| North Attleborough, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| North Attleborough Town Hall | |
| Nickname(s): Big Red | |
| Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Bristol |
| Settled | 1669 |
| Incorporated | 1887 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Representative town meeting |
| • Board of Selectmen |
Michael S.Thompson Paul Belham John C. Rhyno Christopher L. Sweet Joan Marchitto |
| Area | |
| • Total | 19.1 sq mi (49.3 km2) |
| • Land | 18.6 sq mi (48.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 28,712 |
| • Density | 1,456.0/sq mi (562.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 02760 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| FIPS code | 25-46575 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618284 |
| Website | http://www.north-attleboro.ma.us/ |
North Attleborough, commonly written North Attleboro, is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,712 at the 2010 United States Census.
The village of North Attleborough Center is located in the town.
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North Attleborough [formerly a part of Attleborough] is an industrial town on the Rhode Island border. In pre-Colonial times, it was the site of the Bay Path, a major Indian trail to Narragansett Bay, the Seekonk River and Boston. John Woodcock and family established a small settlement in North Attleborough in 1669, which subsisted on agriculture, fishing and hunting. By 1670, Woodcock had received a license to open a tavern. The settlement was attacked during King Philip's War, with two killed and one home burned, but the garrison house which Woodcock had built survived the attack. The Woodcock-Garrison house was used as sleeping quarters for George Washington on his army's march to Boston to rid the city of General Thomas Gage's troops. The Garrison house is still open for tours and is an especially popular destination for field trips by local school children.
By 1776, there were 2200 people living in North Attleborough. In about 1780, a French settler set up a forge for working brass and the industrial era arrived in North Attleborough. Englishmen brought with them British machinery from Birmingham in 1794 and designed American improvements in button making which they patented. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, small grist and sawmills were built along the Ten Mile River, and subsequently established nail factories were eventually eclipsed by cotton spinning mills. The development of cotton spinning was spurred by the embargo on imports resulting from the War of 1812. Textiles and jewelry manufacturing were the staple industries of the town by 1832 but buttons were king. By 1834, it was said that North Attleborough produced more buttons than anywhere else in the United States.
Until 1887, North Attleborough was part of Attleborough. The residents of the village of East Attleborough (now Attleboro center) chose to secede, and had the higher population and the votes to keep the name of Attleborough, the traditional spelling. When re-incorporating as the City of Attleboro, they chose to officially alter the name of their city. North Attleborough, the original settlement, kept the original official spelling, but lost the distinction of being Attleborough, and its founding date of 1694 was also appropriated by Attleboro.
In the twentieth century, North Attleborough was home at various times to the jewelry firms Jostens, the world's largest class ring manufacturer and the Balfour Company, prominent maker of championship rings including for the National Football League's Super Bowl champions and Major League Baseball's World Series' winners.
Through the 19th century there was tremendous growth and innovation in the jewelry industry and the number of firms in the town increased sharply. By 1855, there were 24 shops making almost $1 million in jewelry in both Attleboro and North Attleborough. The American Civil War spurred their growth with profitable U.S. Army orders for badges and medals. In 1887, North Attleborough was officially incorporated as a town. Today it is a thriving center of business and commerce with a small industrial park and many shops and stores along US Route 1 which travels through the center of town.
In 2006, North Attleborough was rated in the top ten for professional sports communities in the entire country and was also listed as one of the most affordable and safest places to raise a family.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.0 square miles (49 km2), of which 18.6 square miles (48 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2) (2.15%) is water. The town is roughly quadrilateral-shaped, and makes the northwest corner of Bristol County. It is bordered by Plainville to the north, Mansfield to the east, Attleboro to the south, and Cumberland, Rhode Island to the west. Localities include Adamsdale, Attleborough Falls and Sheldonville Farms. The town is located 16 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island, 38 miles southwest of Boston and 42 miles southeast of Worcester, Massachusetts.
The town has several rivers, streams and brooks running through it, including the Ten Mile River and the Seven Mile River. There are several ponds and lakes, including Greenwood Lake (site of a fish hatchery) and Falls Pond, among others. The town's largest park, World War I Memorial Park, is located in the northern part of town and contains the highest point in Bristol County - Sunrise Hill (Watery Hill) at 390 feet above sea level. World War I Memorial Park features a petting zoo, Petty Field for soccer and lacrosse and a ski/sledding hill with J-bar ski lift which is currently inoperable. There is also the North Attleborough Arboretum adjacent to the park.
On High Street, one block from Route 1A is an ice-skating pond called Titus Pond which is maintained by the North Attleborough Rotary Club and filled each winter by the Fire Department.
There are five cemeteries in North Attleborough: the diminutive and inactive Woodcock Cemetery across from the Woodcock Garrison house just north of downtown; Paine Road Cemetery near the Cumberland, Rhode Island, border; Mt. Hope Cemetery & Arboreum; the old St. Mary's Cemetery and the new St. Mary's Cemetery. The latter three are located in the village of Attleborough Falls.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1890 | 6,727 | — |
| 1900 | 7,253 | +7.8% |
| 1910 | 9,562 | +31.8% |
| 1920 | 9,238 | −3.4% |
| 1930 | 10,197 | +10.4% |
| 1940 | 10,359 | +1.6% |
| 1950 | 12,146 | +17.3% |
| 1960 | 14,777 | +21.7% |
| 1970 | 18,665 | +26.3% |
| 1980 | 21,095 | +13.0% |
| 1990 | 25,038 | +18.7% |
| 2000 | 28,978 | +15.7% |
| 2010 | 28,712 | −0.9% |
| Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] | ||
At the 2000 census[8], there were 27,143 people, 10,391 households and 7,232 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,456.0 per square mile (562.2/km²). There were 10,635 housing units at an average density of 570.5 per square mile (220.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.97% White, 0.92% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 10,391 households of which 36.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.15.
Age distribution was 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median household income was $59,371, and the median family income was $69,461. Males had a median income of $47,645 versus $31,522 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,974. About 2.7% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
North Attleborough is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Betty Poirier as part of the Fourteenth Bristol district, which also includes sections of Attleboro, Mansfield and Norton. In the state senate, it is represented by Richard Ross as part of the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district, which includes Millis, Natick, Needham, Norfolk, North Attleborough, Plainvile, Sherborn, Wayland and Wrentham, as well as parts of the city of Attleboro and the towns of Franklin and Wellesley. Ross won the seat in a special election in May 2010 to fill the term left vacant by Scott Brown after his election to the United States Senate. The town is also patrolled by the Third (Foxborough) Barracks of Troop H (Metro Boston) of the Massachusetts State Police.
On the national level, North Attleborough is a part of Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives represented by Jim McGovern.
North Attleborough has a representative town meeting form of government, led by a board of selectmen and an administrative assistant elected by the town's voters. The North Attleboro Police Department is located downtown in the old H.F. Barrows Manufacturing Company Building at 102 South Washington St. There are three fire stations, located downtown on Elm Street just off Route 1, Allen Ave behind Emerald Square Mall and on Route 152 in the eastern portion of town. There are also two post offices, downtown (using the 02760 ZIP code) and in Attleboro Falls (02763).
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008[9] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage | |||
| Democratic | 4,262 | 22.68% | |||
| Republican | 3,313 | 17.63% | |||
| Unaffiliated | 11,164 | 59.41% | |||
| Minor Parties | 50 | .28% | |||
| Total | 18,789 | 100% | |||
The town has its own school department, led by Superintendent of Schools Suzan Cullen since May 2011. The school system consists of:
The high school's team mascot is the Red Rocketeers, but nicknamed the "Rockets". The school colors are red and white. North Attleboro is sometimes referred to as "Big Red Country" due to all the school spirit. NAHS's chief rival is Attleboro High School. The football teams play a football game each Thanksgiving. The site alternates each year.
High school students may also choose to attend Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School, located in Franklin and including communities in Bristol, Norfolk and Middlesex Counties. Students are also able to attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton free of charge.
The town is home to one Catholic K-8 school, Saint Mary-Sacred Heart School. The nearest private high school is Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, a Catholic high school.
"The North Attleborough Public Library was established in 1889, by the North Attleborough Union Improvement District, which turned its library over to the town."[10] Today the Richards Memorial Library is located downtown, and is a member of SAILS library network, a network of libraries in Southeastern Massachusetts.[11] In fiscal year 2008, the town spent 0.77% ($572,874) of its budget on its public library—some $20 per person.[12]
Interstates 95 and 295 meet just over the Attleboro line, and both run through the town. Each interstate has one exit within town. The town is also bisected by U.S. Route 1, which runs through the retail and downtown districts. Massachusetts state routes 120 and 152 also run through town, as does the "middle" portion of Route 1A, which begins in the town.
The town is set equidistantantly between the three nearest Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority stops, in Mansfield, Attleboro Center and South Attleboro. The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority provides bus services between the local towns and cities. The nearest national-level airport is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, approximately 23 miles away, and the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston, approximately 42 miles away.
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Interdenominational
Jewish
Non-denominational
Protestant
North Attleboro Park & Recreation Department
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