Hanover, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Hanover Town Hall | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Plymouth County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates:42°7′N70°49′W / 42.117°N 70.817°W /42.117; -70.817 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Plymouth |
| Settled | 1649 |
| Incorporated | 1727 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.7 sq mi (40.7 km2) |
| • Land | 15.6 sq mi (40.4 km2) |
| • Water | 0.12 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 59 ft (18 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 14,833 |
| • Density | 951/sq mi (367.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 02339 |
| Area code | 339 /781 |
| FIPS code | 25-28285 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618341 |
| Website | www.hanover-ma.gov |
Hanover is atown inPlymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,833 at the 2020 census.[1]
The area of Hanover was first inhabited by the localWampanoag andMassachusett people before Europeans had settled. According to local history, there were a few documented sites being within the modern day border of Hanover, with one being in Assinippi, one in Pine Island Swamp, and the last being at Factory Pond, also known as Drinkwater Swamp. In the middle of the 17th century, the indigenous people were removed by force as waves of settlers from the British Isles started to migrate towards North America. The last of these natives in Hanover were removed in a small skirmish that occurred at the Factory Pond area in the 1630s.
European settlement began when the land was settled by English settlers fromScituate in 1649 when William Barstow, a farmer, built a bridge along the North River at what is now Washington Street. When Barstow settled the town, he constructed a cabin that was located off what is known today as Oakland Avenue (formerly Back Street). According toDwelley's History of Hanover (1849),Phineas Pratt of theWessagusset Colony apparently spent a night crossing the Indian Head or North River in the Hanover/Pembroke area during his difficult journey from what is today Weymouth to Plymouth in 1623.
During its first decades of settlement, the land was the westernmost portion of the town of Scituate, and it would officially separate and be incorporated as a town on June 14, 1727. The name "Hanover" is probably a tribute toKing George I, the firstHanoverianKing of Great Britain. (While George I died on June 11, 1727, the reports would not have reached the colonies until after the town's incorporation.) The origin of the name "Hanover/Hannover" however, comes from the Middle Low Germanho orhoch meaninghigh, andover meaningbank orshore.
There are six separate villages settled within the town; North Hanover, Four Corners, West Hanover, Hanover Center, South Hanover, and Assinippi. Each village originally had its own school district, general store, and post offices. Hanover's early industry revolved around farming, small mills, anchor forging, and severalshipbuilding yards along the North River. The oldest building in Hanover with the best documentation to support it is the Daniel Turner house, built in the year 1693.
The ship namedGrand Turk was built at Thomas Barstow's Two Oaks shipyard in Hanover along the North River.[2] The ship was used byElias Hasket Derby and was later adopted as the logo forOld Spice. The "first"Grand Turk, as it was known, was the first U.S. ship to trade with China and was a part of the Derby Mercantile House. The North River in
Hanover was also the home of eleven smaller shipyards, with larger ones being Smiths shipyard and Barstow's Lower Yard. Another well known ship that was built in Hanover was theOeno, in 1821 at Barstow's Lower Yard. The ship was wrecked off the coast ofFiji in 1825. Later industries would include tack factories and shoe factories along the smaller waterways in the town. The town was the site of the invention of the first tack-making machine, and making tacks and fireworks were among the industries of the later 19th century for Hanover.
It is said that the old Cornet Stetson Mill that was built on the Hanover side of the Third Herring Brook, and burnt down duringKing Philip's War, was the oldest mill in America.[3] On the Indian Head River, the E.H. Clapp Rubber Works was an industrial stronghold for the town during the nineteenth century, the original building is preserved at Luddam's Ford Park now. Immigrants from Ireland and the British Isles settled the lands of Hanover and the North River region, also many immigrants from Northern and Eastern Europe, specifically from Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Scandinavia, immigrated into Hanover during the nineteenth century.
At one point, from the late 1920s to the early 1940s, locals of Hanover and other parts of the North River area referred to West Hanover as "Little Poland". Today, Hanover is mostly residential. TheHanover Crossing, along with Merchants Row and other shops, are located near the intersection of Routes 3 and 53. Hanover Center has many war memorials dedicated to veterans who fought and died in wars throughout United States history.
During theAmerican Revolution, Hanover sent Colonel John Bailey and his men to help defend Boston Harbor and Castle Island for the patriots. Later in the war, they were sent on expeditions to Rhode Island and Manchester, New Hampshire. The Four Corners area of the town was the site of Wales Tavern, which also hostedPaul Revere andDaniel Webster. An Iron Forge in West Hanover had also gone from producing anchors, to producing cannons and cannonballs. The westernmost shipping point on the North River was located at Chapman's Landing near Luddam's Ford. Iron would come fromHumarock on ships traveling up the river to Chapman's Landing in Hanover, where the iron would be forged.
The Stetson family, in which created the famous hat company, originated in the North River area of Massachusetts. The Stetson family made some of their very first American homesteads in Hanover.[4] Slavery was also present in the town prior to the 1783 abolishment of slavery in Massachusetts, as one of the most prominent slave owners in the town was Job Tilden. The Tilden family of Hanover came to Scituate from England in 1634, the same Tilden family that ofSamuel J. Tilden.
During the mid to late 19th century, there was theHanover Branch Railroad, which had stations from Hanover Four Corners to North Abington. It was deeded to theOld Colony Railroad system in 1887. Anchors for the ship theUSS Constitution, were made in Hanover at the Nathaniel Cushing Anchor forge that was located at Luddam's Ford during the 1700s. Hanover also had an airport calledClark Airport, that was operational from 1927 to 1958. It was located inWest Hanover. During WWI and WWII thePilgrim Ordnance Works in West Hanover mademunitions for the war effort.
TheStetson House is also located in Hanover Center. Hanover Center is listed in theNational Register of Historic Places asHanover Center Historic District. The Four Corners area is where William Barstow's Two Oaks shipyard was. In the Southwest corner of the town, there was an anchor forge on Forge Pond, the rest of the area evolved into an industrial park that produced fireworks and ammunition that was controlled by thePilgrim Ordnance Works. The Northeast served as a business sector for the town with much ofRoute 53 being enclosed with many shops, stores, restaurants, grocery stores, and outlets. TheCardinal Cushing Centers is also in the National Register of Historic Places, which is located at Hanover Four Corners.Richard Cushing is buried at the Portiuncula Chapel there, as Cardinal Cushing was the presiding minister during the funeral and burial of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy. One of the oldest Boy Scouts troops in the United States was founded and is still active today in Hanover, Troop 1.
Hanover had several smaller shipyards during its development, however, the more prominent ones such as Barstow's Two Oaks shipyard and Lower Yards were better documented. Others such as Clarks Yard, Kingman Yard, and Wing Yard, and a shipyard that was owned by the family ofThatcher Magoun, also helped Hanover during its early development. The ships would sail down theNorth River and would bring pork, fish, beef, and oil, and would return with spices, rum, and sugar. At the height of the shipbuilding boom of 1812, it has been said that every Saturday night one would see at most 400 workers at the shipyards. Today, Hanover's shipyards are marked in the Four Corners area of the town, making it a point of interest.[5]
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According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km2), of which 15.6 square miles (40 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.70%, is water. Hanover is the 240th town of 351 in the Commonwealth in terms of size. Hanover is considered to be a part of theSouth Shore of Massachusetts. It is bordered byNorwell to the north and east,Pembroke andHanson to the south, andRockland to the west and northwest. Hanover is approximately 10 miles (16 km) east ofBrockton and 20 miles (32 km) southeast ofBoston.
Much of Hanover's eastern and southern borders consist of three waterways, theNorth andIndian Head rivers along the south and southeast, and the Third Herring Brook along the east. (The latter two are both tributaries, and the town border is marked by their confluences.) There are also several small ponds and brooks throughout the town, the largest pond being Factory Pond, a tributary of the Indian Head River in the south of town. The town has several small parks, sanctuaries and conservation areas spread throughout the town. In South Hanover towards Winslow's Crossing, much of the area is covered by swamps and bogs. Most of West Hanover is flat woodlands, with streams that flow into Factory Pond.
The eastern section of Hanover is bordered by theNorth River and Third Herring Brook. From Chapman's Landing to where Third Herring starts, most of the shoreline is made of marshland or rocky edges. South Hanover into West Hanover has most of the town's smaller tributaries such as the Drinkwater River, French Stream, Iron Mine Brook, Cushing Brook, Longwater Brook, Shinglemill Brook, and the Silver Brook. Besides Factory Pond, Forge Pond and Hacketts Pond are the largest ponds in the town. The second-largest freshwater tidal marsh in Massachusetts is located on the North River banks of Hanover, towards the Third Herring Brook. The highest point in the town is Walnut Hill, located near Assinippi.
Hanover enjoys ahot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationdfa).[6] It has, however, characteristics of an oceanic climate due to its proximity to theAtlantic Ocean.Hanover has very cold, wet winters during which rainfall alternates with sunshine, sometimes for weeks. The town has warm to hot summers, with average rainfall in July and August of less than 3 inches (76 mm) per month.
| Climate data for Hanover, MA, 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1913−present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Source: Bestplaces.net[7] | |||||||||||||
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,592 | — |
| 1860 | 1,565 | −1.7% |
| 1870 | 1,628 | +4.0% |
| 1880 | 1,897 | +16.5% |
| 1890 | 2,093 | +10.3% |
| 1900 | 2,152 | +2.8% |
| 1910 | 2,326 | +8.1% |
| 1920 | 2,575 | +10.7% |
| 1930 | 2,808 | +9.0% |
| 1940 | 2,875 | +2.4% |
| 1950 | 3,389 | +17.9% |
| 1960 | 5,923 | +74.8% |
| 1970 | 10,107 | +70.6% |
| 1980 | 11,358 | +12.4% |
| 1990 | 11,912 | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 13,164 | +10.5% |
| 2010 | 13,879 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 14,833 | +6.9% |
| 2022* | 14,758 | −0.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] | ||
As of July 1, 2017, there were 14,814 people, 4,349 households, and 3,566 families residing in the town. The population density was 843.4 inhabitants per square mile (325.6/km2). There were 4,445 housing units at an average density of 284.8 per square mile (110.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.68%White, 0.55%African American, 0.08%Native American, 0.77%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 0.27% fromother races, and 0.65% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 4,350 households, out of which 43.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% weremarried couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.0% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,838, and the median income for a family was $86,835. Males had a median income of $57,321 versus $35,214 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $30,268. About 1.4% of families and 2.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
On the national level, Hanover is a part ofMassachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented byWilliam R. Keating. The state's senior (Class I) member of theUnited States Senate, elected in 2012, isElizabeth Warren. The junior (Class II) senator, elected in a special election in 2013, isEd Markey.
On the state level, Hanover is represented in theMassachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fifth Plymouth district, which includes the neighboring towns of Norwell and Rockland. The town is represented in theMassachusetts Senate as a part of the Second Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes Brockton, Halifax, Hanson, Whitman and portions of East Bridgewater and Easton.[19] The town is patrolled on a secondary basis by the First Barracks of Troop D of theMassachusetts State Police, located in Norwell.[20]
Hanover is governed by theopen town meeting form of government, and is led by aboard of selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, with active firehouses in Center Hanover and West Hanover. The fire department operates the ambulance service, with the nearest hospitals being Brockton Hospital and South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. There are two post offices located in town, near Hanover Four Corners and West Hanover, both along Route 139. The town is home to the John Curtis Free Library, which was founded with the help of its namesake in the 1800s. The library is a part of theOld Colony Library Network. Hanover is also the site of aYMCA, near the mall.
| Hanover Public Schools | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
188 Broadway Street, United StatesHanover, MA 02339 | |
| District information | |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | K–12 |
| Superintendent | Matthew A. Ferron[21] |
| Schools | 5 |
| Budget | $30,896,679 total $11,261 per pupil[22] |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 2,638[23] |
| Teachers | 188[24] |
| Student–teacher ratio | 14.0 to 1[24] |
| Other information | |
| Website | Hanover Public Schools |
Hanover operates its own school system for the town's approximately 2,700 students. There are three elementary schools, the Cedar, Center and Sylvester Elementary Schools. The Center School, and Cedar School serves students from pre-kindergarten through second grade. The former fourth through 6th grade serving Sylvester school is now used for public services. The Hanover Middle School serves students from fifth through eighth grade while also having great community engagement, andHanover High School serves students from ninth through twelfth grade. Hanover High's teams are nicknamed the Hawks (previously the Indians) and their colors are blue and gold. Hanover competes in the Patriot League, and their chief rival is Norwell. Hanover finished building its new high school in 2012; the graduating class of that year was the first to graduate from the school and the second class to graduate on the new turf field. Hanover High School has also been known to have an outstanding graduation rate and expertise in preparing students for further academic fields.
Hanover is also the home of theSouth Shore Vocational Technical High School, which is located near the Hanover/Norwell shared village of Assinippi and serves the vocational needs of the surrounding communities. There are no private schools in the town; there are, however, schools in the surrounding communities. The nearest colleges areMassasoit Community College in Brockton, andBridgewater State University. TheCardinal Cushing Centers, a Catholic facility for intellectually and developmentally challenged individuals located on Washington Street, also has educational facilities.
A short, three-mile portion ofMassachusetts Route 3, a four-lane freeway, passes through the town, providing access via an exit atRoute 53 in the northeast corner of town. The town's other major routes includeRoute 123 andRoute 139, the latter passing through the town center. Routes 139 and 53 are coextensive for a stretch of one mile in the southeast corner of town.
The town has no rail or air service, though the town used to have rail service on the Hanover branch. The nearest rail service is the Kingston-Route 3 line of theMBTA's commuter rail service, which passes west of town, the closest stations being inAbington,Whitman, and the Greenbush station inScituate. The nearest regional airport isMarshfield Municipal Airport, and the nearest national and international service can be reached atLogan International Airport in Boston.Seaplanes occasionally land in neighboring Hanson, on Lake Monponsett.
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