: to strengthen the local economy through developing and reusing industrial areas as well as retaining existing businesses; and, to keep Northbridge as a desirable place to live through preserving and revitalizing the village centers, maintaining and expanding town services, and protecting natural resources.

According to The Boston Globe, Northbridge was recently named as one of the most 'Bio-Ready' communities in both Massachusetts and New England, making it a desired location for existing or entrepreneurial businesses such as biopharmaceutical companies, biomedical companies, biodiesel companies, and so-called 'green businesses' such as solar and wind energy companies. The town government welcome new businesses, and the town has ample build-to-suit and build-ready locations for new businesses, including renovated and converted mills, business parks and cleared land.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.1 square miles (47 km²), of which, 17.2 square miles (45 km²) of it is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) of it (4.87%) is water.

Villages in Northbridge

• Whitinsville
• Linwood
• Rockdale
• Riverdale
• Northbridge Center

Adjacent towns

• Grafton on the north
• Upton on the northeast
• Mendon on the east
• Uxbridge on the south
• Sutton on the west

Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1850	2,230	—
1860	2,633	+18.1%
1870	3,774	+43.3%
1880	4,053	+7.4%
1890	4,603	+13.6%
1900	7,036	+52.9%
1910	8,807	+25.2%
1920	10,174	+15.5%
1930	9,713	−4.5%
1940	10,242	+5.4%
1950	10,476	+2.3%
1960	10,800	+3.1%
1970	11,795	+9.2%
1980	12,246	+3.8%
1990	13,371	+9.2%
2000	13,220	−1.1%
2001*	13,431	+1.6%
2002*	13,645	+1.6%
2003*	13,834	+1.4%
2004*	14,006	+1.2%
2005*	14,333	+2.3%
2006*	14,594	+1.8%
2007*	14,721	+0.9%
2008*	14,600	−0.8%
2009*	14,704	+0.7%
2010	15,707	+6.8%
* = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

County government: Worcester County
Clerk of Courts:	Dennis P. McManus (D)
District Attorney:	Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D)
Register of Deeds:	Anthony J. Vigliotti (D)
Register of Probate:	Stephen Abraham (D)
County Sheriff:	Lew Evangelidis (R)
State government
State Representative(s):	George N. Peterson (R)
State Senator(s):	Richard T. Moore (D)
Governor's Councilor(s):	Jen Caissie (R)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s):	Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District),
U.S. Senators:	John Kerry (D), Scott Brown (R)

As of the census^[16] of 2000, there were 13,182 people, 4,800 households, and 3,499 families residing in the town. The population density was 767.2 people per square mile (296.3/km²). There were 4,941 housing units at an average density of 287.6 per square mile (111.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.25% White, 0.60% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.99% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.

There were 4,800 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,457, and the median income for a family was $62,095. Males had a median income of $42,847 versus $28,093 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,515. About 4.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Situated between Interstates 90 (Mass Pike), 146, 395, and 495, Northbridge has excellent access to and from major cities such as Worcester, Providence and Boston.

The nearest commuter rail station into Boston is located in nearby Grafton, approximately 8 miles away. The town is located equidistantly (approx. 10–12 miles) between the Franklin/495/Forge Park T-station and the Worcester T-station, both with ample parking.

Whitinsville Social Library, Northbridge, 1899 - Now current town hall

Library

The public library in Northbridge began in 1844.^[17][18] In fiscal year 2007, the town of Northbridge spent 0.63% ($200,933) of its budget on its public library—some $13 per person.^[19]

Utilities

It is a full service community providing a full array of municipal services plus an extensive infrastructure including water and sewer utilities. Local cable TV service is served by Charter Communication, Electricity is provided by National Grid and gas by Nstar/Commonwealth Gas Company.

Notable residents

• Colonel John Spring, who led the Uxbridge militia training Company in the American Revolution
• Samuel Spring, John's son, who served as a Revolutionary War Chaplain
• Phoebe Fillmore, 19th century, President Millard Fillmore's Mother
• Ezra T. Benson (1830), Mormon pioneer and Territorial Legislator
• Lou Lucier (1918), Major League Baseball player
• Glenn Adams (1947), Major League Baseball player
• Marcus Spring 1810, New York City Cotton Merchant; founded Utopian community at Perth Amboy, New Jersey
• Col. Paul C Whitin 1767, Textile machine founder, manufacturer
• James Whitin, Whitin Machine works
• Phil Vandersea, Green Bay Packers players, 1960s
• Steve Spagnuolo, current St. Louis Rams Head Coach

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Buford, Mary Hunter (1895). Seth Read, Lieut.-Col.Continental Army; Pioneer at Geneva, New York, 1787, and at Erie, Penn., June, 1795. His Ancestors and Descendants.. Boston, Mass.. pp. 167 Pages on CD in PDF Format.. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Ezra T. Benson". gapages.com. http://gapages.com/bensoet1.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-20. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Navin, Thomas (1969). The Whitin Machine Works since 1831: A textile machinery company in an industrial village; Harvard studies in business history. Russel and Russel. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "”Northbridge”". Blackstonedaily.com. http://www.blackstonedaily.com/communities/northbridge.htm. Retrieved 12-11-07. 
5. ^ "Plan your visit/valley sites/Douglas, Northbridge, Sutton". National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/blac/planyourvisit/valley-sites-douglas-sutton-northbridge.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 
6. ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
7. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
8. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
9. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
10. ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
11. ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
12. ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
13. ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
14. ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
15. ^ "1850 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
16. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
17. ^ C.B. Tillinghast. The free public libraries of Massachusetts. 1st Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter, 1891. Google books
18. ^ Whitinsville Social Library. Retrieved 2010-11-10
19. ^ July 1, 2006 through June 30, 2007; cf. The FY2007 Municipal Pie: What’s Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2008. Available: Municipal Pie Reports. Retrieved 2010-11-11

External links

• Northbridge official website
• Northbridge Police Department
• Northbridge School System
• Whitinsville website
• NorthbridgeTimes.com