Middleborough, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County
, Massachusetts
, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
.
Middleborough is frequently written as Middleboro.
In the summer of 2007, Middleborough became the proposed location for a controversial future resort casino
, sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts
.
ans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, and officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The name Nemasket came from a Native American
settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. Nemasket may have meant "place of fish" due to the large amount of herring
that migrate up the river each spring. The name Middlebury was taken from a place in England, and changed to the more modern Middleborough.
During King Philip's War
(1675–76), the town's entire populace took shelter within the confines of a fort constructed along the Nemasket River
. (The site is located behind the old junior high school (now a kindergarten
), and is marked by a state historical commission marker along Route 105
.) Before long, the fort was abandoned and the population withdrew to the greater shelter of Plymouth colony
; in their absence, the entire village was burned to the ground, and it would be several years before the town would be refounded. Western Middleborough broke away in 1853 and formed the town of Lakeville
, taking with it main access to the large fresh water lakes there, including Assawompset Pond
.
Middleborough was once called the "shoe capital of the world." It is still home to the Alden Shoe Company
, one of the last two shoe manufacturers remaining in America. Middleborough has since become the cranberry
capital of the world, hosting the corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray
Cranberries. Middleborough is also the second-largest town in Massachusetts in terms of area. Notable sights include the 1870s Victorian
-style town hall, the Greek revival
-style town library (1903), and in the spring, the Nemasket River Alewife & Blueback herring run upstream to the Assawompset Ponds complex to spawn.
In recent history, Middleborough has made its mark through the prowess of its Little League program. In 1994 the Middleborough All Stars reached the Little League World Series by defeating Milburn-Short Hills, New Jersey to take the East Region title. The team would finish 3rd in the United States. They are one of only two Massachusetts Little League teams to win the East title (Andover Little League, 1988) before the splitting of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions in 2001. In 1999, the team again won the Massachusetts State title and fell in the East Region final to Toms River, New Jersey - the eventual U.S. runner-up.
Since 2000, the team has reached the State semi-finals 4 times finishing 3rd in the state in 2000 and 2003, and 2nd in 2002 and 2008. The 2002 team was only beaten by U.S. runner-up, Jesse Burkett Little League of Worcester.
the Forum Romanum (Roman Forum) in Rome, Italy, at North latitude 41 degrees, 53 minutes, 32.7 seconds.
The Assawompset Ponds complex, which largely separates Middleborough from Lakeville, and includes the inter-connected ponds of: Assawamset Pond, Pocksha Pond, Long Pond, and the Great and Little Quittacus Ponds, is the largest natural body of fresh water in Massachusetts(needs citation).
, the town has a total area of 72.3 square miles (187.3 km²), of which, 69.6 square miles (180.1 km²) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.1 km²) of it (3.80%) is water. Middleborough is the second largest municipality in Massachusetts, smaller only than Plymouth.
Middleborough lies on the western border of Plymouth County. It is bordered by Bridgewater
and Halifax
to the north, Plympton
and Carver
to the east, Wareham
and Rochester
to the south, and Lakeville
, Taunton
and Raynham
to the west. Despite its name, Middleborough is not located anywhere near the other 11 "-boroughs" in the state, lying south and east of all of them. The town is approximately fifteen miles west of Plymouth, thirty miles east of Providence, Rhode Island
and 40 miles south of Boston.
Middleborough's rivers and brooks feed in two directions; the Taunton River
, Nemasket River
and their tributaries flow southeastward as part of the Taunton River Watershed
, which empties into Narragansett Bay
. The other waterways of the town, including the Weweantic River
, flow southward into Buzzards Bay
. Along Middleborough's border with Lakeville lie the Assawompset
, Pocksha
and Great Quittacas Pond
s. Tispaquin Pond
, Woods Pond, and several other ponds make up the town's bodies of water. Middleborough also has four wildlife management areas, as well as the Beaver Dam, Great Cedar and Little Cedar Swamps, the swamps being located in the north of town. The town is also the site of several cranberry bogs, especially in the southeastern part of town along the Carver town line. (In fact, Ocean Spray's
headquarters are just over the town line in Lakeville.)
runs through the town on its way to Cape Cod
. The town is also crossed by U.S. Route 44
, as well as Routes 18
, 28
and 105, as well as a short, 1,000-foot section of Route 58 which passes through the southeast corner of town. Route 79's
eastern terminus is on the town line at Route 105; the "Entering Middleborough" sign is barely fifty feet from the end of the road. Routes 18, 28 and 44 meet at a rotary
adjacent to I-495 just west of the center of town. Two of I-495's four interchanges are located there. Also, I-495's interchange with Route 24
is located just 1-1/2 miles northwest of the town line.
Since the 1840s Middleborough has served as a major rail transportation hub for southeastern Massachusetts
, with at one time five rail lines radiating out from the town. Today three rail lines radiate from Middleborough, toward Boston, Taunton
and Cape Cod
. Two rail freight companies serve Middleborough: CSX Transportation
, which serves the Boston, Taunton and a short portion of the Cape Cod lines; and Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
, which serves Cape Cod. The nearby Middleborough/Lakeville commuter rail station
of the MBTA's
commuter rail system
provides frequent direct service to Boston's South Station
. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak
) passenger rail stations are Providence
, Route 128 station
in Westwood
and Boston's South Station.
The nearest regional airports are Taunton Municipal Airport
and Plymouth Municipal Airport
; the nearest national and international airports are T. F. Green Airport
in Warwick, Rhode Island
and Logan International Airport
in Boston.
of 2000, there were 19,941 people, 6,981 households, and 5,117 families residing in the town. The population density
was 286.7 people per square mile (110.7/km²). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 104.2 per square mile (40.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 1.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races
, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.
There were 6,981 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples
living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% 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 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,755, and the median income for a family was $65,173. Males had a median income of $60,854 versus $40,570 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $75,000.00
as a part of three separate districts, the Tenth and Twelfth Bristol and Twelfth Plymouth. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. The town is home to the Fourth Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police
.
On the national level, Middleborough is a part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
, and is currently represented by Barney Frank
. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
.
Middleborough is governed by the open town meeting
form of government, which is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen
. The town's services are centralized downtown, with the fire and police headquarters being just to the north of the town hall, and the central post office being northwest of it. The town library is also located downtown.
A second part-time fire department is operated further south along Route 28 in South Middleboro. A third, temporary station was built in the 2000s as the surrogate home for the downtown facility, which was closed for substantial renovations. This third station, near the rotary north of the center of town, has subsequently been closed.
serves grades 9 through 12. Middleborough High's mascot is the "Sachems," and their colors are black and orange. Other sports teams in town including the semi-pro football team the Middleborough Cobras and the middle school baseball team Tigers. The school's main rival is Carver High School.
Middleborough is also home to the Frederick L. Chamberlain School, a private institution that serves students from around the world struggling with learning disabilities.
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton...
, 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 21,117 as of 2008.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
Middleborough Center, Massachusetts
Middleborough Center is a census-designated place in the town of Middleborough in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,913 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Middleborough Center is located at ....
.
Middleborough is frequently written as Middleboro.
In the summer of 2007, Middleborough became the proposed location for a controversial future resort casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
, sponsored by the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...
.
History
The town was first settled by EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to Middlebury, and officially incorporated as Middleborough in 1669. The name Nemasket came from a Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
settlement along the small river that now bears the same name. Nemasket may have meant "place of fish" due to the large amount of herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
that migrate up the river each spring. The name Middlebury was taken from a place in England, and changed to the more modern Middleborough.
During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
(1675–76), the town's entire populace took shelter within the confines of a fort constructed along the Nemasket River
Nemasket River
The Nemasket or Namasket River is a small river in southeastern Massachusetts. It flows north from Assawompset Pond in Lakeville and through Middleborough where it empties into the Taunton River....
. (The site is located behind the old junior high school (now a kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
), and is marked by a state historical commission marker along Route 105
Massachusetts Route 105
-Route description:Route 105 begins at U.S. Route 6 in Marion. The highway crosses over I-195 less than a mile into its journey. The highway winds in a westerly direction through Rochester. When the highway enters Long Plain village in Acushnet, the only town in Bristol County on the route, Route...
.) Before long, the fort was abandoned and the population withdrew to the greater shelter of Plymouth colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...
; in their absence, the entire village was burned to the ground, and it would be several years before the town would be refounded. Western Middleborough broke away in 1853 and formed the town of Lakeville
Lakeville, Massachusetts
Lakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,821 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Lakeville, please see the article North Lakeville, Massachusetts.-History:...
, taking with it main access to the large fresh water lakes there, including Assawompset Pond
Assawompset Pond
Assawompset Pond is a reservoir/pond within the towns of Lakeville and Middleboro, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Long Pond and openly-connected with Pocksha Pond. These lakes provides a source of drinking water to the city of New Bedford, the largest city in southeastern...
.
Middleborough was once called the "shoe capital of the world." It is still home to the Alden Shoe Company
Alden Shoe Company
The Alden Shoe Company is a shoe company founded in 1884 by Charles H. Alden in Middleborough, Massachusetts. Aldens specializes in handcrafted mens leather boots and dress shoes, such as Oxfords, Blüchers, loafers, and Chukka boots....
, one of the last two shoe manufacturers remaining in America. Middleborough has since become the cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
capital of the world, hosting the corporate headquarters of Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray (cooperative)
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Lakeville/Middleborough, Massachusetts. It currently has over 600 member growers . The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005...
Cranberries. Middleborough is also the second-largest town in Massachusetts in terms of area. Notable sights include the 1870s Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
-style town hall, the Greek revival
Greek Revival architecture
The Greek Revival was an architectural movement of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in Northern Europe and the United States. A product of Hellenism, it may be looked upon as the last phase in the development of Neoclassical architecture...
-style town library (1903), and in the spring, the Nemasket River Alewife & Blueback herring run upstream to the Assawompset Ponds complex to spawn.
In recent history, Middleborough has made its mark through the prowess of its Little League program. In 1994 the Middleborough All Stars reached the Little League World Series by defeating Milburn-Short Hills, New Jersey to take the East Region title. The team would finish 3rd in the United States. They are one of only two Massachusetts Little League teams to win the East title (Andover Little League, 1988) before the splitting of the New England and Mid-Atlantic Regions in 2001. In 1999, the team again won the Massachusetts State title and fell in the East Region final to Toms River, New Jersey - the eventual U.S. runner-up.
Since 2000, the team has reached the State semi-finals 4 times finishing 3rd in the state in 2000 and 2003, and 2nd in 2002 and 2008. The 2002 team was only beaten by U.S. runner-up, Jesse Burkett Little League of Worcester.
Facts
The crossing of Center Street and Main Street in downtown Middleborough is on the parallel of latitudeLatitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
the Forum Romanum (Roman Forum) in Rome, Italy, at North latitude 41 degrees, 53 minutes, 32.7 seconds.
The Assawompset Ponds complex, which largely separates Middleborough from Lakeville, and includes the inter-connected ponds of: Assawamset Pond, Pocksha Pond, Long Pond, and the Great and Little Quittacus Ponds, is the largest natural body of fresh water in Massachusetts(needs citation).
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 72.3 square miles (187.3 km²), of which, 69.6 square miles (180.1 km²) of it is land and 2.8 square miles (7.1 km²) of it (3.80%) is water. Middleborough is the second largest municipality in Massachusetts, smaller only than Plymouth.
Middleborough lies on the western border of Plymouth County. It is bordered by Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
and Halifax
Halifax, Massachusetts
Halifax is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,500 at the 2000 census.- History :Halifax was first settled by Europeans, most notably the Bosworth family from Bosworth Fields in England, in 1669, growing with lumbering and agriculture...
to the north, Plympton
Plympton, Massachusetts
Plympton is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,820 at the 2010 census. The United States senator William Bradford was born here.- History :Plympton was first settled in 1662 as the western parish of Plymouth...
and Carver
Carver, Massachusetts
Carver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,163 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2008 population of 11,574. It is named for John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony.- Demographics :...
to the east, Wareham
Wareham, Massachusetts
Wareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335, with an estimated 2008 population of 21,221....
and Rochester
Rochester, Massachusetts
Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.-History:Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay...
to the south, and Lakeville
Lakeville, Massachusetts
Lakeville is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,821 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Lakeville, please see the article North Lakeville, Massachusetts.-History:...
, 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...
and Raynham
Raynham, Massachusetts
Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center.-History:...
to the west. Despite its name, Middleborough is not located anywhere near the other 11 "-boroughs" in the state, lying south and east of all of them. The town is approximately fifteen miles west of Plymouth, thirty miles east of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and 40 miles south of Boston.
Middleborough's rivers and brooks feed in two directions; 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...
, Nemasket River
Nemasket River
The Nemasket or Namasket River is a small river in southeastern Massachusetts. It flows north from Assawompset Pond in Lakeville and through Middleborough where it empties into the Taunton River....
and their tributaries flow southeastward as part of the Taunton River Watershed
Taunton River Watershed
right|thumb|200px|An USGS map of the Taunton River WatershedThe Taunton River watershed or Taunton River basin is made up of of rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands in southeastern Massachusetts, USA. It is the second largest watershed in the state...
, which empties into Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
. The other waterways of the town, including the Weweantic River
Weweantic River
The Weweantic River is a river in southeastern Massachusetts. Its name means "crooked" or "wandering stream" in the Wampanoag language.The river arises in wetlands in Carver, meanders generally south through swampy birch and maple forests in Middleborough and Rochester, and drains into a Buzzards...
, flow southward into Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles long by 8 miles wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since 1914, Buzzards Bay has been connected to Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal...
. Along Middleborough's border with Lakeville lie the Assawompset
Assawompset Pond
Assawompset Pond is a reservoir/pond within the towns of Lakeville and Middleboro, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Long Pond and openly-connected with Pocksha Pond. These lakes provides a source of drinking water to the city of New Bedford, the largest city in southeastern...
, Pocksha
Pocksha Pond
Pocksha Pond is a lake/reservoir/pond within the towns of Lakeville and Middleboro, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Great Quittacas Pond and openly-connected with Assawompset Pond...
and Great Quittacas Pond
Great Quittacas Pond
Great Quittacas Pond is a lake, reservoir, or pond within the towns of Lakeville, Middleboro, and Rochester, in southeastern Massachusetts. It shares its waters with Pocksha Pond and possibly nearby Little Quittacas Pond. These lakes provide a source of drinking water to the city of New Bedford,...
s. Tispaquin Pond
Tispaquin Pond
Tispaquin Pond is a warm water pond in Middleborough, Massachusetts. The pond is in the Taunton River Watershed. The average depth of the pond is seven feet, and the maximum depth is eight feet. Transparency of the water is six feet. Shorts Brook and Woods Brook provide the inflow for the pond....
, Woods Pond, and several other ponds make up the town's bodies of water. Middleborough also has four wildlife management areas, as well as the Beaver Dam, Great Cedar and Little Cedar Swamps, the swamps being located in the north of town. The town is also the site of several cranberry bogs, especially in the southeastern part of town along the Carver town line. (In fact, Ocean Spray's
Ocean Spray (cooperative)
Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative of growers of cranberries and grapefruit headquartered in Lakeville/Middleborough, Massachusetts. It currently has over 600 member growers . The cooperative employs about 2,000 people, with sales of $1.4 billion in fiscal year 2005...
headquarters are just over the town line in Lakeville.)
Transportation
Interstate 495Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
runs through the town on its way to Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. The town is also crossed by U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44
U.S. Route 44 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 237 miles through four states in the Northeastern region of the United States. The western terminus is at U.S. Route 209 and New York State Route 55 in Kerhonkson, a hamlet in the Hudson Valley region of New York...
, as well as Routes 18
Route 18 (Massachusetts)
Route 18 is a south–north state highway in southeastern Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 18 starts as a four-lane freeway, a continuation of John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in downtown New Bedford, at U.S. Route 6. After the intersection with I-195, Route 18 runs via surface streets...
, 28
Route 28 (Massachusetts)
Route 28 is a nominally south–north route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, running from the town of Orleans via Boston to the New Hampshire state line in Methuen. Following the route from its nominally southern end, Route 28 initially heads south to the town of Chatham then turns west to...
and 105, as well as a short, 1,000-foot section of Route 58 which passes through the southeast corner of town. Route 79's
Route 79 (Massachusetts)
Route 79 is a highway in southeastern Massachusetts. The route begins as a highway in Fall River before becoming a rural route.-Route description:...
eastern terminus is on the town line at Route 105; the "Entering Middleborough" sign is barely fifty feet from the end of the road. Routes 18, 28 and 44 meet at a rotary
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
adjacent to I-495 just west of the center of town. Two of I-495's four interchanges are located there. Also, I-495's interchange with Route 24
Route 24 (Massachusetts)
Route 24 is a freeway south of I-93 in southeastern Massachusetts, linking Fall River with the Boston metropolitan area. It begins in the south in Fall River at the border with Tiverton, Rhode Island where it connects with Rhode Island Route 24, and runs north to an interchange with Interstate...
is located just 1-1/2 miles northwest of the town line.
Since the 1840s Middleborough has served as a major rail transportation hub for southeastern Massachusetts
Southeastern Massachusetts
Southeastern Massachusetts is a term that refers to those portions of Massachusetts which are, by their proximity, economically and culturally linked to Providence, Rhode Island as well as Boston.-Definition:...
, with at one time five rail lines radiating out from the town. Today three rail lines radiate from Middleborough, toward Boston, 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...
and Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
. Two rail freight companies serve Middleborough: CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, which serves the Boston, Taunton and a short portion of the Cape Cod lines; and Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is the successor operator of portions of Bay Colony Railroad.-History:On December 31, 2007 the contract to operate the freight railroad lines owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts administered by the Executive Office of Transportation expired. These...
, which serves Cape Cod. The nearby Middleborough/Lakeville commuter rail station
Middleborough/Lakeville (MBTA station)
Middleborough/Lakeville is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. Middleborough/Lakeville Station was built on a line that was once part of the original Fall River Railroad, which actually had two different stations for...
of the MBTA's
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
commuter rail system
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...
provides frequent direct service to Boston's South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
) passenger rail stations are Providence
Providence (Amtrak station)
Providence Station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island and is served by Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains...
, Route 128 station
Route 128 (MBTA station)
Route 128 is a station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Providence/Stoughton MBTA Commuter Rail line, with inbound service to Back Bay and South Station in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton or TF Green Airport. It is also known as "University Park" station...
in Westwood
Westwood, Massachusetts
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,618 at the 2010 census. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its...
and Boston's South Station.
The nearest regional airports are Taunton Municipal Airport
Taunton Municipal Airport
Taunton Municipal Airport , also known as King Field, is a public use airport located three nautical miles east of the central business district of Taunton, a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located in the East Taunton neighborhood of the city. The city-owned airport is...
and Plymouth Municipal Airport
Plymouth Municipal Airport (Massachusetts)
Plymouth Municipal Airport is a town-owned, public-use airport located four nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Plymouth, a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States...
; the nearest national and international airports are T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
in Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...
and Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
in Boston.
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 19,941 people, 6,981 households, and 5,117 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 286.7 people per square mile (110.7/km²). There were 7,249 housing units at an average density of 104.2 per square mile (40.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 1.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, <0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.6% 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 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.
There were 6,981 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% 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 26.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% 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 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,755, and the median income for a family was $65,173. Males had a median income of $60,854 versus $40,570 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 $75,000.00
Government
Middleborough is represented in the Massachusetts House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
as a part of three separate districts, the Tenth and Twelfth Bristol and Twelfth Plymouth. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Raynham, Taunton and Wareham. The town is home to the Fourth Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
.
On the national level, Middleborough is a part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district is mostly in southern Massachusetts and includes the South Coast region. It is represented by Barney Frank, who has served the district since January 1981....
, and is currently 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 senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, re-elected in 2008, is John 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...
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, 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...
.
Middleborough is governed by the open town meeting
Open 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....
form of government, which is led by a town manager and 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's services are centralized downtown, with the fire and police headquarters being just to the north of the town hall, and the central post office being northwest of it. The town library is also located downtown.
A second part-time fire department is operated further south along Route 28 in South Middleboro. A third, temporary station was built in the 2000s as the surrogate home for the downtown facility, which was closed for substantial renovations. This third station, near the rotary north of the center of town, has subsequently been closed.
Education
Middleborough has its own school system, headed by a school committee and superintendent. There is one school for kindergarten children, the Memorial Early Childhood Center, housed in the old junior high. It opened in September 2007 after a $13 million dollar renovation. The Mary K. Goode Elementary School serves grades 1 and 2 and the Henry B. Burkland Intermediate School serves grades 3 through 5. The John T. "Tiger" Nichols, Jr. Middle School (1999) serves grades 6 through 8, and the Middleborough High SchoolMiddleborough High School
Middleborough High School is a public high school located in Middleborough, Massachusetts. The school is located at 71 East Grove Street. Middleborough has an approximate student enrollment of 850 students in grades 9-12...
serves grades 9 through 12. Middleborough High's mascot is the "Sachems," and their colors are black and orange. Other sports teams in town including the semi-pro football team the Middleborough Cobras and the middle school baseball team Tigers. The school's main rival is Carver High School.
Middleborough is also home to the Frederick L. Chamberlain School, a private institution that serves students from around the world struggling with learning disabilities.
Notable residents
- Isaac BackusIsaac BackusIsaac Backus was a leading Baptist preacher during the era of the American Revolution who campaigned against state-established churches in New England....
, Baptist pastor and founding father during Revolution - Joseph BarkerJoseph Barker (Massachusetts)Joseph Barker was an American Congregationalist minister who represented Massachusetts's 7th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from March 1805 to March 1809....
, minister and congressman - Samuel BreckSamuel Breck (general)Samuel Breck was an officer in the United States Army who served as Adjutant General of the U.S. Army from 1897 to 1898.-Early career:...
, general - Wayne Maurice CaronWayne Maurice CaronWayne Maurice Caron was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
, sailor - Medal of Honor winner - Corey CarrierCorey CarrierCorey Thomas Carrier is an American former child actor. He is also known as just "Core".Carrier was born in Middleborough, Massachusetts to Thomas and Carleen. He has a younger sister named Bethany. He attended an acting school at The Priscilla Beach Children's Theatre Workshop...
, child actor - Howard A. CoffinHoward A. CoffinHoward Aldridge Coffin was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Coffin was born in Middleborough, Massachusetts and attended the Vermont Academy at Saxtons River...
, congressman - Lydia Cabot Dodge, Abolitionist, founder of the Cabot Club
- Rick FullerRick FullerRichard Fuller is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances World Championship Wrestling. He would later be featured in several video games including WCW Nitro and WCW/NWO Thunder....
, professional wrestler - Daniel J. KelleherDaniel J. KelleherDaniel J. Kelleher was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Seattle National Bank and took an active part in consolidating two of the largest banks in Seattle, Washington, the Puget Sound National and the Seattle National, now known as the Seattle National Bank, the largest bank in the State...
, banker and businessman - Erik LindgrenErik LindgrenErik Lindgren is an American composer and keyboards player. He runs Arf! Arf! Records, and has led several ensembles such as The Moving Parts, The Space Negros, The Rising Storm, and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic....
, composer - Count Primo MagriCount Primo MagriCount Primo Magri and Count Rosebud were the stage names of a 19th century Italian dwarf who married Lavinia Warren, the widow of General Tom Thumb on Easter Monday, April 6, 1885 at the Church of the Holy Trinity in New York. At 2 ft. 8 in tall Magri was two inches shorter than her first...
, also a dwarf celebrity with P. T. Barnum - Gabriel MercierGabriel MercierGabriel Mercier is an American soccer player who currently plays for New Hampshire Phantoms in the USL Premier Development League.-College:...
, soccer player - Bicycle Bill Pratt, Cyclist
- Enoch PrattEnoch PrattEnoch Pratt was an American businessman in Baltimore, Maryland, a Unitarian, and a philanthropist.-Biography:...
, businessman, industrialist, banker and school founder - Patrick ReganPatrick Regan (military)Patrick J. Regan was an officer in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the World War I.-Biography:...
, army officer - Deborah SampsonDeborah SampsonDeborah Samson Gannett , better known as Deborah Sampson, was an American woman who impersonated a man in order to serve in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. She is one of a small number of women with a documented record of military combat experience in that war...
, cross-dressing soldier during Revolution - Cephas ThompsonCephas ThompsonCephas Thompson was a successful, self-taught, early nineteenth-century portrait painter in the United States, who was born, died, and lived most of his life in Middleborough, Massachusetts....
, portrait painter - General Tom ThumbGeneral Tom ThumbGeneral Tom Thumb was the stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton , a dwarf who achieved great fame under circus pioneer P.T. Barnum.-Early life:...
, stage name of Charles Sherwood Stratton, dwarf celebrity with P. T. BarnumP. T. BarnumPhineas Taylor Barnum was an American showman, businessman, scam artist and entertainer, remembered for promoting celebrated hoaxes and for founding the circus that became the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.... - Glenn TuftsGlenn TuftsGlenn A. Tufts is currently a scout for the San Francisco Giants. Previously, he played professionally and managed in the minor leagues.-Playing career:...
, football player and scout - Lavinia WarrenLavinia WarrenLavinia Warren was an American proportionate dwarf and the wife of General Tom Thumb.-Early life:Warren was born at Middleborough, Massachusetts as Mercy Lavinia Warren Bump, a descendant of a French Catholic family named Bonpasse, of Governor Thomas Mayhew, and five Mayflower passengers: John...
, dwarf with P.T. Barnum who married Gen. Tom Thumb and later Count Primo Magri - Minnie WarrenMinnie WarrenHuldah Pierce Warren Bump , better known as Minnie Warren, was a 19th century dwarf who gained fame as an associate of P.T. Barnum. Her sister, Lavinia Warren, was married to General Tom Thumb....
, dwarf with P.T. Barnum - Kaitlyn Boyle, dwarf with P.T. Barnum
External links
- Town of Middleborough, Massachusetts
- Middleborough Public Library
- Middleborough Historical Museum & Tom Thumb Museum
- Massachusetts Archaeological Society
- Middleboro Gazette Online
- SouthCoastToday.com/Middleborough - Middleborough, MA Information Site
- Answer Book/Middleborough: “Everything you need to know”