Marlborough, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Main Street | |
 Seal | |
 Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts | |
  Marlborough, Massachusetts Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:42°20′45″N71°33′10″W / 42.34583°N 71.55278°W /42.34583; -71.55278 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Middlesex |
| Settled | 1657 |
| Incorporated (town) | September 20, 1660 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1890 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-council city |
| • Mayor | J. Christian Dumais[1][2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 22.10 sq mi (57.24 km2) |
| • Land | 20.86 sq mi (54.04 km2) |
| • Water | 1.24 sq mi (3.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 449 ft (137 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 41,793 |
| • Density | 2,003.1/sq mi (773.41/km2) |
| Demonym | Marlboronian |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01752 |
| Area code | 508/774 |
| FIPS code | 25-38715 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0611360 |
| Website | www.marlborough-ma.gov |
Marlborough is a city inMiddlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 41,793 at the2020 census.[4] Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of theMassachusetts Turnpike. It is part of theWorcester metropolitan area.
Marlborough was declared a town in 1660, and was incorporated as a city in 1890 when it changed itsmunicipal charter from aNew England town meeting system to amayor–council government.
In 1656, several families fromSudbury, Massachusetts, led by Edmund Rice, John Howe, John Ruddock, and John Bent, petitioned theMassachusetts General Court to create a new town. The proposed town would be located southwest of Sudbury at the intersection of two trails used by local Native American tribes, known as the Nashua Trail and Connecticut path. Its name would be Marlborough, after the market town inWiltshire, Englandof the same name.[5]
The land belonged to a tribe ofPennacook Native Americans whose population had been decimated bythe introduction of European diseases a few decades prior. In 1656, only 50 or so Pennacooks remained in the area. The Pennacook people spoke anAlgonquian language; this was among the reasons that Howe, afur trader who spoke Algonquian, became the first settler to move to the area. The Pennacook, knowing their reduced numbers left them vulnerable to attacks from other Native groups, initially welcomed the settlers in exchange for their assistance protecting the tribe.[5]
Marlborough was officially incorporated as a town in 1660. Rice, a formerPuritandeacon, was elected aselectman in 1657.Sumner Chilton Powell wrote, inPuritan Village: The Formation of a New England Town, "Not only did Rice become the largest individual landholder in [the] Sudbury [area], but he represented his new town in the Massachusetts legislature for five years and devoted at least eleven of his last fifteen years to serving as selectman and judge of small causes."[6]
ThePuritan minister Reverend William Brimstead became the first minister of the First Church of Marlborough, and William Ward the first deacon.[7] Johnathan Johnson was the firstblacksmith.
Marlborough was one of the seven"Praying Indian Towns" because they were converted toChristianity by theRev. John Eliot ofRoxbury. In 1674, a deed was drawn up dividing the land between the settlers and the natives.
However, the outbreak ofKing Phillip's War in 1675 led to increased tension and distrust between the Native and European residents of Marlborough. Local officials, worried that even friendly tribes might be persuaded to join Metacomet's forces, began rounding up Native Americans residing in the area. They were initially brought to Marlborough, where they were held in what historian John Buczek describes as "a sort of concentration camp." However, the local European population quickly became concerned that there were insufficient guards to protect them if the prisoners revolted, so that winter the prisoners were moved toDeer Island inBoston Harbor. The following year, the settlement was almost destroyed by Metacomet's forces.[5]
In 1711, Marlborough's territory included land that today belongs to the towns ofNorthborough,Southborough,Westborough, andHudson. As population, business, and travel grew in the colonies, Marlborough became a favored rest stop on theBoston Post Road. Many travelers stopped at its inns and taverns, includingGeorge Washington, who visited the Williams Tavern soon after his inauguration in 1789.[8]
In 1836, Samuel Boyd, known as the "father of the city," and his brother, Joseph, opened the firstshoe manufacturing business - an act that would change the community forever. By 1890, with a population of 14,000, Marlborough had become a major shoe manufacturing center, producing boots forUnion soldiers as well as footwear for the civilian population. Marlborough became so well known for its shoes that when it was incorporated as a city in 1890, its official seal was decorated with afactory, ashoe box, and a pair ofboots.[9]
TheCivil War resulted in the creation of one of the region's most unusual historical monuments. Legend has it that a company from Marlborough, assigned toHarpers Ferry, appropriated the bell from thefirehouse whereJohn Brown last battled for the emancipation of the slaves. The company left the bell in the hands of one Mrs. Elizabeth Snyder for 30 years, returning in 1892 to bring it back to Marlborough. The bell now hangs in a tower at the corner ofRoute 85 and Main Street.
Around that time, Marlborough is believed to have been the first community in the country to receive a charter for astreetcar system, edging outBaltimore by a few months. The system, designed primarily for passenger use, provided access toMilford to the south andConcord to the north. As a growing industrialized community, Marlborough began attracting skilledcraftsmen fromQuebec,Ireland,Italy, andGreece.[9]
Shoe manufacturing continued in Marlborough long after the industry had fled many otherNew England communities. Rice & Hutchins, Inc. operated several factories in Marlborough from 1875 to 1929.Frye boots were manufactured in the city through the 1970s, andThe Rockport Company, founded in Marlborough in 1971, maintained an outlet store in the city until 2017. In 1990, when Marlborough celebrated itscentennial as a city, the festivities included the construction of a park in acknowledgment of the shoe industry, featuring statues by the sculptor David Kapenteopolous.
The construction of Interstates495 and290 and theMassachusetts Turnpike enabled the growth of thehigh technology and specialized electronics industries. With its easy access to major highways and the pro-business, pro-development policies of the city government, the population of Marlborough has increased to over 38,000 at the time of the 2010 census. In November 2016, the administration ofMassachusetts GovernorCharlie Baker announced a $3 million grant to the city to fund infrastructure improvements alongU.S. Route 20 to aid commercial development.[10]
Marlborough is located at42°21′3″N71°32′51″W / 42.35083°N 71.54750°W /42.35083; -71.54750 (42.350909, −71.547530).[11] According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57 km2), of which 21.1 square miles (55 km2) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) (4.87%) is water. TheAssabet River cuts across the northwest corner of the city. Within city limits are three large lakes, known as Lake Williams, Millham Reservoir andFort Meadow Reservoir. (A portion of Fort Meadow Reservoir extends into nearbyHudson.)
Marlborough is crossed byInterstate 495,U.S. Route 20 andMassachusetts Route 85. The eastern terminus ofInterstate 290 is also in Marlborough.
Marlborough is located ineastern Massachusetts, bordered by six municipalities:Berlin,Hudson,Sudbury,Framingham,Southborough, andNorthborough.
Places adjacent to Marlborough, Massachusetts | |
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,554 | — |
| 1800 | 1,735 | +11.6% |
| 1810 | 1,674 | −3.5% |
| 1820 | 1,952 | +16.6% |
| 1830 | 2,077 | +6.4% |
| 1840 | 2,101 | +1.2% |
| 1850 | 2,941 | +40.0% |
| 1860 | 5,911 | +101.0% |
| 1870 | 8,474 | +43.4% |
| 1880 | 10,127 | +19.5% |
| 1890 | 13,805 | +36.3% |
| 1900 | 13,609 | −1.4% |
| 1910 | 14,579 | +7.1% |
| 1920 | 15,028 | +3.1% |
| 1930 | 15,587 | +3.7% |
| 1940 | 15,154 | −2.8% |
| 1950 | 15,756 | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 18,819 | +19.4% |
| 1970 | 27,936 | +48.4% |
| 1980 | 30,617 | +9.6% |
| 1990 | 31,813 | +3.9% |
| 2000 | 36,255 | +14.0% |
| 2010 | 38,499 | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 41,793 | +8.6% |
| 2023* | 41,179 | −1.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Source: U.S. Decennial Census[24] | ||
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 36,255 people, 14,501 households, and 9,280 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,719.4 inhabitants per square mile (663.9/km2). There were 14,903 housing units at an average density of 706.8 per square mile (272.9/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 87.70%White, 2.17%African American, 0.20%Native American, 3.76%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 3.27% fromother races, and 2.86% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.06% of the population.[25]
There were 14,501 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% weremarried couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.07.[25]
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.[25]
The median income for a household in the city was $56,879, and the median income for a family was $70,385. Males had a median income of $49,133 versus $32,457 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $28,723. About 4.7% of families and 6.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.[25]
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Marlborough is home to many businesses, stores and restaurants.
The revitalized southwestern corner of the city – locally known as the "Southwest Quadrant" – features numerous office parks and corporate buildings clustered together in a busy industrial core dotted along Forest Street, Cedar Hill Street, Simarano Drive, Ames Street, D’Angelo Drive and Campus Drive (serving The Campus at Marlborough property) with easy access to theInterstate 495 highway.[26] The city’s recent growth of suburban office park infrastructure adjacent to Interstate 495 – which is commonly known as Greater Boston’s outer circumferential highway – is a strategic land usage format comparable to the city ofWaltham, which itself has many office parks adjacent to the region’s inner circumferential highway ofMassachusetts State Route 128.[27]
TheMarlborough Center Historic District – focused primarily on Main Street in the heart of the city’s downtown area – features restaurants, hair salons, barber shops, insurance agencies and many other businesses.
The Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce is the localchamber of commerce for Marlborough and five other surrounding towns in MetroWest Massachusetts. The chamber represents the business needs of over 650 businesses and thousands of employees in the area and is headquartered in the city.
The Chamber of Commerce's role has included working with theMetroWest Regional Transit Authority to improve transportation options and to obtain recognition for Marlborough's Downtown Village as a cultural district.[28]
Marlborough is located near the intersection of Routes 495, 290, 20 and the Massachusetts Turnpike.[29] It is connected to neighboring towns and cities by theMetrowest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA).[29]
Marlborough is served by TwoInterstate, oneU.S Highway and onestate highways:
| Route number | Type | Local name | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
 Interstate 495 (Massachusetts) | Interstate | Interstate 495 (Massachusetts) | north–south |
 Interstate 290 (Massachusetts) | Interstate | Interstate 290 (Massachusetts) | east–west |
 U.S. Route 20 | United States highway | Boston Post Rd., East/West Main St. Lakeside Ave and Granger Blvd. | east–west |
 Route 85 | State route | Washington St., Bolton St. and Maple St. | north–south |
Ghost Light Players is a501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Marlborough.[40] The group has been performing in and around the Marlborough area since 2012, with productions includingHamlet,[41][42]Dog Sees God,[43]Romeo and Juliet,[44]Macbeth,[45]Godspell,[46] andLove Comics.[47]
TheMarlborough Country Club was host ofSenior PGA Tour Event The Marlborough Classic from 1981 to 1983.Bob Goalby won the event in 1981, withArnold Palmer winning in 1982 andDon January winning in 1983. The event has since changed locations to the Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Massachusetts and is now calledBank of America Championship.
Cities
–Akiruno,Tokyo, Japan from November 3, 1998
–Ipatinga,Minas Gerais, Brazil from June, 2009Towns
–Marlborough,Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom from 1657Marlborough Mayor Arthur G. Vigeant, on the other hand, said he is backing the incumbent senator, Scott Brown, because the fellow Republican from Wrentham 'has been available for us in Marlborough ... I think he's done a good job.'
Municipalities and communities ofMiddlesex County, Massachusetts,United States | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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