Boylston, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Boylston Town Common | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inWorcester County and the state ofMassachusetts. | |
| Coordinates:42°23′30″N71°42′15″W / 42.39167°N 71.70417°W /42.39167; -71.70417 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Settled | 1705 |
| Incorporated | 1786 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Administrator | Patrick Sharron |
| Area | |
• Total | 19.7 sq mi (51.0 km2) |
| • Land | 16.0 sq mi (41.5 km2) |
| • Water | 3.6 sq mi (9.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 443 ft (135 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 4,849 |
| • Density | 250/sq mi (95/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01505 |
| Area code | 508/774 |
| FIPS code | 25-07525 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619478 |
| Website | www.boylston-ma.gov |
Boylston is a town inWorcester County,Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,849 at the2020 census.[1]
Boylston was first settled by Europeans around 1706 in the northern part of the present-day town, most notably by the Sawyer family afterNashaway sachemsSholan andGeorge Tahanto deeded the land.[2] In 1697, the residents petitioned to form a local town and government, but the British colonial Governor of Massachusetts denied their request since he wanted to keep the number of towns to a minimum and to restrict popular representation.[3]
A meeting house was built in 1743, and the Reverend Ebenezer Morse, ordained in October 1743, was the first minister in charge of the church.
The town was made up of a large part of land fromShrewsbury and the remainder fromLancaster[3] and was known as the North Parish of Shrewsbury from 1742 until 1786, when it was incorporated as Boylston.[4]
Boylston was named afterWard Nicholas Boylston (1747–1828),[5][6] a benefactor of the town. The fund he set up in 1797 finally accumulated $1,450, which was used to build the town hall and school building.[7][8][9]
The residents formerly made a living from agriculture, and erected mills on theNashua River, until the construction ofWachusett Reservoir terminated their operation.[9]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.7 square miles (51 km2), of which 16.0 square miles (41 km2) is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km2), or 18.50%, is water.
With a population of nearly 4400 residents, the town is predominantly a residential community. TheWachusett Reservoir, part of the water supply system managed by theMassachusetts Water Resources Authority for Greater Boston area, lies in the northwestern part of the town and covers about 5,000 acres (20 km2) of land. The town maintains approximately 45 miles (72 km) of roadway, has 9 miles (14 km) of sidewalks, and has its own Municipal Light Department, Water District, and volunteer fire and ambulance service.
The town of Boylston is bordered by the towns ofShrewsbury,West Boylston,Sterling,Clinton,Berlin, andNorthborough.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 918 | — |
| 1860 | 929 | +1.2% |
| 1870 | 800 | −13.9% |
| 1880 | 854 | +6.7% |
| 1890 | 770 | −9.8% |
| 1900 | 1,364 | +77.1% |
| 1910 | 714 | −47.7% |
| 1920 | 794 | +11.2% |
| 1930 | 1,097 | +38.2% |
| 1940 | 1,388 | +26.5% |
| 1950 | 1,700 | +22.5% |
| 1960 | 2,367 | +39.2% |
| 1970 | 2,774 | +17.2% |
| 1980 | 3,470 | +25.1% |
| 1990 | 3,517 | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 4,008 | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 4,355 | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 4,849 | +11.3% |
| 2023* | 4,972 | +2.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20] | ||
As of the2000 census, there were 4,008 people, 1,573 households, and 1,140 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 250.0 inhabitants per square mile (96.5/km2)[citation needed]. There were 1,606 housing units at an average density of 100.2 per square mile (38.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.71%White, 0.67%African American, 0.22%Native American, 1.37%Asian, 0.25% fromother races, and 0.77% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.57% of the population.[citation needed]
There were 1,573 households, out of which 33.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.9% weremarried couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.5% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[citation needed] The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.02.[citation needed]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older.[citation needed] The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.[citation needed]
The median income for a household in the town was $67,703, and the median income for a family was $77,604. Males had a median income of $56,019 versus $43,277 for females.[citation needed] Theper capita income for the town was $32,274. About 2.4% of families and 2.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.[citation needed]
| State government | |
|---|---|
| State Representative(s): | Harold P. Naughton, Jr (D) |
| State Senator(s): | Harriette L. Chandler (D,1st Worcester district) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Jen Caissie (R) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | James P. McGovern (D-2nd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Elizabeth Warren (D),Ed Markey (D) |
The Boylston Public Library was established in 1880.[21][22] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Boylston spent 1.35% ($152,562) of its budget on its public library—some $35 per person.[23]
Boylston currently operates a junior-senior high school with the neighboring town of Berlin, called the Tahanto Regional Middle/High School. It is part of theBerlin-Boylston Regional School District.[24] The town is also home to theTower Hill Botanic Garden, operated by theWorcester County Horticultural Society, which offers adult education classes in horticulture, cooking, and gardening.[25]
The school mascot is astag,[26] and the teams' colors are white and green.
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