Ayer, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Ayer is a town
in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War
. Later, Fort Devens
was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I
. Fort Devens was a major influence in the area until its closure in 1994. The town's population was 7,427 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Ayer, please see the articles on Ayer (CDP)
and Devens, Massachusetts.
called Nainacocius. A brook remains with that name. Originally part of Groton
, the community was initially called Groton Junction or South Groton. The town of Ayer was incorporated in 1871, named in honor of Dr. James Cook Ayer, a prominent resident of Lowell
who provided the funding for the construction of the Town Hall.
for both east-west and north-south rail
lines, and developed into an important commercial
center oriented towards the rail industry. Known as Groton Junction and later Ayer Junction, the intersecting railroads included:
The split between the Stony Brook and Fitchburg main line was moved east from the central junction to reduce parallel trackage.
to Boston
.
The Hollywood film Conviction (film) depicted the legal drama surrounding the investigation, conviction and eventual exoneration of Kenneth "Kenny" Waters, for the 1980 murder of Katharina Brow. Waters' sister Betty Anne worked with the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to overturn the wrongful convictions using DNA test results as evidence. In 2009 the town and its insurers eventually paid a $3.4 million settlement in response to a civil rights lawsuit by the estate of Kenneth Waters.
, the town has a total area of 9.6 square miles (24.8 km2), of which 9.0 square miles (23.4 km2) is land and 0.6 square mile (1.4 km2) (5.75%) is water.
Ayer borders the following towns: Shirley
, Groton
, Littleton
, and Harvard
.
of 2000, there were 7,287 people, 2,982 households, and 1,774 families residing in the town. The population density
was 808.1 inhabitants per square mile (311.9/km2). There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of 349.8 per square mile (135.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.92% White, 5.70% Black or African American
, 0.26% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races
, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.69% of the population.
There were 2,982 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,619, and the median income for a family was $61,968. Males had a median income of $44,092 versus $32,418 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $26,400. About 6.1% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
, Ayer is governed by town meeting
and a five-member board of selectmen
.
(MART). MART operates fixed-route bus services, shuttle services, as well as paratransit services within the Montachusett Region. Commuter rail
service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Ayer
on its Fitchburg Line
.
Freight
travels daily through Ayer over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad. The line currently serves as a major corridor
of Pan Am Railway's
District 3 which connects New Hampshire
and Maine
with western Massachusetts
, Vermont
, and New York
.
The southern segment of the Nashua River Rail Trail
commences in Ayer.
:
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Middlesex County
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Later, Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
was established by the federal government to train New England soldiers for World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Fort Devens was a major influence in the area until its closure in 1994. The town's population was 7,427 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Ayer, please see the articles on Ayer (CDP)
Ayer (CDP), Massachusetts
Ayer is a census-designated place in the town of Ayer in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ayer is located at ....
and Devens, Massachusetts.
Founding
Ayer's history dates back to 1667, when the first mill in the agricultural community was built. The settlement sits on what the Nipmuc IndiansNipmuc Nation
Nipmuc Nation is a self-identifier used by Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuc of Worcester County, Massachusetts. Most of group's over 500 members live in and around Chaubunagungamaug Reservation, Hassanamisco Reservation and the city of Worcester....
called Nainacocius. A brook remains with that name. Originally part of Groton
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...
, the community was initially called Groton Junction or South Groton. The town of Ayer was incorporated in 1871, named in honor of Dr. James Cook Ayer, a prominent resident of Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
who provided the funding for the construction of the Town Hall.
Regional rail hub
The town's growth was influenced by a period of rapid development of railroad transportation. Though only 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²) in area, the town became a major junctionJunction (rail)
A junction, in the context of rail transport, is a place at which two or more rail routes converge or diverge.This implies a physical connection between the tracks of the two routes , 'points' and signalling.one or two tracks each meet at a junction, a fairly simple layout of tracks suffices to...
for both east-west and north-south rail
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
lines, and developed into an important commercial
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
center oriented towards the rail industry. Known as Groton Junction and later Ayer Junction, the intersecting railroads included:
- Fitchburg RailroadFitchburg RailroadThe Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
in 1844 to Boston and eventually points in New York State (still in operation in 2011 for freight and the MBTA Fitchburg LineFitchburg LineThe Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
). - Peterborough and Shirley Railroad in 1848 (became part of the Fitchburg Railroad and later the Boston & Maine Railroad. Its northerly terminus was Greenville, New HampshireGreenville, New HampshireGreenville is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,105 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 1,108 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Greenville census-designated place and is located at the junction of New Hampshire...
. In 2011 active rail on what is now known as the Greenville Industrial Track serves two customers on line, both located one mile north of Ayer center. Operational rail ceases at a derelict trestle spanning the Nashua River on the Ayer/Groton border. Tracks are intact to Townsend, MassachusettsTownsend, MassachusettsTownsend is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,926 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Townsend, please see the article Townsend , Massachusetts....
. - Worcester and Nashua Railroad in 1848 (Southern branch to Worcester still in operation in 2011 as a freight line. Northern end of the branch from Ayer to Nashua, NH abandoned in 1981. The Nashua River Rail Trail has occupied the old right-of-way since 2005)
- Stony Brook RailroadStony Brook RailroadThe Stony Brook Railroad was a short line railroad that ran off the Nashua and Lowell Railroad's main line from the village of North Chelmsford to Ayer where it connected to the Fitchburg Railroad.-History:...
to North Chelmsford, MassachusettsNorth Chelmsford, MassachusettsNorth Chelmsford is an unincorporated village in the town of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, United States. Although North Chelmsford has its own zip code , library, post office, police station, fire station, and local calling area, it is run by the same local town government and is part of the same...
, in 1848 (still in operation in 2011 as a freight line)
The split between the Stony Brook and Fitchburg main line was moved east from the central junction to reduce parallel trackage.
Military roles
During the Civil War an army training camp, Camp Stevens, was located near the Nashua River. Camp Devens, which eventually became Fort Devens, was established in 1917, during World War I. The presence of thousands of military and civilian personnel on the base shifted Ayer's commercial development towards meeting their needs until Fort Devens was closed in 1994.Ski jump
In 1935, the largest Nordic ski jump in North America was constructed at Pingry Hill near the Willows. A 700-foot-high wooden trestle build, the ski jump operated for a single winter season amid the hardships of Great Depression-era Ayer. Part of the structure was blown down by the wind in the summer of 1936 and it was never rebuilt. Some of the lumber was salvaged by local residents over the next few years. As of 2009, no trace of the massive structure remains.Modern day
Within its relatively small area Ayer boasts numerous industries, including plants belonging to Cains, and Pepsi, a historical downtown unique to the region, and modern commuter rail serviceMBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
The Hollywood film Conviction (film) depicted the legal drama surrounding the investigation, conviction and eventual exoneration of Kenneth "Kenny" Waters, for the 1980 murder of Katharina Brow. Waters' sister Betty Anne worked with the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to overturn the wrongful convictions using DNA test results as evidence. In 2009 the town and its insurers eventually paid a $3.4 million settlement in response to a civil rights lawsuit by the estate of Kenneth Waters.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 9.6 square miles (24.8 km2), of which 9.0 square miles (23.4 km2) is land and 0.6 square mile (1.4 km2) (5.75%) is water.
Ayer borders the following towns: Shirley
Shirley, Massachusetts
-Demographics:This article describes the town of Shirley as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here...
, Groton
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...
, Littleton
Littleton, Massachusetts
Littleton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,924 at the 2010 census....
, and Harvard
Harvard, Massachusetts
Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several non-traditional communities, such as Harvard Shaker Village and the utopian Transcendentalist center Fruitlands...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,287 people, 2,982 households, and 1,774 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 808.1 inhabitants per square mile (311.9/km2). There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of 349.8 per square mile (135.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 85.92% White, 5.70% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.26% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.69% of the population.
There were 2,982 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,619, and the median income for a family was $61,968. Males had a median income of $44,092 versus $32,418 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $26,400. About 6.1% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
Government
As a New England townNew England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
, Ayer is governed by town meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
and a five-member board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
.
Education
- Ayer Middle/High School - Grade Levels: 8-12
- Page Hilltop Elementary School - Grade Levels: Pre-K to 5th grade
- The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential SchoolFrancis W. Parker Charter Essential SchoolThe Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School is a public charter school in Devens, Massachusetts that serves students in grades 7 to 12...
on Devens is within the Ayer section of Devens.
Transportation
Public transportation for Ayer is largely supplied by the Montachusett Regional Transit AuthorityMontachusett Regional Transit Authority
The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority is one of Massachusetts' regional transit authorities. It is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to an area consisting of the cities of Fitchburg, Leominster and Gardner, and the adjoining...
(MART). MART operates fixed-route bus services, shuttle services, as well as paratransit services within the Montachusett Region. Commuter rail
Regional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Ayer
Ayer (MBTA station)
Ayer MBTA Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Ayer, Massachusetts. The station is located at 70 Main Street in the Ayer Main Street Historic District. Service to the station is provided by the Fitchburg Line from Boston to Fitchburg, Massachusetts both inbound and outbound...
on its Fitchburg Line
Fitchburg Line
The Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
.
Freight
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
travels daily through Ayer over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad. The line currently serves as a major corridor
Transport corridor
A transportation corridor is a tract of land in which at least one main line for transport, be it road, rail or canal, has been built...
of Pan Am Railway's
Pan Am Railways
Pan Am Railways, Inc. , known as Guilford Rail System before March 2006, is a holding company that owns and operates Class II regional railroads covering northern New England from Mattawamkeag, Maine to Rotterdam Junction, New York...
District 3 which connects New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
with western Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
The southern segment of the Nashua River Rail Trail
Nashua River Rail Trail
The Nashua River Rail Trail is a paved mixed-use rail trail in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire under control of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation ....
commences in Ayer.
Points of interest
Places on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- Community Memorial Hospital - 15 Winthrop Ave.
- Fort Devens Historic District
- Ayer Main Street Historic District - Main St.
- Pleasant Street School - Pleasant St.
- St. Andrew's Church (1892) - 7 Faulkner St.
Notable residents
- Norbert WienerNorbert WienerNorbert Wiener was an American mathematician.A famous child prodigy, Wiener later became an early researcher in stochastic and noise processes, contributing work relevant to electronic engineering, electronic communication, and control systems.Wiener is regarded as the originator of cybernetics, a...
, a child prodigy who graduated from Ayer High School at age 11 and became a pioneering electronics engineer and theorist of computers and cyberneticsCyberneticsCybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
. - The Rev. Angus DunAngus DunAngus Dun was a noted United States clergyman and author, who served as the 4th Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in Washington, DC.-Early life:...
, vicar at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. - Robert FrazierRobert FrazierRobert Alexander Frazier is an American writer of speculative poetry and fiction, as well as an impressionist painter on Nantucket Island....
, writer of speculative poetrySpeculative poetryAlso variously called science fiction poetry or SF poetry or fantastic poetry, speculative poetry is to poetry roughly what speculative fiction is to fiction. Speculative poetry is often published by the same markets that publish science fiction, fantasy and horror.Speculative poetry is not...
and fictionSpeculative fictionSpeculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as...
. - Mike GillianMike Gillian-References:...
, Longwood UniversityLongwood UniversityLongwood University is a four-year public, liberal-arts university located in Farmville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1839 and became a university on July 1, 2002...
head men's basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach. - Jamie MorrisJamie MorrisJames Walter "Jamie" Morris is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and a record-setting running back in college for the University of Michigan Wolverines...
, National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. - Joe Morris, National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
. - Betty Anne WatersBetty Anne WatersConviction is a 2010 drama film directed by Tony Goldwyn. It stars Hilary Swank as Betty Anne Waters and Sam Rockwell as her brother Kenneth "Kenny" Waters...
, Esq., lawyer who was able to exonerate her brother and featured in the 2010 film "Conviction"