Dighton, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Dighton is a town
in Bristol County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 6,175 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River
in the southeastern part of the state.
's South Purchase and other surrounding towns. It was separated in 1672, officially incorporated in 1712. It was named for Frances Dighton Williams, wife of Richard Williams, a town elder. At the time of incorporation, the town included land on both sides of the Taunton River
, including the land of Assonet Neck, which includes Dighton Rock
, a rock found in the shallows of the river which includes cryptic carvings whose origins are debated to this day. However, in 1799, that land on the east bank of the river was annexed by Berkley
, thus giving that town the claim of being the home of the rock.
As it was located at the beginning of the tidewater of the river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community, and even had status as a port of call. Because of this, and its centralized location, it became a shipping hub for Southeastern Massachusetts. There were also cotton mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town. With time, however, many of these industries left, leaving the town as a rural suburban community with some small farms.
, the town has a total area of 22.9 square miles (59.3 km²), of which, 22.4 square miles (58 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.06%) is water.
Dighton is bordered by Rehoboth
, to the west, Swansea
to the southwest, Somerset
to the south, the Taunton River and the town of Berkley to the east, and the city of Taunton
to the north. In addition to being bordered by the Taunton River, it also is bordered by the Three Mile River, a tributary which empties into the Taunton along the northeast border of town. The town is also the site of the Segregansett River, another tributary of the Taunton which flows through the center of town, as well as several smaller brooks.
It is the site of the Berkley-Dighton Bridge
, a one-lane bridge built in the 1890s as a link between Center St. in Dighton and Elm St. Berkley. It is the only span crossing the Taunton River between the Brightman Street Bridge
between Somerset and Fall River, and the Plain Street Bridge in Taunton, a drive of 12½ miles (and four miles (6 km) south of the Plain Street Bridge). As of August 2010, the one-lane Berkley-Dighton Bridge is closed, being replaced with a temporary one-lane bridge.
Dighton's localities are: Chestnut Tree Corner, Dighton, Dighton Rock State Park
, North Dighton, Segreganset, South Dighton and Wheeler's Corner.
of 2000, there were 6,175 people, 2,201 households, and 1,718 families residing in the town. The population density
was 275.9 people per square mile (106.5/km²). There were 2,280 housing units at an average density of 101.9 per square mile (39.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.80% White, 0.53% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% from other races
, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 2,201 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,600, and the median income for a family was $64,792. Males had a median income of $41,427 versus $28,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,600. About 1.0% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
led by a board of selectmen
. The town has a central police station along Route 138 by the banks of the Segreganset River
, separate post offices and fire departments near the center of town and North Dighton, and the Dighton Public Library at the center of town. Dighton has a conservation area and a small park next to the town hall near the intersection of Center Street and Route 138.
Dighton is located in the Fifth Bristol state representative district, which includes Somerset and parts of Swansea and Taunton. The town is represented in the state senate in the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Marion, Middleborough, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. Dighton is patrolled by the Middleboro Barracks (D4) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Barney Frank
. The state's junior (Class I) Senator is Scott Brown
and the state's senior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2014, is John F. Kerry
.
) at the center of town.
The town is also the home of Bristol County Agricultural High School. The school operates a large farm along the banks of the Taunton River at its Center Street location. The town does not have any affiliation with a regional vocational school system, the closest one being Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, located in Taunton.
in Dighton.
As of December 2009, the Library Director was Jocelyn Tavares.
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 Bristol County
Bristol County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
, 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...
. The population was 6,175 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
in the southeastern part of the state.
History
Dighton was originally part of TauntonTaunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
's South Purchase and other surrounding towns. It was separated in 1672, officially incorporated in 1712. It was named for Frances Dighton Williams, wife of Richard Williams, a town elder. At the time of incorporation, the town included land on both sides of the Taunton River
Taunton River
The Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
, including the land of Assonet Neck, which includes Dighton Rock
Dighton Rock
The Dighton Rock is a 40-ton boulder, originally located in the riverbed of the Taunton River at Berkley, Massachusetts . The rock is noted for its petroglyphs, carved designs of ancient and uncertain origin, and the controversy about their creators...
, a rock found in the shallows of the river which includes cryptic carvings whose origins are debated to this day. However, in 1799, that land on the east bank of the river was annexed by Berkley
Berkley, Massachusetts
Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated town in the county.-Geography:...
, thus giving that town the claim of being the home of the rock.
As it was located at the beginning of the tidewater of the river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community, and even had status as a port of call. Because of this, and its centralized location, it became a shipping hub for Southeastern Massachusetts. There were also cotton mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town. With time, however, many of these industries left, leaving the town as a rural suburban community with some small farms.
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 22.9 square miles (59.3 km²), of which, 22.4 square miles (58 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.06%) is water.
Dighton is bordered by Rehoboth
Rehoboth, Massachusetts
Rehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
, to the west, Swansea
Swansea, Massachusetts
Swansea is a town in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts.It is located at the mouth of the Taunton River, just west of Fall River, 47 miles south of Boston; and 12 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island....
to the southwest, Somerset
Somerset, Massachusetts
Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
to the south, the Taunton River and the town of Berkley to the east, and the city of Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
to the north. In addition to being bordered by the Taunton River, it also is bordered by the Three Mile River, a tributary which empties into the Taunton along the northeast border of town. The town is also the site of the Segregansett River, another tributary of the Taunton which flows through the center of town, as well as several smaller brooks.
It is the site of the Berkley-Dighton Bridge
Berkley-Dighton Bridge
The fourth Berkley–Dighton Bridge will be a four-span concrete arch bridge with closed spandrel walls of cast-in-place concrete, using pile-supported abutments and piers. The bridge will be made such that it will appear to be constructed of stone masonry rather than concrete...
, a one-lane bridge built in the 1890s as a link between Center St. in Dighton and Elm St. Berkley. It is the only span crossing the Taunton River between the Brightman Street Bridge
Brightman Street Bridge
The Brightman Street Bridge is a long, four-lane wide drawbridge spanning the Taunton River between the town of Somerset and the city of Fall River, Massachusetts. It was authorized in 1903 by the state legislature, and building took place between 1906 and 1908, when it opened full time on...
between Somerset and Fall River, and the Plain Street Bridge in Taunton, a drive of 12½ miles (and four miles (6 km) south of the Plain Street Bridge). As of August 2010, the one-lane Berkley-Dighton Bridge is closed, being replaced with a temporary one-lane bridge.
Dighton's localities are: Chestnut Tree Corner, Dighton, Dighton Rock State Park
Dighton Rock State Park
Dighton Rock State Park is a Massachusetts state park located in Berkley. The park is managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.- Description :Dighton Rock State Park is a park principally used for picnicking....
, North Dighton, Segreganset, South Dighton and Wheeler's Corner.
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 6,175 people, 2,201 households, and 1,718 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 275.9 people per square mile (106.5/km²). There were 2,280 housing units at an average density of 101.9 per square mile (39.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.80% White, 0.53% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.28% 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 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.07% of the population.
There were 2,201 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% 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, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,600, and the median income for a family was $64,792. Males had a median income of $41,427 versus $28,250 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 $22,600. About 1.0% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Dighton is governed by an open town meetingOpen town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
led by a 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:...
. The town has a central police station along Route 138 by the banks of the Segreganset River
Segreganset River
The Segreganset River is a small river in Bristol County, Massachusetts that flows in a southeasterly direction through Taunton and Dighton into the Taunton River. Named tributaries include the Maple Swamp, Poppasquash Swamp, Sunken Brook and Cedar Swamp....
, separate post offices and fire departments near the center of town and North Dighton, and the Dighton Public Library at the center of town. Dighton has a conservation area and a small park next to the town hall near the intersection of Center Street and Route 138.
Dighton is located in the Fifth Bristol state representative district, which includes Somerset and parts of Swansea and Taunton. The town is represented in the state senate in the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes the towns of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Marion, Middleborough, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. Dighton is patrolled by the Middleboro Barracks (D4) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
. The state's junior (Class I) Senator is Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
and the state's senior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2014, is John F. Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
.
Education
Dighton, along with Rehoboth, is a part of the Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District. It was founded in 1987 to oversee the schools of both towns. The high school, Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School, was founded in 1958 to serve both towns. The school itself is located in North Dighton, literally yards away from the Rehoboth town line. Its athletics teams are known as the "Falcons," and its colors are green and gold. The Dighton Middle and Elementary Schools are located near the corner of Center Street and Somerset Avenue (Route 138Route 138 (Massachusetts)
Route 138 is a north–south state highway in Massachusetts. From Milton, Route 138 runs south through the following towns/cities:* Canton * Stoughton...
) at the center of town.
The town is also the home of Bristol County Agricultural High School. The school operates a large farm along the banks of the Taunton River at its Center Street location. The town does not have any affiliation with a regional vocational school system, the closest one being Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, located in Taunton.
Library
Dighton Public Library is a public libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
in Dighton.
As of December 2009, the Library Director was Jocelyn Tavares.