Southborough, Massachusetts

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Southborough, Massachusetts
Center of Southborough
Center of Southborough
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°18′20″N 71°31′30″W / 42.30556, -71.525
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Worcester
Settled 1660
Incorporated 1727
Government
 - Type Open town meeting
 - Moderator David A. Coombs
 - Town
   Administrator
Jean E. Kitchen
 - Board of
   Selectmen
Bonnie J. Phaneuf
William J. Boland
Salvatore M. Giorlandino
Area
 - Total 15.7 sq mi (40.6 km²)
 - Land 14.2 sq mi (36.6 km²)
 - Water 1.5 sq mi (3.9 km²)
Elevation 306 ft (93 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 8,781
 - Density 620.7/sq mi (239.7/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01772, 01745
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-63165
GNIS feature ID 0618382
Website: http://www.southboroughtown.com/

Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Like several neighboring towns, its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage that remains current on many area signs and maps. Its population was 8,781 at the 2000 census.

Land use is primarily residential with substantial open space. A quarter of the town's area is flooded by the Sudbury Reservoir. Light industrial land use is concentrated along main roads, primarily Massachusetts Rte. 9, and there are several small business districts in the villages and along Rte. 9.

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[edit] History

Southborough was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1727. Southborough was primarily a farming community until mills began to tap the small rivers that ran through the town. By the end of the 19th century, the town was home to the manufacture of plaster, boots and shoes, among other things.

In 1898 the Fayville Dam was constructed to produce several reservoirs to supply a growing Boston with water. As a result, manufacturing vanished and Southborough did not see substantial growth until the high-tech boom of the 1970s.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.7 square miles (40.6 km²), of which, 14.1 square miles (36.6 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (9.64%) is water.

[edit] Adjacent towns

Southborough is located in Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by:

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 8,781 people, 2,952 households, and 2,426 families residing in the town. The population density was 620.7 people per square mile (239.6/km²). There were 2,997 housing units at an average density of 211.8/sq mi (81.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.47% White, 0.54% African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.

There were 2,952 households out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.9% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.1% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $102,986, and the median income for a family was $119,454. Males had a median income of $80,961 versus $50,537 for females. The per capita income for the town was $44,310. About 0.4% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

The form of town government is open town meeting, in which the voters of the town act as the legislature. Town Meeting is managed by the Moderator, who also appoints most of the membership of the unelected boards.

The three members of the Board of Selectmen, however, are elected to act as the executive body of the government. The Selectmen delegate day-to-day operations to the Town Manager.

Southborough has three school committees:

  • Southborough K-8 School Committee
  • Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee
  • Assabet Valley Regional Vocational-Technical School Committee

Southborough's town elections are non-partisan.

Almost sixty percent of current voters registered without enrolling in any political party. Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans in the remaining forty percent. Minor party enrollments are negligible.

County government: Worcester County
Clerk of Courts: Dennis P. McManus (D)
District Attorney: Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D)
Registrar of Deeds: Anthony J. Vigliotti (D)
Registrar of Probate: Stephen Abraham (D)
County Sheriff: Guy W. Glodis (D)
State government
State Representative(s): Paul J.P. Loscocco (R), Stephen P. LeDuc (D)
State Senator(s): Pamela P. Resor (D)
Governor's Councilor(s): Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney (D)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s): James P. McGovern (D-3rd District)
U.S. Senators: Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D)


[edit] Education

Public and private educational campuses frame Southborough's small New England downtown.

[edit] Public schools

Southborough has six public schools. The four elementary and middle schools are inside town limits; the two high schools are regional schools in adjoining towns.

[edit] Private schools

Southborough is home to a large private secondary school, St. Mark's, which was founded in 1865 by Joseph Burnett. The oldest junior boarding school in the nation,[citation needed] Fay School, was founded a year later in 1866 by Joseph Burnett's first cousin Harriet Burnett Fay.

[edit] Transportation

The 7:33 AM Express MBTA Commuter Rail Train about to arrive at Southborough Station on March 7, 2007
The 7:33 AM Express MBTA Commuter Rail Train about to arrive at Southborough Station on March 7, 2007

The MBTA Commuter Rail's Framingham/Worcester Line train stops at Southborough Station, which opened to commuters on June 22, 2002. The station is located in the Cordaville neighborhood, on Route 85 near the border with Hopkinton. As of October 2007, ten daily round-trip trains provide service to Boston via the Back Bay and South Station terminals.

Interstate 495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) both pass through Southborough, although neither have interchanges within town limits. Routes 9 and 30 are east-west routes passing through Southborough, while Route 85 serves the town as a north-south route.

[edit] Media

[edit] Points of interest

Some interesting places in Southborough are:

  • 9/11 Field
  • Arts Center
  • Village House
  • Rural Cemetery
  • Breakneck Hill conservation land
  • Sudbury Reservoir Trail
  • St. Mark's auditorium

[edit] Annual events

Southborough celebrates Heritage Day on Columbus Day. Heritage Day involves a big parade in the morning and then booths are set up on St. Mark's field on Main Street.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links