Acushnet, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Acushnet Town Hall | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:41°40′50″N70°54′30″W / 41.68056°N 70.90833°W /41.68056; -70.90833 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Bristol |
| Settled | 1659 |
| Incorporated | 1860 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.0 sq mi (49.1 km2) |
| • Land | 18.4 sq mi (47.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.54 sq mi (1.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 72 ft (22 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 10,559 |
| • Density | 573/sq mi (221/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 02743 |
| Area code | 508 /774 |
| FIPS code | 25-00520 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1729673 |
| Website | www |
Acushnet (/əˈkʊʃnət/ ⓘ[1]) is atown inBristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,559 at the 2020 census.[2]
Acushnet is a part of theSouth Coast region of Massachusetts which encompasses the cities and towns that surroundBuzzards Bay (excluding theElizabeth Islands,Bourne andFalmouth),Mount Hope Bay and theSakonnet River.
Acushnet was purchased from theWampanoag in 1652.[3] It has been included as a part of three separate towns throughout its history. It was formerly the northeastern section of the town ofDartmouth, as well asOld Dartmouth, which included the towns ofWestport,New Bedford, andFairhaven. In 1787, New Bedford separated from Dartmouth, and included the lands of Fairhaven and Acushnet. In 1812, Fairhaven was incorporated as a separate town, again including the lands of Acushnet. Finally, the town was officially incorporated in 1860. The name "Acushnet", which is also the name of theriver the town lies on, comes from theWampanoagCushnea, meaning "peaceful resting place near water", originally designating the fact that the tribe which sold the land to the Puritans inhabited the lands leading up to the river.
In 1841, Herman Melville joined the crew of the whaler Acushnet. He later wrote about his travels at sea culminating in the novelMoby Dick.
In 1910, the Acushnet Process Company (now theAcushnet Company), was founded in the town, and continues to be one of Southeastern Massachusetts's most enduring industries. The Acushnet Company owns theTitleist brand name, under which golf balls, golf clubs, and other golf paraphernalia are marketed.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49.1 km2), of which 18.4 square miles (47.7 km2) is land and 0.54 square miles (1.4 km2), or 2.76%, is water.[4] Acushnet is bordered to the east and northeast byRochester, to the southeast byMattapoisett, to the south byFairhaven, to the west byNew Bedford, and to the northwest byFreetown. The town line between Acushnet, Rochester and Mattapoisett forms a portion of the border between Bristol andPlymouth counties. Acushnet lies approximately 50 miles (80 km) south ofBoston, 20 miles (32 km) west ofCape Cod, 4 miles (6 km) north ofBuzzards Bay, and 30 miles (48 km) southeast ofProvidence, Rhode Island.
Acushnet contains theAcushnet Centercensus-designated place, which is the most densely populated part of town. The CDP contains 28.7% of the town's overall population and just 7.7% of its land area.
Acushnet lies along theAcushnet River and its tributaries, including the Keene River and Squinn Brook, which feed the New Bedford Reservoir, in turn feeding the Acushnet. The Acushnet River is the town line between it and New Bedford south of Main Street. There are several other ponds in the town, including Hamlin's Mill Pond (along the Acushnet), East Pond and a portion of Tinkham Pond, which lies along the Mattapoisett town line. The town lies within the coastal plain, mostly below 80 feet (24 m) elevation, with higher points around Mendon and Perry Hills in the southeast of town and in the Sassaquin area in the northwest corner of town, where the highest point in town rises slightly above 160 feet (49 m) above sea level. Most of the town's population lies along the New Bedford line, with the biggest area being in the southwest corner of the town, near the town hall.[5]
Places adjacent to Acushnet, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
A short, 2.8-mile (4.5 km) stretch ofRoute 105 passes through the northeast corner of town, both entering and exiting through Rochester. Otherwise, the town contains no state or federal highways.Route 18 andRoute 140 both pass through New Bedford to the west of town, with the former passing within feet of the town line as it enters Freetown.Interstate 195, the nearest interstate to the town, passes just south of the town through Fairhaven, with the nearest exits being Exits 27–29.
SRTA operates a short bus route through the southern part of town, which links to Fairhaven. The nearestMBTA Commuter Rail station isChurch Street. New Bedford also has the nearest airport, theNew Bedford Regional Airport. The nearest airport with national service isT.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, 40 mi (64 km) to the west.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau,[6] the mean travel time to work among residents was 28.4 minutes.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 1,387 | — |
| 1870 | 1,132 | −18.4% |
| 1880 | 1,105 | −2.4% |
| 1890 | 1,027 | −7.1% |
| 1900 | 1,221 | +18.9% |
| 1910 | 1,692 | +38.6% |
| 1920 | 3,075 | +81.7% |
| 1930 | 4,092 | +33.1% |
| 1940 | 4,145 | +1.3% |
| 1950 | 4,401 | +6.2% |
| 1960 | 5,755 | +30.8% |
| 1970 | 7,767 | +35.0% |
| 1980 | 8,704 | +12.1% |
| 1990 | 9,554 | +9.8% |
| 2000 | 10,161 | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 10,303 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 10,558 | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 10,585 | +0.3% |
| Source:United States Census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] | ||
As the2020 census,[6] there were 10,558 residents in the town, with a population density of 573.0 inhabitants per square mile (221.2/km2).
18.3% of residents were under 18 years of age, with 3.7% under 5 years. 21.5% of residents were age 65 or older. 52.3% of the population was female.
The racial makeup of the town was 93.9%White, 0.3%African American, 0.1%Native American, 0.5%Asian, 0.0%Pacific Islander, and 4.4% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 2.9% of the population. 8.3% of residents were born outside the United States. 13.1% of residents aged 5 years or older spoke a language other than English at home.
There were 4,108 households, with an average household size was 2.57.
In 2022, the median income for a household in the town was $88,196, and the median income per capita was $44,630. About 6.4% of the population was below thepoverty line.
Acushnet uses thetown meeting form of government, with open town meetings and the Board of Selectmen leading the Town Administrator. The town has its own police force, and two fire stations, near the population center of town and in the northeast corner of town.
Acushnet is divided into threeelectoral precincts. Precinct 1 contains the southern part of town, includingAcushnet Center. Precincts 2 and 3 encompass the northwestern and northeastern sections of the town, respectively.[17]
On the state level, Acushnet is represented in theMassachusetts House of Representatives byWilliam Straus in Precinct 1 (10th Bristol District) and byPaul Schmid in Precincts 2 and 3 (8th Bristol district); it is represented in theMassachusetts Senate byMark Montigny (2nd Bristol and Plymouth district).[18] On the federal level, Acushnet is part ofMassachusetts's 9th congressional district, which is represented byWilliam R. Keating; it is represented in theUnited States Senate byElizabeth Warren andEd Markey.
The town of Acushnet first established a free library in 1896.[19][20] The town's Russell Memorial Library, dedicated to a member of the prominent Russell family of New Bedford, lies in the town's population center. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Acushnet spent 0.87% ($189,813) of its budget on its public library—some $18 per person.[21]
On December 5, 2015, Russell Memorial Library closed its doors to relocate to the former Marie S. Howard School on Middle Road. The Acushnet Public Library opened on December 21, 2015.
The Acushnet Public School District contains two public schools, an elementary school and a middle school. The Acushnet Elementary School serves students from preschool to fourth grade, and the Albert F. Ford Middle School serves students from fifth to eighth grade. The schools are located next to each other on Middle Road, near the geographic center of town.
Rising high school students are able to attend one of two public high schools in neighboring municipalities:Fairhaven High School of the Fairhaven Public School District to the south, orNew Bedford High School ofNew Bedford Public Schools to the west.[22] High school students may also choose to attendOld Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School in neighboring Rochester,Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, or any other local private high school.
The town is also home to Saint Francis Xavier School, a private Catholic school serving kindergarten through eighth grade.
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