Millbury, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 View of Millbury in circa 1905. | |
 Seal | |
 Location inWorcester County and the state ofMassachusetts. | |
| Coordinates:42°11′38″N71°45′38″W / 42.19389°N 71.76056°W /42.19389; -71.76056 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Settled | 1716 |
| Incorporated | 1813 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Manager | Karyn Clark |
| • Board of Selectmen | Mary Krumsiek Brian A. Sora Nicholas Lazzaro Katherine McKenna Brian Tagg[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 16.3 sq mi (42.1 km2) |
| • Land | 15.7 sq mi (40.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.50 sq mi (1.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 417 ft (127 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 13,831 |
| • Density | 880/sq mi (340/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01527 |
| Area code | 508/774 |
| FIPS code | 25-41340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618373 |
| Website | www |
Millbury is atown inWorcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Located withinBlackstone Valley, the population in Millbury was 13,831 at the2020 United States census.[2]
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Millbury was first settled in 1716. It was originally known as the Second or North Parish ofSutton. Because traveling from one part of the town to the other for meetings was time-consuming, inhabitants of the North Parish petitioned theMassachusetts General Court to split Sutton. North Parish became Millbury on June 11, 1813, by way of an act of incorporation.[3] Its name derived from its long history as amill town. TheBlackstone River flows through the town, and during theIndustrial Revolution, providedwater power to its manytextilemills andfactories. During this time, the inventorWilliam Crompton worked in Millbury.
Millbury's industrial history begins in the early eighteenth century, not long after the area's settlement. In 1735, John Singletary began operating a mill on Singletary Brook, a stream flowing out of Singletary Lake. Around 1753, Singletary built the S & D Spinning Mill, which is still in operation, making it one of the oldest continuously operated mills in theUnited States. The mill is featured on the Town Seal. The mill also makes the inner parts of theRawlings baseballs for use inMajor League Baseball.[4]
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, after learning the trade offirearms production from their father,Asa Waters and his brother, Elijah, purchased land along the Blackstone River and built mills producing goods such asguns,scythes, andsawmill equipment. In 1808, they erected anarmory, which was successful until forced to close suddenly in 1841. It reopened at the start of theAmerican Civil War in 1861. With the wealth received from the industry, Asa began construction of theAsa Waters Mansion in 1826. Designed by local architectAsher Benjamin, it was completed six years later.
Louise Taft, mother ofUnited States PresidentWilliam Howard Taft, resided in Millbury for many years, and President Taft spent many summer vacations in the town during his youth. He visited his aunt, Delia C. Torrey, during his presidency to celebrate Millbury'scentennial. The Torrey House, where President Taft stayed, is now commonly called the Taft House.
In 1824, themineral calledVermiculite was first found in Millbury.
Due to theFlood Control Act of 1944, theWorcester Flood Diversion Channel was constructed in that year within Millbury, as well as nearbyAuburn.
In the early 1970s, Millbury experienced a number of largefires. Thetown hall burned down, followed by the Union School. Apropane plant nearRoute 146 exploded, causing considerable damage and making nationwide news.
In 2004, Millbury was designated as aPreserve America community.[5]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, Millbury has a total area of 16.3 square miles (42 km2), of which 15.7 square miles (41 km2) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km2), or 3.20%, is water. The town is within theBlackstone Valley and is drained by theBlackstone River.[citation needed]
Millbury hasthree sites on theNational Register of Historic Places:
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 3,081 | — |
| 1860 | 3,296 | +7.0% |
| 1870 | 4,397 | +33.4% |
| 1880 | 4,741 | +7.8% |
| 1890 | 4,428 | −6.6% |
| 1900 | 4,460 | +0.7% |
| 1910 | 4,740 | +6.3% |
| 1920 | 5,653 | +19.3% |
| 1930 | 6,957 | +23.1% |
| 1940 | 6,983 | +0.4% |
| 1950 | 8,347 | +19.5% |
| 1960 | 9,623 | +15.3% |
| 1970 | 11,987 | +24.6% |
| 1980 | 11,808 | −1.5% |
| 1990 | 12,228 | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 12,784 | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 13,261 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 13,831 | +4.3% |
| 2024* | 14,173 | +2.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] | ||
As of thecensus[17] of 2020, there were 13,831 people, 4,927 households, and 3,443 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 812.5 inhabitants per square mile (313.7/km2). There were 5,109 housing units at an average density of 324.7 per square mile (125.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.19%White, 0.53%African American, 0.15%Native American, 1.02%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 0.23% fromother races, and 0.84% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 4,927 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% weremarried couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.6% were made up of individuals, and 10.3% 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 3.03.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,415, and the median income for a family was $62,564. Males had a median income of $41,912 versus $28,973 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $23,531. About 4.1% of families and 6.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over
In 1826, the first formallyceum school was founded byJosiah Holbrook in Millbury.
Public schools in Millbury fall under the jurisdiction of Millbury Public Schoolsschool district. Approximately 2,000 students are educated in three schools: Elmwood Street School, (grades Pre-K through 2); Raymond E. Shaw Elementary School (grades 3 through 6); andMillbury Memorial Junior/Senior High School (grades 7 through 12).[18]
Millbury Public Library opened in 1864.[19] In fiscal year 2008, the town spent 1.15% ($358,097) of its budget on the library.
| State government | |
|---|---|
| State Representative(s): | Paul K. Frost (R) |
| State Senator(s): | Michael O. Moore (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Paul DePalo (D) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | Jim McGovern (D) |
| U.S. Senators: | Elizabeth Warren (D),Ed Markey (D) |
| Registered Voters and Party Enrollment as of February 1, 2025[20] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 1,939 | 17.60% | |||
| Republican | 1,158 | 10.51% | |||
| Unenrolled | 7,810 | 70.90% | |||
| Total | 11,016 | 100% | |||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
