Marshfield, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marshfield, Massachusetts | |
 |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Plymouth County |
| Settled | 1632 |
| Incorporated | 1640 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 31.7 sq mi (82.2 km²) |
| - Land | 28.5 sq mi (73.7 km²) |
| - Water | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 17 ft (5 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 24,324 |
| - Density | 854.8/sq mi (330.0/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 02050 |
| Area code(s) | 339 / 781 |
| Website: http://www.townofmarshfield.org | |
Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,324 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Marshfield, please see the articles on Green Harbor, Marshfield (CDP), Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock.
Contents |
[edit] History
Marshfield was first settled in 1632 by Edward Winslow and was officially incorporated in 1640. It is the home of one of the oldest continuous Congregational churches in America, First Congregational Church. During the American Revolution, British troops were quartered in the town. Early industry in town included farming, fishing and salt marsh haying. An early nail factory, founded by Jesse Reed, was one of the first to manufacture nails by machine. Shipbuilding grew in the town, and over 1,000 ships were built along the North River in town during the nineteenth century. The town is also the site of Brant Rock, where Reginald Fessenden built the antenna from which he sent his first transatlantic voice radio broadcast in 1906.
The Marshfield Fair, held every August on grounds that once hosted a militia training green and livestock shows organized by town resident and statesman Daniel Webster, is the United States' longest running agricultural fair. Webster was one of the earliest celebrities to live in town, a tradition that remains today, as such notable residents include Steve Carell, Jeff Corwin, and three members of the rock band Aerosmith.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.74 mi² (82.2 km²). 28.46 mi² (73.7 km²) of it is land and 3.28 mi² (8.5 km²) of it (10.33%) is water. Marshfield is bordered by Massachusetts Bay to the east, Duxbury to the south and southeast, Pembroke to the west, Norwell to the northwest, and Scituate to the north and northeast. Marshfield is eighteen miles east of Brockton and twenty-nine miles southeast of Boston.
Marshfield is named for the many salt marshes which dot the landscape in the town. There are three rivers, the North (along the northern border of the town), South (which branches at the mouth of the North River and heads south through the town) and the Green Harbor River (which flows just west of Brant Rock and Green Harbor Point at the south of town). The South River divides a peninsula from the rest of the town, where the Humarock and Fourth Cliff neighborhoods of the town of Scituate lie. The neighborhoods can be reached by land by two bridges, or by foot along Rexhame Beach. Marshfield is also the site of several small forests and conservation areas, including the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary along the Green Harbor River and the North River Wildlife Sanctuary, along Route 3A.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 24,324 people, 8,905 households, and 6,598 families residing in the town. The population density was 330.1/km² (854.8/mi²). There were 9,954 housing units at an average density of 135.1/km² (349.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.54% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.
There were 8,905 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $66,508, and the median income for a family was $76,541. Males had a median income of $51,600 versus $35,975 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,768. About 3.8% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
On the national level, Marshfield is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.
On the state level, Marshfield is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Plymouth district, which also includes much of the town of Scituate. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth.[1] The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.[2]
Marshfield is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen. The modern town hall is located at the intersection of Routes 3A and 139, just south of the South River. The town has its own police and fire stations, with firehouses located in Marshfield Hills, Ocean Bluff and near the fairgrounds. The town's Ventress Memorial Library is located a short distance east of the town hall, and is a member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). There is also an independent library, the Clift Rodgers Free Library, in Marshfield Hills. The town has three post offices, in the same neighborhoods as the fire stations.
[edit] Education
Marshfield operates its own school system for the town's nearly 4,700 students. There are five elementary schools (Daniel Webster, Eames Way, Gov. Edward Winslow, Martinson and South River) which serve students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade (Eames Way and South River, however, do not have pre-kindergarten classes). The Furnace Brook Middle School serves students from sixth through eighth grade, and Marshfield High School serves grades nine through twelve. Marshfield High's athletic teams are known as the Rams, and their colors are green, white, gold and black.
There are no private or vocational schools in the town; the nearest private schools are in neighboring Scituate and Duxbury (as well as a charter school in Norwell). The nearest college is Massasoit Community College in Brockton.
[edit] Transportation
Route 3, also known as the Pilgrim Highway, skirts the town along the Pembroke town line, and can be accessed in Marshfield via the Route 139 exit. Route 139 loops through the town, with a long portion passing along the beaches of the Ocean Bluff and Fieldston neighborhoods before heading north and east into Pembroke. Route 3A also passes through the town, entering from the south in Duxbury and exiting over the North River into Scituate.
The nearest regional bus and air service can be reached in New Bedford. The nearest national air service can be reached at T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston. There are no railroad services in town; the nearest rail service can be reached in Middleborough, at the terminus to the Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA's commuter rail service. The nearest freight rail service is in Wareham.
The town is home to the Marshfield Municipal Airport, which serves small private and regional aircraft. The nearest national and international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston. There is no rail service in the town; the nearest existing line passes through Pembroke on the Kingston-Plymouth line of the MBTA's commuter rail service. Currently a second spur off that line is being built, which will extend service from Braintree to the Greenbush neighborhood of Scituate, just over the town line from Marshfield.
[edit] Notable residents
- Edward Winslow 1595-1655, Governor of Plymouth Colony
- Daniel Webster 1782–1852, statesman
- Reginald Fessenden 1866-1932, radio pioneer
- F. Lee Bailey, attorney
- Steve Carrell and his wife Nancy Walls, comedians
- Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford and Steven Tyler of the rock band Aerosmith
- Sean Morey, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
- Jeff Corwin, naturalist, host of The Jeff Corwin Experience on Animal Planet
Sean Morris, Marjor League Lacrosse Player, Chicago Machine
[edit] References
- Brief history from Marshfield Chamber of Commerce
- Memorial to Dr Sawyer
- Marshfield Massachustts History
- Community web site
- http://www.danielwebsterestate.org
