Tewksbury, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Tewksbury is a town in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.
. Like Tewksbury Township
, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury, England
. One of the oldest sections of town is the area around the Shawsheen River
. This is where the Shawshin tribe settled, allowing them access to a great food source. Tewksbury was also known for a historic visit by President Andrew Jackson, stopping off at local watering hole, Brown's Tavern.
On July 24, 1857, a powerful tornado swept through Tewksbury. The tempest began at Round Pond as a small water spout, and traveled west and then southeast to the Shawsheen River. It dissipated at North Wilmington. Several corn fields and orchards were severely damaged, with one residence having its roof blown off. The tornado was powerful enough to flatten barns and sheds, pull up large trees by their roots, and sweep away and kill a team of oxen. Due to the sparse population, and homes located above the valley floor, no one was killed, and only a few people were injured.
, the town has a total area of 21.1 square miles (54.6 km²), of which, 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.61%) is water.
The Merrimack River
forms part of the northern boundary of Tewksbury, and the Shawsheen River
runs through the southern end of town as well.
Tewksbury is in Greater Lowell
– The town is located about 19 miles (30.6 km) north northwest of Boston along I-93
and I-495
(Boston's outer beltway). Tewksbury borders the city of Lowell
to the northwest, Dracut
to the north (unreachable across the Merrimack
), Andover
to the east, Wilmington
to the southeast, and Billerica
to the southwest. Tewksbury also meets the town of Chelmsford
at a point in the middle of the Concord River
along with Lowell and Billerica.
of 2000, there were 28,851 people, 9,964 households, and 7,692 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,392.3 people per square mile (537.6/km²). There were 10,158 housing units at an average density of 490.2 per square mile (189.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.44% White, 0.67% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races
, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 9,964 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples
living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,800, and the median income for a family was $76,443. Males had a median income of $50,296 versus $33,918 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $27,031. About 1.9% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
form of government. Day-to-day management is led by a Town Manager, who reports to the town's five member Board of Selectmen. Every spring the town holds an Open Town Meeting
where the budget is submitted for approval by the town's citizens.
Tewksbury is located in the 5th Congressional District
and thus represented in the House of Representatives
by Niki Tsongas
of Lowell. In the Senate
by senior Senator John Kerry
of Boston
and junior Senator Scott Brown
of Wrentham
.
Tewksbury is one of the more Republican-leaning towns in the Commonwealth. It was one of the few communities who supported John McCain
over Barack Obama
in the 2008 Presidential Election. In the special election
to replace the late Ted Kennedy
, Tewksbury supported Scott Brown over Martha Coakley
by a 2-to-1 margin.
. His most notable work, in the context of Tewkesbury UK/USA, is his bronze sculpture entitled "Touching Souls" — four children, native-American, European-American, African-America and Asian-American, sitting on the ground, arms leaning back, legs outstretched and apart, with the soles of their shoes/boots touching. The original is in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and the replica in the grounds of Tewkesbury Abbey, England. Other local works include a Wamesit Indian and a sculpture of Helen Keller and Anne Sullvian, entitiled "Water".
Gen. Adelbert Ames
, GAR, founded the 20th Maine, which fought valiantly at Little Roundtop in Gettysburg under Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain; last surviving general of the Civil War (d. 1933).
John James Nazarian
, celebrity private investigator
Anne Sullivan
, tutor and companion of Helen Keller.
David Wade, news announcer at WBZ-TV and WSBK.
Paul Sullivan
(d. 2007) former selectman, talk show host on WBZ radio, Boston.
High school students have the option to attend Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
, which serves 5 area communities.
The nearest community college, Middlesex Community College, has two campuses in nearby Lowell and Bedford
. The nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Lowell
, with several state colleges in Salem
and Framingham
. The nearest private college is Merrimack College
in North Andover, with several others within an hour drive in Boston.
television stations, and by newspapers such as the Lowell Sun
, the Town Crier (weekly) and Tewksbury Patch, an online newspaper.
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 28,961 at the 2010 census.
History
Tewksbury was first settled in 1637 and was officially incorporated in 1734 from BillericaBillerica, Massachusetts
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.- History :...
. Like Tewksbury Township
Tewksbury Township, New Jersey
Tewksbury Township is a Township located in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and is located within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 5,993...
, New Jersey, it is named after the town of Tewkesbury, England
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury is a town in Gloucestershire, England. It stands at the confluence of the River Severn and the River Avon, and also minor tributaries the Swilgate and Carrant Brook...
. One of the oldest sections of town is the area around the 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,...
. This is where the Shawshin tribe settled, allowing them access to a great food source. Tewksbury was also known for a historic visit by President Andrew Jackson, stopping off at local watering hole, Brown's Tavern.
On July 24, 1857, a powerful tornado swept through Tewksbury. The tempest began at Round Pond as a small water spout, and traveled west and then southeast to the Shawsheen River. It dissipated at North Wilmington. Several corn fields and orchards were severely damaged, with one residence having its roof blown off. The tornado was powerful enough to flatten barns and sheds, pull up large trees by their roots, and sweep away and kill a team of oxen. Due to the sparse population, and homes located above the valley floor, no one was killed, and only a few people were injured.
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 21.1 square miles (54.6 km²), of which, 20.7 square miles (53.6 km²) of it is land and 0.3 square mile (0.776996433 km²) of it (1.61%) is water.
The Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
forms part of the northern boundary of Tewksbury, and the 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,...
runs through the southern end of town as well.
Tewksbury is in 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....
– The town is located about 19 miles (30.6 km) north northwest of Boston along I-93
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
and I-495
Interstate 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 ...
(Boston's outer beltway). Tewksbury borders 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...
to the northwest, Dracut
Dracut, Massachusetts
Dracut is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 29,457. Dracut is primarily a suburban community, belonging to Greater Lowell and bordering southern New Hampshire...
to the north (unreachable across the Merrimack
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
), Andover
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
to the east, 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...
to the southeast, and Billerica
Billerica, Massachusetts
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.- History :...
to the southwest. Tewksbury also meets the town of 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...
at a point in the middle of 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...
along with Lowell and Billerica.
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 28,851 people, 9,964 households, and 7,692 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 1,392.3 people per square mile (537.6/km²). There were 10,158 housing units at an average density of 490.2 per square mile (189.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.44% White, 0.67% African American, 0.12% Native American, 1.59% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% 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 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 9,964 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% 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, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 32.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $68,800, and the median income for a family was $76,443. Males had a median income of $50,296 versus $33,918 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 $27,031. About 1.9% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Tewksbury, like most towns in Massachusetts, operates under a New England townNew England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
form of government. Day-to-day management is led by a Town Manager, who reports to the town's five member Board of Selectmen. Every spring the town holds an 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....
where the budget is submitted for approval by the town's citizens.
Tewksbury is located in the 5th Congressional District
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains the cities of Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, and Methuen...
and thus represented in the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
by Niki Tsongas
Niki Tsongas
Nicola Dickson "Niki" Sauvage Tsongas is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party.She is the widow of U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas, who represented the 5th district in the 1970s...
of Lowell. In the 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...
by senior Senator 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...
of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and junior Senator 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...
of Wrentham
Wrentham, Massachusetts
Wrentham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,955 at the 2010 census.- History :Wrentham was first settled by the English in 1660 and officially incorporated in 1673. It was burned down during King Philip's War 1675-1676. For a short time, it was the...
.
Tewksbury is one of the more Republican-leaning towns in the Commonwealth. It was one of the few communities who supported John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
over Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
in the 2008 Presidential Election. In the special election
United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts was a special election held on January 19, 2010, in order to fill the Massachusetts Class I United States Senate seat for the remainder of the term ending January 3, 2013...
to replace the late Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, Tewksbury supported Scott Brown over Martha Coakley
Martha Coakley
Martha Mary Coakley is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to serving as Attorney General, she was District Attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts from 1999 to 2007....
by a 2-to-1 margin.
Hospital
Tewksbury Hospital, a state-owned facility is located here. Originally built as an almshouse in the mid-19th Century, it includes over 900 acres (3.6 km²) of open space. Tewksbury Hospital is the home to both the Department of Mental Health and the Department of Public Health, and has many different programs for addictive behavior and other health concerns. Anne Sullivan (Helen Keller's teacher) spent time at Tewksbury Hospital.Noteworthy residents
Mico Kaufman, world-class sculptor, whose credits include four Presidential inaugural medalsPresidential Inaugural Medals
Presidential Inaugural Medals have a long history in the United States. The tradition can be traced back to first president, George Washington, and continues on today with President Barack Obama.-History:...
. His most notable work, in the context of Tewkesbury UK/USA, is his bronze sculpture entitled "Touching Souls" — four children, native-American, European-American, African-America and Asian-American, sitting on the ground, arms leaning back, legs outstretched and apart, with the soles of their shoes/boots touching. The original is in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and the replica in the grounds of Tewkesbury Abbey, England. Other local works include a Wamesit Indian and a sculpture of Helen Keller and Anne Sullvian, entitiled "Water".
Gen. Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames
Adelbert Ames was an American sailor, soldier, and politician. He served with distinction as a Union Army general during the American Civil War. As a Radical Republican and a Carpetbagger, he was military governor, Senator and civilian governor in Reconstruction-era Mississippi...
, GAR, founded the 20th Maine, which fought valiantly at Little Roundtop in Gettysburg under Lt. Col. Joshua Chamberlain; last surviving general of the Civil War (d. 1933).
John James Nazarian
John James Nazarian
John J. Nazarian , is an American private investigator and security expert with offices in Los Angeles, New York City, and Florida. Nazarian is best known as a celebrity guest commentator on crime- and divorce-related television programming, as well as making appearances in documentaries or...
, celebrity private investigator
Anne Sullivan
Anne Sullivan
Johanna "Anne" Mansfield Sullivan Macy , also known as Annie Sullivan, was an American teacher best known as the instructor and companion of Helen Keller.-Early life:Sullivan was born on April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts...
, tutor and companion of Helen Keller.
David Wade, news announcer at WBZ-TV and WSBK.
Paul Sullivan
Paul Sullivan (radio)
Paul Sullivan was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. Paul Harold "Sully" Sullivan was an accomplished radio talk-show host of "The Paul Sullivan Show" on WBZ radio...
(d. 2007) former selectman, talk show host on WBZ radio, Boston.
Education
The Tewksbury public schools district serves students in pre-Kindergarten through twelfth grade by a high school, two junior high schools and four elementary schools, specifically:- Tewksbury Memorial High SchoolTewksbury 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....
(TMHS) [Grades 9–12]. Based on a town-wide vote, the existing building, built in 1958 will be replaced with a new building in time for the 2012–2013 school year. - John W. Wynn Middle School [Grades 7–8]
- John F. Ryan Upper Elementary School [Grades 5–6]
- Heath Brook Elementary School, North Street Elementary School, L.F.Dewing Elementary School, and L.D.Trahan Elementary School [Grades K–4]
- Donald E. Gipson Preschool. Named after a former student Donald Gipson
High school students have the option to attend Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
Shawsheen Valley Technical High School
Shawsheen 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...
, which serves 5 area communities.
The nearest community college, Middlesex Community College, has two campuses in nearby Lowell and 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 :...
. The nearest state university is the University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
, with several state colleges in Salem
Salem State College
Salem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
and Framingham
Framingham State College
Framingham State University is located in Framingham, Massachusetts, from Boston. It offers undergraduate programs in a range of subjects from Art to Biology to Communication Arts, and graduate programs including MBA, MEd, and MSc...
. The nearest private college is Merrimack College
Merrimack College
Merrimack College is an independent college in the Roman Catholic, Augustinian tradition located in North Andover, Massachusetts, north of Boston, Massachusetts. It offers undergraduate degrees in business, education, science, engineering, and the liberal arts...
in North Andover, with several others within an hour drive in Boston.
Media
Tewksbury is served by the BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
television stations, and by newspapers such as the Lowell Sun
Lowell Sun
The Sun is a daily newspaper based in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States, serving towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the Greater Lowell area and beyond. Its circulation is about 50,000...
, the Town Crier (weekly) and Tewksbury Patch, an online newspaper.