Brimfield, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Brimfield is a town
in Hampden County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 3,609 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts
Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, the town has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.2 km²), of which, 34.7 square miles (89.9 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.45%) is water. Brimfield is located in Western Massachusetts
. Brimfield is bordered by Sturbridge
on the east, Holland
and Wales
on the south, Monson
and Palmer
on the west, and Warren
on the north. U.S. Route 20
and Route 19 both run through Brimfield. Interstate 90
cuts through the northern portion of the town in two sections.
in Sturbridge. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield, Brookfield
, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.
of 2000, there were 3,339 people, 1,250 households, and 886 families residing in the town. The population density
was 96.2 people per square mile (37.1/km²). There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 40.2 per square mile (15.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.51% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races
, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
There were 1,250 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,181, and the median income for a family was $59,943. Males had a median income of $44,000 versus $26,695 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,711. About 2.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
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 Hampden County
Hampden County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 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 3,609 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan area
The Springfield Metropolitan Area is a region that is socio-economically and culturally tied to the City of Springfield, Massachusetts. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines the Springfield metropolitan statistical area as consisting of three counties in Western Massachusetts. As of...
.
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 35.2 square miles (91.2 km²), of which, 34.7 square miles (89.9 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.45%) is water. Brimfield is located in Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
. Brimfield is bordered by Sturbridge
Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village living history museum and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques.The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census...
on the east, Holland
Holland, Massachusetts
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Holland is bounded on the east by Sturbridge; on the south by Union, Connecticut; on the west by Wales; and on the north by Brimfield. Holland is equidistant...
and Wales
Wales, Massachusetts
Wales is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,838 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
on the south, Monson
Monson, Massachusetts
Monson is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,560 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.The village of Monson Center lies at the center of the town....
and Palmer
Palmer, Massachusetts
The Town of Palmer is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,140 as of the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on the west, and Warren
Warren, Massachusetts
Warren is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,135 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Warren, please see the article Warren , Massachusetts.- History :...
on the north. U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 in Massachusetts
The cross-country U.S. Route 20 runs its easternmost in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. The highway crosses the state border from New Lebanon, New York into Hancock, Massachusetts, and runs eastward into Boston, where it ends at Route 2 in Kenmore Square...
and Route 19 both run through Brimfield. Interstate 90
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
cuts through the northern portion of the town in two sections.
Education
Brimfield Elementary School, serving grades K-6, has its own school committee, part of School Union 61. Brimfield students attend Tantasqua Regional Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Tantasqua Regional High SchoolTantasqua Regional High School
Tantasqua Regional High School is a public high school in south-central Massachusetts, that serves the towns of Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.-Overview:...
in Sturbridge. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield, Brookfield
Brookfield, Massachusetts
Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,390 at the 2010 census.-History:Brookfield was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1718...
, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.
Library
"The Brimfield Public Library was established ... by the dog tax. This had been allowed to accumulate in the town treasury until it amounted to $709.19, when, on April 9, 1877, the town voted to devote it to establishing a free public library; and a room was specially fitted up for it in the new town house, which was built in 1879." In fiscal year 2008, the town of Brimfield spent 0.98% ($79,593) of its budget on its public library—some $21 per person.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 3,339 people, 1,250 households, and 886 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 96.2 people per square mile (37.1/km²). There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 40.2 per square mile (15.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.51% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.72% 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 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.
There were 1,250 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,181, and the median income for a family was $59,943. Males had a median income of $44,000 versus $26,695 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 $23,711. About 2.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
- Brimfield Antique Show - Brimfield is the site of the largest outdoor antiquesAntiquesAn antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
show in New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. It takes place three times each year, for six days in May, July, and September. - Brimfield Trail The Brimfield Trail is part of a planned trail system running from Palmer to Franklin. Currently a 2-mile section is open for walking and bicycling (fat tire) on the flood control land of the East Brimfield Dam.
Notable residents
- Samuel HitchcockSamuel HitchcockSamuel Hitchcock was an attorney and judge in Vermont.Hitchcock was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts and attended Harvard College in 1777. He engaged in private practice in Burlington, Vermont, from 1786-87, and was then the state's attorney for Chittenden County, Vermont until 1790, when he...
(March 23, 1755 – November 20, 1813) was an attorney and judge in Vermont. - William Eaton (1764–1811), military adventurer during the Barbary WarsBarbary WarsThe Barbary Wars were a series of wars between the United States of America and the Barbary States of North Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At issue was the Barbary pirates' demand of tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. If ships failed to pay, pirates...
. - Howard, Pvt. Thomas Proctor (b 1779), on Lewis & Clark Expedition.
- Erastus FairbanksErastus FairbanksErastus Fairbanks was an American manufacturer and Whig politician.He studied law but abandoned it for mercantile pursuits, finally settling in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where in 1824 he formed a partnership with his brother Thaddeus for the manufacture of scales, stoves and plows...
(1792–1864), governor of Vermont. - John Wells FosterJohn Wells FosterJohn Wells Foster was an American geologist and paleontologist, born at Brimfield, Massachusetts. He graduated at Wesleyan University in 1834, moved to Ohio, studied law, and was admitted to the bar at Zanesville...
(1815–1873), geologist, paleontologist and Massachusetts politician. - Erasmus D. KeyesErasmus D. KeyesErasmus Darwin Keyes was a businessman, banker, and military general, noted for leading the IV Corps of the Union Army of the Potomac during the first half of the American Civil War.-Early life and career:...
(1810–1895), military General who led the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. - Fitz Henry WarrenFitz Henry WarrenFitz Henry Warren was a politician and a general during the American Civil War.-Early life and career:Warren was born in Brimfield, Massachusetts. In August 1844, he moved to Burlington in the Iowa Territory. He was an early political activist in the Whig Party...
(1816–1878), IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
State Senator and United States Minister to GuatemalaGuatemalaGuatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. - Richard Nelson FryeRichard Nelson FryeRichard Nelson Frye is an American scholar of Iranic and Central Asian Studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University...
(b. 1920), scholar of IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian and Central Asian Studies. - Nathaniel RaymondNathaniel RaymondNathaniel Raymond is an American human rights investigator, specializing in the prevention and detection of torture. Raymond is best known for his leadership of the anti-torture campaign at Physicians for Human Rights, and his usage of satellite surveillance in the South Sudan as part of the...
(b. 1977), human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
investigator and anti-torture advocate.