Warwick, Massachusetts
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| Warwick, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Franklin County |
| Settled | 1739 |
| Incorporated | 1763 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 37.6 sq mi (97.4 km²) |
| - Land | 37.3 sq mi (96.5 km²) |
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.9 km²) |
| Elevation | 937 ft (286 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 750 |
| - Density | 20.1/sq mi (7.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01378 |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 |
Warwick is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 750 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Warwick was first settled in 1739 and was officially incorporated in 1763.
For more information, see 'Warwick, Massachusetts: a biography of a town'", 1963, By Charles Morse. '
See also History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II, by Louis H. Everetts, 1879.
This can be read on-line at the following web site: http://www.franklincountyhistory.com/warwick/everts/index.html
A major event in Warwick's history was when we hosted the Brotherhood of the Spirit Commune for a few years in the 1960s and 1970s. The commune was led by the controversial mystic Michael Metelica Rapunzel. Our population was only about 450 then, and hundreds of young people came to Warwick to join the commune. There was some friction in the early days, but townspeople and commune members became more cooperative. The communue has been gone for nearly 30 years.
To read a first hand account of the commune and a link leading to testimony by commune members click below.
http://www.tomdevine.net/guru.htm
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 97.4 km² (37.6 mi²). 96.5 km² (37.3 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (0.90%) is water.
A landmark in Warwick is Mount Grace. This mountain is located in the center of town and has a network of hiking and cross-country ski trails. Most of the mountain is owned by the state and open to the public. The Metacomet-Monadnock Trail passes over the summit. At 1,617 feet, the summit is the highest point between Mount Greylock and Mount Wachusett. There's a fire tower at the top, which is accessible by foot. The best access is from Rt. 78 in Warwick. There is a good parking spot at Ohlson Field, just north of the town center. It's about a two hour round trip to the summit.
Warwick is known for Land preservation. The Mount Grace Conservation Land Trust was founded here, and owns a large amount of land with conservation restrictions. Over half the town has protection under one (or more) of the following: State Forest, State Park, Town Forest, Town Common, Privately held Conservation Restrictions, and Agricultural Restrictions.
The town Open Space Committee recently bought, and protected, a piece of ridge line that was going to be a house site.
[edit] Economy
Warwick has home based businesses, and a few wood shops. There are no stores, gas stations, restaurants, or other commercial businesses. There are farms here that produces grass fed organic dairy products, herbal products, flowers, and vegetables. Another business is logging.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 750 people, 293 households, and 210 families residing in the town. The population density was 7.8/km² (20.1/mi²). There were 343 housing units at an average density of 3.6/km² (9.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.93% White, 0.27% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 1.07% from other races, and 1.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.
There were 293 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 102.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,083, and the median income for a family was $45,795. Males had a median income of $35,125 versus $26,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,989. About 5.9% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 1.0% of those age 65 or over.
