Billerica, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Billerica is a town in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay
in Essex
, England.
In the early 1630s a Praying Indian
village named Shawsheen was at the current site of Billerica.
In 1638, Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop
and Lt. Governor Thomas Dudley
were granted land along the Concord River
in the wilderness which was called Shawshin by the local Native Americans. (Today, Shawshin is commonly spelled Shawsheen; see Shawsheen River
.) Most of the settlement was to take place under the supervision of Cambridge; however, financial difficulties in the colony prevented this from taking place, and the issue of settling Shawshin continued to be deferred. Finally, in 1652, roughly a dozen families from Cambridge
and Charlestown Village, later Woburn
, had begun to occupy Shawshin as well.
Wishing to replace the foreign-sounding Shawshin with a name more familiar, the settlers chose the name Billerica, likely due to the fact that the majority of the families living in the settlement were originally from the town of Billericay
in Essex, England. The town was incorporated as Billerica in 1655, on the same day as nearby Chelmsford
and Groton
. The oldest remaining homestead in the town is the Manning Manse, built in 1696, and later the residence of William Manning (1747–1814), the author of "The Key of Libberty," a critique of Federalist policies. (The unusual spelling of liberty is Manning's own.) Other notable Revolutionary War era residents included Asa Pollard
(1735–1775), the first soldier killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill
, and Thomas Ditson (born 1741), who was tarred and feathered by the British in 1775 while on a visit to Boston. The song "Yankee Doodle
" supposedly became a term of national pride instead of an insult due to this event. The town now celebrates "Yankee Doodle Weekend" every September.
, the town has a total area of 26.4 square miles (68.4 km²), of which 25.9 square miles (67.1 km²) are land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (1.90%) is water.
Billerica is located about 22 miles (35.4 km) north-northwest of Boston along Route 3
, positioning it a short distance from both the Route 128/Interstate 95 high-technology belt around Boston to the south, and the city of Lowell
, six miles (10 km) to the north. This has established Billerica as the border between Greater Lowell
and the much larger Greater Boston
region.
Billerica has several small neighborhoods that form villages (or sections) of town. Those villages are East Billerica, North Billerica
, Nutting Lake, Pinehurst
, Rio Vista, River Pines, Riverdale, Riverside, and South Billerica.
Billerica borders the following towns: Chelmsford
, Lowell
, Tewksbury
, Wilmington
, Burlington
, Bedford
, and Carlisle
. The border with Lowell is at a point in the middle of the Concord River where Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell and Tewksbury all meet.
and Concord River
are the two major waterways within the town. Billerica has recently had problems meeting federal environmental standards along these rivers. In May 2007, the town was forced to pay a $250,000 penalty for discharging pollutants into the Concord River. The action was brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
(MassDEP) because the town of Billerica exceeded allowable effluent limits for phosphorus
, fecal coliform bacteria, pH
, and ammonia
nitrogen. According to the EPA, Billerica's discharges of phosphorus created an overabundance of nutrients. This directly contributed to the excessive aquatic plant
growth that now characterizes the river. In June 2001, the Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) also determined that the Shawsheen River failed to meet water quality standards. This situation was largely attributed to stormwater
runoff via town, private and state storm drain
systems. As a result of increased pollutants, major portions of the Shawsheen River are now listed as impaired waters on the 303(d) list of the Clean Water Act
.
of 2000, there were 38,981 people, 12,919 households, and 10,244 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,505.9 people per square mile (581.3/km²). There were 13,071 housing units at an average density of 504.9 per square mile (194.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.68% Caucasian, 1.11% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races
, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.
There were 12,919 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% were married couples
living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $67,799, and the median income for a family was $72,102. Males had a median income of $47,014 versus $33,862 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,953. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Billerica was a contender for CNN Money's
"Best Places to Live" in 2009 but did not make the top 100 list for the nation. According to CNN Money in August 2009, the median family income is $91,845, a sharp rise from earlier data.
Elementary schools
Middle schools
Education of Our Future:
Locke Middle School’s adverse academic and extra-curricular programs serve as catalysts for Billerica Public Schools (MA)
The Locke Middle School http://locke.billerica.k12.ma.us/ home of the Indians; BSSTS; educational excellence and community service for students in grades 6-8, has become a well known home for academics, athletics and philanthropy for habitants of one of Massachusetts’ largest communities. Some of the programs offered at the Locke include the Compass Program, which serves Billerica’s autistic population of students, providing students with a least restrictive educational environment where their social and academic skills are able to reach utmost potentials. Special educators, with the help of the Locke administration and multiple fundraising efforts from the Billerica Parent Advisory Council for Special Education http://www.bpacsp.org/ successfully opened the Locke Middle School’s first school store, “Before School Starts the Store,” this academic school year. The school store gives the ASD students a chance to enhance their life/working skills for the future, as well as giving those special education students the chance to be mainstreamed with their general education peers, developing and fostering social relationships while learning responsibility, reliability and good work ethic.
Another program common to schools all over the United States was adopted by the Locke Middle School, a program entitled, “Rachel’s Challenge,” which was founded in memory of Rachel Scott, the first victim to be killed in the school shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. It was through Rachel’s constant acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries that this program, which promotes kindness, has successfully swept across schools in America http://www.rachelschallenge.org/. The Locke Middle School has taken its’ participation in “Rachel’s Challenge” extremely seriously, trying to spread the “chain reaction” one student at a time. Some of the other programs that the Locke Middle School that are offered to students includes: band, chorus, academic support, athletic teams, and a variety of after school activities (i.e., homework club, fitness and weights, mural club) two days a week. These types of programs keep kids out of trouble and help parents that cannot be home to provide supervision over their 11-15 year old children that may need care after school.
The Billerica Public Schools http://billerica.k12.ma.us/ has worked hard to develop an academic and communal program within all of its schools in order to achieve student success across the town. By implementing such extracurricular and academic programs at various schools, such as the Locke Middle School, the district has made giant leaps toward educational improvement. Although current Billerica Public Schools' Superintendent, Anthony Serio, has announced his retirement this upcoming July, Billerica faculty, administration and citizens are going to continue to work towards improving the educational community to bring the Locke Middle School, amongst all of the other schools in Billerica to their maximum potential.
High school
Vocational school
Catholic schools
North Billerica Baptist Church is located at the corner of Colson and Old Elm Streets in North Billerica.
Unitarian Universalist
There is one Unitarian Universalist, First Parish Church, founded in 1658, it is the First Church in Billerica.
Hindu
Om Temple is on Boston Road and is also home to the Billerica OmniFaith Center.
Roman Catholic
There are currently three Catholic Churches in Billerica:
Southern Baptist
New Colony Baptist Church is a member Southern Baptist denomination. They are located on River Street, near the town center.
named Billerica one of the nation's top fifty towns for sports and recreation and the "Sportstown for the Bay State."
Youth sports
provides service from Boston's North Station with the North Billerica station
on its Lowell Line
. The Lowell Regional Transit Authority
provides service in parts of Billerica. Route #3 (South Lowell) services the North Billerica MBTA station and the North Billerica Business Center. Route #13 (Billerica Via Edson) services Boston Road (Route 3A) from North Billerica to Pinehurst
. Stops along the way include: The North Billerica MBTA Station, Pollard Street, High Street, Billerica Center and Town Hall, the Billerica Mall, and Towne Plaza, and a shopping center located in Riverdale. Route #14 (Burlington Mall
/Lahey Clinic
) services Route 3A until Billerica Center where it continues onto Concord Road and the Middlesex Turnpike
.
The Middlesex Canal
, which flowed through Billerica between 1795 and 1852, was used to transport goods between Lowell
and Boston. Because of this key transportation corridor, Billerica earned the moniker "Gateway to Lowell."
In the 1840s, the Boston and Lowell Railroad's main line was built and passed through the town's villages of North Billerica and East Billerica. Stations were built in both locations and North Billerica Station is still an active Commuter Rail
Station. Trains stopped taking passengers at East Billerica in 1965 and the station was remodeled and is now a private home.
. That year the Billerica and Bedford Railroad was formed and the line was built. It was opened in August 1877 and was 8.6 miles (13.8 km) in length. Cost overruns killed the line after one year and the railroad went bankrupt and was sold. In 1885 the Boston and Lowell Railroad
put in a standard gauge line along most of the original right of way. They followed the old narrow right of way (ROW) from Bedford Depot to Billerica's Nuttings Lake Village. There, rather than run the line over the steep Indian and Town Hills, they deviated to the west of Billerica Center and met the original ROW at the bottom of the north side of town hill and continued on the original path to North Billerica. The Boston and Maine Railroad took over the line in 1887. Station stops on the line along were South Billerica, Turnpike (Nuttings Lake), Billerica, Bennett Hall (none of these stations still stand) and North Billerica. Passenger service stopped on the last day of 1931 and the line was used as a freight line until it was abandoned from Bedford Depot to Billerica Depot in 1962. The line was further abandoned from Billerica Depot to Bennett Hall about 1980. The track was removed from Boston Road (Rte 3A) to Bedford Depot, it is still in place from Rte 3A to the North Billerica Station for trains to have access to the railroad repair shops in North Billerica. Trains very rarely run on the track now and it is completely overgrown with vegetation in front of the Marshall Middle School and also in a few spots along its way to North Billerica. A stretch of the ROW roughly from U.S Route 3 to Bedford now serves as a foot and bike path, connecting to the Minuteman Bikeway in Bedford
.
.
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. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England.
History
Billerica's prehistoric history, represented by a Native American burial site, dates to circa 1000 B.C.In the early 1630s a Praying Indian
Praying Indian
Praying Indian is a 17th century term referring to Native Americans of New England who converted to Christianity. While many groups are referred to by this term, it is more commonly used for tribes that were organized into villages, known as praying towns by Puritan leader John Eliot.In 1646, the...
village named Shawsheen was at the current site of Billerica.
In 1638, Massachusetts Bay Governor John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
and Lt. Governor Thomas Dudley
Thomas Dudley
Thomas Dudley was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home...
were granted land along the Concord River
Concord River
The Concord River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The river drains a small rural and suburban region northwest of Boston. One of the most famous small rivers in U.S...
in the wilderness which was called Shawshin by the local Native Americans. (Today, Shawshin is commonly spelled Shawsheen; see Shawsheen River
Shawsheen River
The Shawsheen River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in northeast Massachusetts. The name has had various spellings. According to Bailey's history of Andover, the spelling Shawshin was the most common in the old records, although Shawshine, Shashin, Shashine, Shashene, Shawshene, and later,...
.) Most of the settlement was to take place under the supervision of Cambridge; however, financial difficulties in the colony prevented this from taking place, and the issue of settling Shawshin continued to be deferred. Finally, in 1652, roughly a dozen families from Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
and Charlestown Village, later Woburn
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...
, had begun to occupy Shawshin as well.
Wishing to replace the foreign-sounding Shawshin with a name more familiar, the settlers chose the name Billerica, likely due to the fact that the majority of the families living in the settlement were originally from the town of Billericay
Billericay
Billericay is a town and civil parish in the Basildon borough of Essex, England. It lies within the London Basin, has a population of 40,000, and constitutes a commuter town east of central London. The town has three secondary schools and a variety of open spaces...
in Essex, England. The town was incorporated as Billerica in 1655, on the same day as nearby Chelmsford
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
and 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 oldest remaining homestead in the town is the Manning Manse, built in 1696, and later the residence of William Manning (1747–1814), the author of "The Key of Libberty," a critique of Federalist policies. (The unusual spelling of liberty is Manning's own.) Other notable Revolutionary War era residents included Asa Pollard
Asa Pollard
Asa Pollard is generally identified as the first soldier to fall at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War.Though for some reason often described as a "farm boy", Pollard was 40 years old when he fell at Breed's Hill, reportedly beheaded by a cannon ball fired from the British...
(1735–1775), the first soldier killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, and Thomas Ditson (born 1741), who was tarred and feathered by the British in 1775 while on a visit to Boston. The song "Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a well-known Anglo-American song, the origin of which dates back to the Seven Years' War. It is often sung patriotically in the United States today and is the state anthem of Connecticut...
" supposedly became a term of national pride instead of an insult due to this event. The town now celebrates "Yankee Doodle Weekend" every September.
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 26.4 square miles (68.4 km²), of which 25.9 square miles (67.1 km²) are land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (1.90%) is water.
Billerica is located about 22 miles (35.4 km) north-northwest of Boston along Route 3
U.S. Route 3
U.S. Route 3 is a north–south United States highway that runs from its southern terminus in Cambridge, Massachusetts through New Hampshire to its terminus near Third Connecticut Lake at the Canadian border, where the road continues north as Quebec Route 257.In New Hampshire parts of US 3 are...
, positioning it a short distance from both the Route 128/Interstate 95 high-technology belt around Boston to the south, and the city 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...
, six miles (10 km) to the north. This has established Billerica as the border between Greater Lowell
Greater Lowell
Greater Lowell is the name given to the city of Lowell, Massachusetts and its suburbs, mostly in Northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts and the Merrimack Valley....
and the much larger Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
region.
Billerica has several small neighborhoods that form villages (or sections) of town. Those villages are East Billerica, North Billerica
North Billerica, Massachusetts
North Billerica is a unincorporated village of the town of Billerica, Massachusetts, United States, one of the nine sections that make up the Town of Billerica. It is the home to Faulkner and Talbot mills and the North Billerica Train Depot...
, Nutting Lake, Pinehurst
Pinehurst, Massachusetts
Pinehurst is an unincorporated village and a census-designated place in the town of Billerica, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,941 at the 2000 census...
, Rio Vista, River Pines, Riverdale, Riverside, and South Billerica.
Billerica borders the following towns: Chelmsford
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
, 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...
, Tewksbury
Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
, Wilmington
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
, Burlington
Burlington, Massachusetts
Burlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,498 at the 2010 census.- History :It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, however this has never been confirmed....
, Bedford
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, and Carlisle
Carlisle, Massachusetts
Carlisle is an affluent, rural town northwest of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the town is 4,852.-History:...
. The border with Lowell is at a point in the middle of the Concord River where Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell and Tewksbury all meet.
Environment
The Shawsheen RiverShawsheen River
The Shawsheen River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in northeast Massachusetts. The name has had various spellings. According to Bailey's history of Andover, the spelling Shawshin was the most common in the old records, although Shawshine, Shashin, Shashine, Shashene, Shawshene, and later,...
and Concord River
Concord River
The Concord River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The river drains a small rural and suburban region northwest of Boston. One of the most famous small rivers in U.S...
are the two major waterways within the town. Billerica has recently had problems meeting federal environmental standards along these rivers. In May 2007, the town was forced to pay a $250,000 penalty for discharging pollutants into the Concord River. The action was brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Environmental Protection is a name used by several states in the United States of America for the agency charged with proposing and enforcing environmental law...
(MassDEP) because the town of Billerica exceeded allowable effluent limits for phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
, fecal coliform bacteria, pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
, and ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
nitrogen. According to the EPA, Billerica's discharges of phosphorus created an overabundance of nutrients. This directly contributed to the excessive aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
growth that now characterizes the river. In June 2001, the Merrimack River Watershed Council (MRWC) also determined that the Shawsheen River failed to meet water quality standards. This situation was largely attributed to stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
runoff via town, private and state storm drain
Storm drain
A storm drain, storm sewer , stormwater drain or drainage well system or simply a drain or drain system is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from paved streets, parking lots, sidewalks, and roofs. Storm drains vary in design from small residential dry wells to large municipal systems...
systems. As a result of increased pollutants, major portions of the Shawsheen River are now listed as impaired waters on the 303(d) list of the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
.
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 38,981 people, 12,919 households, and 10,244 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 1,505.9 people per square mile (581.3/km²). There were 13,071 housing units at an average density of 504.9 per square mile (194.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.68% Caucasian, 1.11% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.76% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% 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 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.54% of the population.
There were 12,919 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.1% 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, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% were non-families. 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $67,799, and the median income for a family was $72,102. Males had a median income of $47,014 versus $33,862 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 $24,953. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
Billerica was a contender for CNN Money's
CNNMoney.com
CNNMoney.com is the world's largest business website. The site is the online home of Fortune and Money, and serves as CNN.com's exclusive business site. The site, edited by Chris Peacock, together with the three titles, is part of the Fortune|Money Group, and attracts more than 10.8 million unique...
"Best Places to Live" in 2009 but did not make the top 100 list for the nation. According to CNN Money in August 2009, the median family income is $91,845, a sharp rise from earlier data.
Public schools
Billerica Public Schools operate primary and secondary schools. The Billerica public school system consists of six elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. In addition, the town is home to a regional technical high school.Elementary schools
- Ditson Elementary School (Cook Street; Pinehurst)
- Frederick J. Dutile Elementary School (Treble Cove Road; River Pines)
- S. G. Hajjar Elementary School (Rogers & Call Streets; North Billerica)
- John F. Kennedy Elementary School (Kimbrough Road & Carline Drive; East Billerica)
- Parker Elementary School (River Street; Billerica Village)
- Eugene C. Vining Elementary School (Lexington Road; Nuttings Lake)
Middle schools
- Marshall Middle School (Floyd Street; Billerica Village)
- Cyril D. Locke Middle School (Allen & Baldwin Roads; West Billerica)
Education of Our Future:
Locke Middle School’s adverse academic and extra-curricular programs serve as catalysts for Billerica Public Schools (MA)
The Locke Middle School http://locke.billerica.k12.ma.us/ home of the Indians; BSSTS; educational excellence and community service for students in grades 6-8, has become a well known home for academics, athletics and philanthropy for habitants of one of Massachusetts’ largest communities. Some of the programs offered at the Locke include the Compass Program, which serves Billerica’s autistic population of students, providing students with a least restrictive educational environment where their social and academic skills are able to reach utmost potentials. Special educators, with the help of the Locke administration and multiple fundraising efforts from the Billerica Parent Advisory Council for Special Education http://www.bpacsp.org/ successfully opened the Locke Middle School’s first school store, “Before School Starts the Store,” this academic school year. The school store gives the ASD students a chance to enhance their life/working skills for the future, as well as giving those special education students the chance to be mainstreamed with their general education peers, developing and fostering social relationships while learning responsibility, reliability and good work ethic.
Another program common to schools all over the United States was adopted by the Locke Middle School, a program entitled, “Rachel’s Challenge,” which was founded in memory of Rachel Scott, the first victim to be killed in the school shooting at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. It was through Rachel’s constant acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries that this program, which promotes kindness, has successfully swept across schools in America http://www.rachelschallenge.org/. The Locke Middle School has taken its’ participation in “Rachel’s Challenge” extremely seriously, trying to spread the “chain reaction” one student at a time. Some of the other programs that the Locke Middle School that are offered to students includes: band, chorus, academic support, athletic teams, and a variety of after school activities (i.e., homework club, fitness and weights, mural club) two days a week. These types of programs keep kids out of trouble and help parents that cannot be home to provide supervision over their 11-15 year old children that may need care after school.
The Billerica Public Schools http://billerica.k12.ma.us/ has worked hard to develop an academic and communal program within all of its schools in order to achieve student success across the town. By implementing such extracurricular and academic programs at various schools, such as the Locke Middle School, the district has made giant leaps toward educational improvement. Although current Billerica Public Schools' Superintendent, Anthony Serio, has announced his retirement this upcoming July, Billerica faculty, administration and citizens are going to continue to work towards improving the educational community to bring the Locke Middle School, amongst all of the other schools in Billerica to their maximum potential.
High school
- Billerica Memorial High SchoolBillerica Memorial High SchoolBillerica Memorial High School is located at 35 River Street in Billerica, Massachusetts. It is one of two public high schools in the town. Kevin Soraghan is the principal of Billerica High. The school serves about 1,630 students in grades 9 through 12. An assistant principal oversees students in...
(River Street; Billerica Village)
- The high school's colors are green and white, and its athletics teams, which play in the highly competitive Merrimack Valley ConferenceMerrimack Valley ConferenceThe Merrimack Valley Conference is a high school sports league located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is named after the Merrimack River Valley where all of the primary league schools are located. The league members are also members of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic...
, are nicknamed the "Indians". Among the teams' rivals are the Tewksbury RedmenTewksbury Memorial High SchoolTewksbury Memorial High School is a suburban public high school located at 320 Pleasant Street in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, USA. Serving grades 9-12, it is the only public high school in the town. Its total enrollment for the 2005-2006 school year was 1,206....
, Dracut MiddiesDracut High SchoolDracut Senior High School is the public senior high school in the Merrimack Valley town of Dracut, Massachusetts.The high school's colors are Columbia blue, navy blue, silver and white. The team name is the Middies and the symbol is an anchor, except for in Football where the logo is a "Lightning...
, and the Andover Golden Warriors, though their main rivals are the Chelmsford LionsChelmsford High SchoolChelmsford High School a public high school located in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts built in 1974. Before 1974 the high school was located in the current McCarthy Middle School building. It serves as the public high school for students in grades 9 through 12. It is part of a central campus that...
. The rivalry between the Indians and the Lions began in 1927, and their annual ThanksgivingThanksgiving (United States)Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
games have taken place since 1938. Billerica was victorious in 2009 by a 17-0 score.
Vocational school
- Shawsheen Valley Technical High SchoolShawsheen Valley Technical High SchoolShawsheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School is located in Billerica, Massachusetts. "Shawsheen Tech", or "Shaw Tech" as it is usually called, is a public high school serving 5 towns: Burlington, Wilmington, Bedford, Tewksbury and Billerica making up most of the student...
(Cook Street; Pinehurst)
- Shawsheen Tech serves Billerica and four of its neighboring towns: BedfordBedford, MassachusettsBedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, BurlingtonBurlington, MassachusettsBurlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,498 at the 2010 census.- History :It is believed that Burlington takes its name from the English town of Bridlington, however this has never been confirmed....
, TewksburyTewksbury, MassachusettsTewksbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.- History :Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from Billerica. Like Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury,...
, and WilmingtonWilmington, MassachusettsWilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
. The school's colors are purple, black, white, and its teams compete with several other vocational-technical high schools and other smaller town schools in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference. The school's mascot is the ram, and its archrival is the Greater Lowell Vocational Technical High School of TyngsboroTyngsborough, MassachusettsTyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,...
. The school, known to be one of the best vocational schools in the United States, is home to 20 technical-vocational shops, including Auto body, Automotive, BakeryBakeryA bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
, BusinessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, CarpentryCarpentryA carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
, Design & Visual Communications, CosmetologyCosmetologyCosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology....
, Culinary Arts, DieselDiesel engineA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, DraftingDraftingDrafting or draughting may refer to:* Campdrafting, an Australian equestrian sport* Drafting , slipstreaming* Technical drawing, the act and discipline of composing diagrams that communicates how something functions or is to be constructed. E.g.:** Architectural drawing** Electrical drawing**...
, Electrical, ElectronicsElectronicsElectronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
, Graphic ArtsGraphic artsA type of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of art forms. Graphic art is typically two-dimensional and includes calligraphy, photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, lithography, typography, serigraphy , and bindery. Graphic art also consists of drawn plans and layouts for interior...
, HealthHealthHealth is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, HVACHVACHVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
, InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, MachineMachineA machine manages power to accomplish a task, examples include, a mechanical system, a computing system, an electronic system, and a molecular machine. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work...
, MasonryMasonryMasonry is the building of structures from individual units laid in and bound together by mortar; the term masonry can also refer to the units themselves. The common materials of masonry construction are brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone; concrete block, glass block, stucco, and...
, Metal Fab and PlumbingPlumbingPlumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...
. The school also hosts a bakery, salon, restaurant, and multiple automotive garages, which are all available for use (space permitting) to the public. Each year, the Plumbing, Masonry, Electrical and Carpentry shops are all involved in building a house which is given to the winning member of a prize issued by the school.
Parochial and private schools
There are currently no parochial or private schools in the town of Billerica. However, there are several in neighboring towns including:Catholic schools
- Arlington Catholic High SchoolArlington Catholic High SchoolArlington Catholic High School is a coeducational Catholic high school in Arlington, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Arlington Catholic High School was established in 1960 under the direction of Msgr. Oscar O’Gorman. It was built by the parishioners of St...
, Arlington, MA; grades 9-12 - St. Agnes School, Arlington, MA; grades K-8
- Lowell Catholic High SchoolLowell Catholic High SchoolLowell Catholic High School is a private, not-for-profit, college preparatory school in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and is a ....
, Lowell, MA; grades 9-12
Houses of Worship
American BaptistNorth Billerica Baptist Church is located at the corner of Colson and Old Elm Streets in North Billerica.
Unitarian Universalist
There is one Unitarian Universalist, First Parish Church, founded in 1658, it is the First Church in Billerica.
Hindu
Om Temple is on Boston Road and is also home to the Billerica OmniFaith Center.
Roman Catholic
There are currently three Catholic Churches in Billerica:
- St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish, Billerica Center.
- St. Mary's, Pinehurst. Mother TeresaMother TeresaMother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
visited St. Mary's Church in 1987. - St. Andrew's, North Billerica.
Southern Baptist
New Colony Baptist Church is a member Southern Baptist denomination. They are located on River Street, near the town center.
Sports and recreation
In celebrating Sports Illustrated's 50th anniversary, Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named Billerica one of the nation's top fifty towns for sports and recreation and the "Sportstown for the Bay State."
- The Country Club of Billerica, established in 1971, features an 18 hole golf course open to the public.
- Rangeway Golf on Nashua Road features a driving range and a miniature golf course.
- The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Billerica includes a swimming pool, baseball and softball fields, a football field, tennis courts, and basketball courts.
Youth sports
- Billerica Youth Basketball offers intramural leagues for boys and girls from grades 1-12. Practices and games are held at Billerica public schools, including Billerica Memorial High SchoolBillerica Memorial High SchoolBillerica Memorial High School is located at 35 River Street in Billerica, Massachusetts. It is one of two public high schools in the town. Kevin Soraghan is the principal of Billerica High. The school serves about 1,630 students in grades 9 through 12. An assistant principal oversees students in...
. - Billerica Little League baseball
- Billerica Pop Warner football
- Billerica Girls Softball Association softball
- Billerica Youth Lacrosse lacrosse
Transportation
MBTA Commuter RailMBTA 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...
provides service from Boston's North Station with the North Billerica station
North Billerica (MBTA station)
North Billerica is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Lowell Line, located in North Billerica, Massachusetts and serves close to 300,000 commuters.-History:...
on its Lowell Line
Lowell Line
The Lowell Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from Boston to Lowell, Massachusetts. Originally built as the Boston and Lowell Railroad, and later operated as part of the Boston and Maine Railroad's Southern Division, the line was one of the first railroads in...
. The Lowell Regional Transit Authority
Lowell Regional Transit Authority
The Lowell Regional Transit Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Greater Lowell area. This primarily includes the city of Lowell and the towns of Billerica, Burlington, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough and...
provides service in parts of Billerica. Route #3 (South Lowell) services the North Billerica MBTA station and the North Billerica Business Center. Route #13 (Billerica Via Edson) services Boston Road (Route 3A) from North Billerica to Pinehurst
Pinehurst
-Place names:Canada* Pinehurst, Nova Scotia, village located outside New Germany* Pinehurst Lake, lake in northeastern AlbertaUnited States* Pinehurst, California* Pinehurst, Georgia* Pinehurst, Idaho* Pinehurst, Massachusetts...
. Stops along the way include: The North Billerica MBTA Station, Pollard Street, High Street, Billerica Center and Town Hall, the Billerica Mall, and Towne Plaza, and a shopping center located in Riverdale. Route #14 (Burlington Mall
Burlington Mall (Massachusetts)
The Burlington Mall is a large, two story, indoor shopping mall located off Route 3 and Route 128 in Burlington, Massachusetts. The mall is one of many shopping venues in the Middlesex County area, including Billerica Mall, Acton Plaza, and Middlesex Commons. The Burlington Mall has a gross...
/Lahey Clinic
Lahey Clinic
The Lahey Clinic is a physician-led nonprofit teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine based in Burlington, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1923 by surgeon Frank H...
) services Route 3A until Billerica Center where it continues onto Concord Road and the Middlesex Turnpike
Middlesex Turnpike (Massachusetts)
The Middlesex Turnpike was an early turnpike between Cambridge and Tyngsborough, Massachusetts and the New Hampshire border, where it connected with the Amherst Turnpike and thence Nashua and Claremont, New Hampshire....
.
The Middlesex Canal
Middlesex Canal
The Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet long and between 10 and 11 feet wide...
, which flowed through Billerica between 1795 and 1852, was used to transport goods between 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...
and Boston. Because of this key transportation corridor, Billerica earned the moniker "Gateway to Lowell."
In the 1840s, the Boston and Lowell Railroad's main line was built and passed through the town's villages of North Billerica and East Billerica. Stations were built in both locations and North Billerica Station is still an active Commuter Rail
MBTA 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...
Station. Trains stopped taking passengers at East Billerica in 1965 and the station was remodeled and is now a private home.
Narrow gauge
In 1876 a man named George Mansfield came to Billerica to pitch the idea of building a two-foot gauge railroad from North Billerica Station to the new Bedford Station on the Middlesex Central Line in neighboring BedfordBedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. That year the Billerica and Bedford Railroad was formed and the line was built. It was opened in August 1877 and was 8.6 miles (13.8 km) in length. Cost overruns killed the line after one year and the railroad went bankrupt and was sold. In 1885 the Boston and Lowell Railroad
Boston and Lowell Railroad
The Boston and Lowell Railroad is a historic railroad that operated in Massachusetts. It was one of the first railroads in North America and the first major one in the state...
put in a standard gauge line along most of the original right of way. They followed the old narrow right of way (ROW) from Bedford Depot to Billerica's Nuttings Lake Village. There, rather than run the line over the steep Indian and Town Hills, they deviated to the west of Billerica Center and met the original ROW at the bottom of the north side of town hill and continued on the original path to North Billerica. The Boston and Maine Railroad took over the line in 1887. Station stops on the line along were South Billerica, Turnpike (Nuttings Lake), Billerica, Bennett Hall (none of these stations still stand) and North Billerica. Passenger service stopped on the last day of 1931 and the line was used as a freight line until it was abandoned from Bedford Depot to Billerica Depot in 1962. The line was further abandoned from Billerica Depot to Bennett Hall about 1980. The track was removed from Boston Road (Rte 3A) to Bedford Depot, it is still in place from Rte 3A to the North Billerica Station for trains to have access to the railroad repair shops in North Billerica. Trains very rarely run on the track now and it is completely overgrown with vegetation in front of the Marshall Middle School and also in a few spots along its way to North Billerica. A stretch of the ROW roughly from U.S Route 3 to Bedford now serves as a foot and bike path, connecting to the Minuteman Bikeway in Bedford
Bedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
.
Economy
- Pan Am RailwaysPan Am RailwaysPan 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...
is headquartered in the North Billerica area of Billerica. - Merck KGaAMerck KGaAMerck KGaA is a German chemical and pharmaceutical company. Merck, also known as “German Merck” and “Merck Darmstadt”, was founded in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668, making it the world's oldest operating chemical and pharmaceutical company. The company was privately owned until going public in 1995...
, a German drug and chemicals company unrelated to Merck & Co., in March 2010 "said it plans to move the headquarters of its US chemicals business to Billerica after its acquisition of life sciences toolmaker Millipore CorpMillipore CorporationEMD Millipore, also known as Merck Millipore outside the United States and Canada, was founded in 1954, listed among the S&P 500 since the early 1990s, is an international biosciences company, known widely for its micrometer pore-size filters and tests...
." - Pharmalucence, a biotech company which makes drugs for disease diagnosis, "plans to build a 70,000-square-foot plant and corporate headquarters in Billerica."
- American Science & Engineering, based in Billerica, "said it received a $6.7 million order for its X-ray detection technology that will be used by the US government for counterterrorism missions."
- Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc., the Billerica based medical imaging company, "sealed a new purchasing deal with Ottawa-based MDS Nordion for a rare imaging isotope, molybdenum-99."
Government
Billerica House of Correction- A Middlesex County Jail is located in town off of Treble Cove Road. This prison is under the jurisdiction of the Middlesex Sheriff's OfficeMiddlesex County Sheriff’s Office (Massachusetts)The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office is a law enforcement agency for Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The agency's primary responsibility is oversight of the Middlesex House of Correction in Billerica, Massachusetts and the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge, Massachusetts...
.
Notable residents
- Col. Ebenezer Bridge, regimental officer at Battles of Lexington/ConcordBattles of Lexington and ConcordThe Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
and Bunker HillBattle of Bunker HillThe Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
, 1775. - Gary DiSarcinaGary DiSarcinaGary Thomas DiSarcina is a front office executive and a former shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was raised in Billerica, Massachusetts and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. DiSarcina was drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round of the 1988 amateur draft...
, former professional baseball player, AL All-Star (1995) - Tom FitzgeraldTom Fitzgerald (hockey)Thomas James Fitzgerald is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played seventeen seasons in the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League. He currently serves as assistant to the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins...
, former professional hockey player - Dean JenkinsDean JenkinsDean Jenkins is a professional ice hockey player who played for the Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League.-External links:...
, former collegiate and professional hockey player - James McCluskey, collegiate football player, Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
- Bob MillerBob Miller (ice hockey)Robert Michael Miller, Jr. Robert Michael Miller, Jr. Robert Michael Miller, Jr. (born September 28, 1956 in Medford, Massachusetts and grew up in Billerica, Massachusetts. Miller is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 404 games in the National Hockey League between 1977 and 1985...
, former professional hockey player - Julius Sumner MillerJulius Sumner MillerJulius Sumner Miller was an American physicist and television personality. He is best known for his work on children's television programs in North America and Australia.-Off-screen:...
. science teacher and popularizer - Paul Miller, former professional hockey player
- Asa PollardAsa PollardAsa Pollard is generally identified as the first soldier to fall at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the American Revolutionary War.Though for some reason often described as a "farm boy", Pollard was 40 years old when he fell at Breed's Hill, reportedly beheaded by a cannon ball fired from the British...
, first man killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775 - BJ Snowden, outsider musician
- Johnny Stearns, Broadway/TV actor/producer, Mary Kay and JohnnyMary Kay and JohnnyMary Kay and Johnny is the first situation comedy broadcast on network television in the United States. Starring real-life married couple Mary Kay Stearns and Johnny Stearns, the series is the first program to show a couple sharing a bed, and the first television series to show a woman's pregnancy...
- Tom GlavineTom GlavineThomas Michael Glavine is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher.With 164 victories during the 1990s, Glavine was the second winningest pitcher in the National League, second only to teammate Greg Maddux's 176...
, Former professional baseball player, 300 game winner, world series MVP and future Hall of Famer - Matthew LongMatthew LongMatthew Long is a Vancouver-based writer, director, and producer. His films include The Great Retro-Chic Revival , Trans Neptune: or The Fall of Pandora, Drag Queen Cosmonaut , and The Anachronism...
, Professional BMX rider for Volume Bikes and 2 time X-Games gold medalist. - Christine Foster, Gifted MRI Technologist
Historic places
- Abraham Jaquith HouseAbraham Jaquith HouseAbraham Jaquith House was a historic colonial house at 161 Concord Road in Billerica, Massachusetts.-History:In 1653 George Farley, built the westernmost portion of the structure. Farley was a clothier, farmer, and early Baptist dissident from the state Congregationalist church. He was a member of...
- Billerica Town Common DistrictBillerica Town Common DistrictBillerica Town Common District is a historic district between Cummings Street, Concord Road, and Boston Road in Billerica, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973....
- Billerica Mills Historic DistrictBillerica Mills Historic DistrictBillerica Mills Historic District is a historic district between the Concord River, Treble Cove Terrace, Kohlrausch Avenue, Indian Road, Holt Ruggles, and Rogers Streets in the village of North Billerica, Massachusetts ....
- Dutton-Holden HomesteadDutton-Holden HomesteadDutton—Holden Homestead, built in 1724, is a historic house at 28 Pond Street in Billerica, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001....
- Deacon Samuel Hill HouseDeacon Samuel Hill HouseDeacon Samuel Hill House, built in 1725, is a historic house at 33 Riverhurst Road in Billerica, Massachusetts.The house was home to Samuel Hill, a church deacon. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
- Howe SchoolHowe SchoolHowe School is a historic school building at 390 Boston Road in Billerica, Massachusetts.It was built in 1852 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002....
- Manning ManseManning ManseManning Manse, built in 1696, is a historic house at 56 Chelmsford Road in North Billerica, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982....
- Middlesex CanalMiddlesex CanalThe Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, with 20 locks, each 80 feet long and between 10 and 11 feet wide...
Sister city
Billerica is a sister city of Billericay, England, United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.