Stoughton, Massachusetts

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Stoughton, Massachusetts
Town
Town center
Town center
Official seal of Stoughton, Massachusetts
Seal
Nickname(s): "Birthplace of American Liberty"
Stoughton is located in Massachusetts
Stoughton
Stoughton
Location in Massachusetts
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Norfolk
Settled 1713
Incorporated 1726
Government
 • Type Representative town meeting
Area
 • Total 16.3 sq mi (42.1 km2)
 • Land 16.0 sq mi (41.5 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation 236 ft (72 m)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Total 26,962
 • Density 1,685.1/sq mi (649.7/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02072
Area code(s) 781
FIPS code 25-67945
GNIS feature ID 0618330
Website http://www.stoughton-ma.gov/

Stoughton /ˈstoʊtᵊn/ (official name: Town of Stoughton) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 26,962 at the 2010 census. The town is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) from Boston, 25 miles (40 km) from Providence, and 35 miles (56 km) from Cape Cod.

History

Stoughton was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1726 from the southwestern portion of the large town of Dorchester. At its founding, the town included the current towns of Sharon (which separated in 1765), Canton (which separated in 1797) and Avon (which separated in 1888). It was named after William Stoughton, who was the first chief justice of Colonial Courts and the notorious chief justice of the Salem Witch Trials.

The Suffolk Resolves were written in Old Stoughton (current day Milton, Massachusetts) at Doty's Tavern.[2] They are thought to be the basis for the Declaration of Independence.[by whom?] The meeting included the Rev. Samuel Dunbar and Paul Revere; the site was chosen by Samuel Adams and Dr. Joseph Warren.

Originally an agricultural community, Stoughton developed into an important shoemaking center. In 1874, the Stoughton Public Library was established.[3]

The oldest choral society in the United States is located in Stoughton. Founded in 1786 as The Stoughton Musical Society, it is now known as the Old Stoughton Musical Society. It has the oldest constitution of any musical society in the United States, written in 1787, only a few weeks after the United States Constititution. In 1893, this musical society distinguished itself by performing several concerts at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, heard by an audience of several thousand people. In 1986, the musical society celebrated its bicentennial with a series of concerts and special events.[4]

The Save Our Stoughton campaign attracted national attention in the 1980s for their work picketing a local adult book store.[5] Most recently, Stoughton became the first municipality in Massachusetts to declare itself a "No Place for Hate" town.

Stoughton's train station was built in 1888, and is the only one in Massachusetts to house a clock tower. The station is unique in many ways as it was built out of stones from a West Street quarry that belonged to Stoughton resident Myron Gilbert.[citation needed] In 1974 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over a million dollars was raised to restore the station to its original luster in time for the 100th anniversary. In 2009, however, the MBTA permanently closed the station, which stood at the terminus of the Stoughton Branch of the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line. The building still stood but remained closed to the public as of 2015.

On August 15, 1908, Stoughton was hit by a moderate earthquake. Although the Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory was affected, the shockwaves did not reach to Boston.[citation needed] On May 9, 2013, a weak, brief, and unexpected tornado touched down in Stoughton, with minor damage occurring. The tornado was ranked as an EF-0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale after the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts confirmed this tornado in a damage survey on May 10.[6]

  • Stoughton Square in 1908

  • Public library in 1908

  • Railway Station c. 1918

  • Chicataubut Club in 1911

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.3 square miles (42 km2), of which 16.0 square miles (41 km2) is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km2) (2.41%) is water. Stoughton borders Canton to the north, Randolph to the northeast, Avon to the east, Brockton to the southeast, Easton to the south, and Sharon to the west.

Demographics

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1850 3,494 —    
1860 4,830 +38.2%
1870 4,914 +1.7%
1880 4,875 −0.8%
1890 4,852 −0.5%
1900 5,442 +12.2%
1910 6,316 +16.1%
1920 6,865 +8.7%
1930 8,204 +19.5%
1940 8,632 +5.2%
1950 11,146 +29.1%
1960 16,328 +46.5%
1970 23,459 +43.7%
1980 26,710 +13.9%
1990 26,777 +0.3%
2000 27,149 +1.4%
2010 26,962 −0.7%
* = population estimate. Template:Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references

As of the 2010 Census,[7][8] there were 26,962 people, 10,295 households, and 7,099 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,654.1 inhabitants per square mile (638.7/km2). There were 10,818 housing units at an average density of 663.7 per square mile (256.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 80.2% White, 11.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 10,295 households out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the population was spread out with 81.5% of age 16 years and over, 78.7% of age 18 years and over, 75.7% of age 21 years and over, 20.1% of age 62 years and over, and 16.4% of age 65 years and over. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

Stoughton has a history of manufacturing and an emerging cluster of regional retail, as well as a substantial base of land zoned for commercial and industrial purposes. The major commercial and industrial areas in town are located adjacent to Route 24 and along routes 138, 139 and 27, but smaller areas are interspersed with residential zones due to the community’s industrial past. The town has significant protected open space resources, including the Bird Street Sanctuary, water department lands, recreational fields and a municipal golf course. Additional privately owned, but not protected, undeveloped lands are an important factor in the character of the community. Stoughton has good access to the regional roadway network, being served by several state routes and 3 interchanges on Route 24. Stoughton also has access to regional transit, being served by bus from Brockton and MBTA Commuter rail at the station in downtown Stoughton.

Government

The Town is governed by a Selectmen-Manager plan with a representative Town meeting. The Board of Selectmen of the town consists of five members, all of whom are elected at large for a term of three years. The Selectmen appoint a Town Manager, who is the chief administrative officer in the executive branch of governmant, and he carries out the policies and plans set forth by the Selectmen. Joe Mokrisky is the current Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.[9] The Stoughton Fire Department provides fire suppression, rescue and EMS services to Stoughton. The Stoughton Fire Department operates out of two stations. Station #1 is located at 30 Freeman Street and Station #2 is located at 1550 Central Street.[10] The Freeman Street Fire Station was opened on June 13, 1927 and has received updates throughout the years and is still open today.[11]

Education

There is one public high school in Stoughton, one public middle school, five elementary schools and several parochial and private schools in nearby towns. Stoughton High School has an award-winning music program, as well as an award-winning newspaper, The SHS Knight and well-known jazz and marching bands.

School URL
Stoughton High School http://shs.stoughtonschools.org/
O'Donnell Middle School http://oms.stoughtonschools.org/
Dawe Elementary http://dawe.stoughtonschools.org/
Gibbons Elementary http://gibbons.stoughtonschools.org/
Hansen Elementary http://hansen.stoughtonschools.org/
Jones Pre-School http://jones.stoughtonschools.org/
South Elementary http://south.stoughtonschools.org/
West Elementary http://west.stoughtonschools.org/

Economy

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Transportation

Stoughton is on an MBTA commuter rail line that runs to South Station in Boston via the Providence/Stoughton Line.The Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) provides local bus service.

Annual events

Every year, there are fireworks at the high school for celebration of the 4th of July. Other Stoughton attractions include local drama groups, summer-time outdoor concerts, and annual parades to honor veterans. Every year on the 4th of July, Stoughton has a parade. Stoughton also has annual parade on Veterans Day. Stoughton has held a Christmas parade on December 18, which started in 1986. The town of Stoughton organizes swimming programs at the Ames Long Pond and provides basketball courts and horseshoe pits at the local parks. The town of Stoughton also offers barbecue spots and picnic areas.

Notable people

File:Stoughtonsquare1.jpg
Stoughton Square c. 1912

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ The Doty Tavern
  3. ↑ The Trustees of the Stoughton Public Library, stoughtonhistory.com; accessed June 24, 2015.
  4. ↑ Singing Stoughton, americanmusicpreservation.com; accessed June 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_PL/P1/0600000US2502167945
  9. ↑ http://stoughton.patch.com/articles/anzivino-elected-chair-of-the-stoughton-board-of-selectmen
  10. ↑ http://www.stoughton-ma.gov/Fire/
  11. ↑ Stoughton Fire Department First Organized in 1852
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Stoughton,_Massachusetts&oldid=81261"