Plainville, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 South Street | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°00′15″N71°20′00″W / 42.00417°N 71.33333°W /42.00417; -71.33333 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Massachusetts |
| County | Norfolk |
| Settled | 1661 |
| Incorporated | 1905 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open Town Meeting |
| • Town Administrator | Brian Noble |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.5 sq mi (29.9 km2) |
| • Land | 11.0 sq mi (28.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.50 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 249 ft (76 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 9,945 |
| • Density | 901/sq mi (347.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 02762 |
| Area code | 508 /774 |
| FIPS code | 25-54100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618327 |
| Website | www.plainville.ma.us |
Plainville is a town inNorfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,945 at the time of the2020 census. Plainville is part of theBoston andProvidence metropolitan areas.[1]
Originally included in a 1635 grant of land forDedham, Massachusetts, the area was later deemed the Plantation of Wollomonuppoag and then later becomingWrentham, Massachusetts before Plainville branched out as a separate community. Plainville became an officially recognized town on April 4, 1905, making it the third youngest town in the state, behindMillville (1916) andEast Brookfield (1920).
One of the earliest documentations of Plainville being settled is from 1674, when aWampanoag man by the name of Matchinamook petitioned and received a few acres of land at the head of theTen Mile River, at present day Fuller's Dam. As Matchinamook was a native warrior under Wampanoag chieftainMetacomet, or more commonly known in the area asKing Philip, he most likely fought duringKing Philip's War. In its early days, Plainville was nicknamed Slackville after Benjamin Slack, an affluent landowner at the time. After the establishment of a post office in 1856, Plainville became the town name after the abundance of geographical plains in the area. In 1905, Plainville officially separated from Wrentham and became its own town.
Along with borderingNorth Attleboro, Massachusetts, Plainville shares theAngle Tree Stone, a historic marker dividing the boundaries between the oldMassachusetts Bay Colony andPlymouth Bay Colony. This is why the Angle Tree Stone is in the official town seal. Along with many notable veterans, Plainville was the home toGeorge Robert Twelves Hewes, a Revolutionary War veteran who also partook in theBoston Tea Party as well as theBattle of Rhode Island.
In 2019, Plainville opened a new $34 million Municipal Complex, which included new space for the Town Hall, Fire Department, and Police.[2] These were sited adjacent to a pre-existing public library on South Street.[2] The new Town Hall replaced one that had been originally built in 1938 as a fire station.[2] The Municipal Complex was funded by tax revenue from a local casino.[2]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30 km2), of which 11.1 square miles (29 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2) (4.24%) is water.
Plainville borders the towns of Wrentham,Foxboro,Mansfield,North Attleboro, andCumberland, Rhode Island.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 | 1,385 | — |
| 1920 | 1,365 | −1.4% |
| 1930 | 1,583 | +16.0% |
| 1940 | 1,302 | −17.8% |
| 1950 | 2,088 | +60.4% |
| 1960 | 3,810 | +82.5% |
| 1970 | 4,953 | +30.0% |
| 1980 | 5,857 | +18.3% |
| 1990 | 6,871 | +17.3% |
| 2000 | 7,683 | +11.8% |
| 2010 | 8,264 | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 9,945 | +20.3% |
| 2022* | 9,865 | −0.8% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States Census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9] | ||
As of thecensus[10] of 2000, there were 7,683 people, 3,009 households, and 2,040 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 694.6 inhabitants per square mile (268.2/km2). There were 3,111 housing units at an average density of 281.3 per square mile (108.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.77%White, 0.70%African American, 1.63%Asian, 0.25% fromother races, and 0.65% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 3,009 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% weremarried couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. Of all households 26.2% were made up of individuals, and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there are 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,155, and the median income for a family was $68,640. Males had a median income of $50,708 versus $32,377 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $25,816. About 2.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Children and teens living in Plainville attend the A. W. Jackson Elementary School for kindergarten through second grade, then the B. H. Wood School for grades 3–6. Children then attend King Philip Middle School and King Philip Regional High School. Other high school options include the Foxborough Regional Charter School, Norfolk Aggie, and Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School all in neighboring towns.
Elementary Schools:
For secondary education Plainville is in theKing Philip Regional School District.[11] which operates the public middle school and the comprehensive high school for Plainville.
Plainville is also a member of theTri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Plainville built a new Municipal Complex in 2019, financed with revenue provided by a local casino.[2]
Plainville has aboard of selectmen and open town meeting style government.[12] The town has a three-member Board of Selectmen, the current members, Maggie Clarke, Jeff Johnson, and Brian Kelly, were each elected to three year terms.[13] The town also elects park commissioners, library trustees, members of the boards of health, assessors, planning, redevelopment, school committee members, and a housing authority. In total there exist 24 boards and committees in town.[14]
The school committee is governed by: Justin Alexander, Michele Sharpe, Shannon Kerrigan, Jennifer Maloney Plante, and Steve Albert.[15] Greg Wehmeyer, Bruce Cates, and Christopher Brenneis represent the town at theKing Philip Regional School Committee.[16]
After 15 years of service to the town, on April 3, 2023, town clerk Ellen Roberston retired; she was succeeded by Cynthia Bush.[17]
The town is represented in theMassachusetts State Senate by DemocratRebecca Rausch (Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district).[18] She has served since 2019. Marcus Vaughn, a Republican, represents the town in theMassachusetts House of Representatives (9th Norfolk district).
Jake Auchincloss represents the town in theUnited States House of Representatives, andElizabeth Warren andEdward Markey represent Plainville in theUnited States Senate.
Municipalities and communities ofNorfolk County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other villages | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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