Raynham, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
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
.
, the first woman to found a town in America. In 1652, iron was found along the Two Mile (Forge) River
, and the town claims to be the site of one of the first successful iron works in America, and the last of those early iron works to officially close (in 1872). The eastern end of Taunton, was separated from Taunton and was incorporated as Raynham (named for the English town of Raynham
in County of Norfolk
, England) on April 2, 1731. Many ships' hulls were built along the Taunton River in Raynham, which were sailed down the river towards Fall River
and Narragansett Bay
for final fittings. The town also had other small manufacturing industries, but for the most part it was, and still is, known for its rural and agrarian base.
and Route 24
, a four-lane divided highway, is located at the town's border with Bridgewater. Additionally, U.S. Route 44
, Route 104
and Route 138
pass through the town. Route 24 has one exit which gives access to the town, Exit 13 (Route 44), and there is also a Raynham exit on Interstate 495, Exit 8 (Route 138).
Raynham is one of the towns covered by the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) bus service. The Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA's
commuter rail's nearest stop is in neighboring Bridgewater. Raynham is the site of a proposed commuter rail
station, Raynham Place
, on the Stoughton Branch option of the MBTA's South Coast Rail project. The station would be located next to the former Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park. In March 2011, following the release of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Draft Environmental Impact Report, Gov. Deval Patrick
's administration and the MBTA announced this alternative as the best option for achieving all the goals of the project.
The nearest local airport is in Taunton; commercial air service exists at Logan International Airport in Boston as well as at T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island.
of 2000, there were 11,739 people, 4,143 households, and 3,231 families residing in the town. The population density
was 572.7 people per square mile (221.1/km²). There were 4,209 housing units at an average density of 205.3 per square mile (79.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.54% White, 1.04% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.71% from other races
, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 4,143 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples
living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,449, and the median income for a family was $68,354. Males had a median income of $46,954 versus $31,760 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $24,476. About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
. The state's senior (Class I) Senator, re-elected 2008, is John F. Kerry
, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator is Scott Brown
.
Raynham is governed by an open town meeting
and elects a board of selectmen
, which directs a full-time town administrator. Donald L. McKinnon (term expires April 2012), Joseph Pacheco (term expires April 2013) and Marie A. Smith (term expires April 2011) are the town elected selectmen. The Town Administrator is Randall Buckner. The three members of the board of selectmen are elected at large on a staggered schedule. Basic services are centered around the town hall located at Raynham Center, including the police station and fire department. There are two post offices, located near Raynham Center and along Route 138 near North Raynham. The town also operates the Borden Colony Recreation Area, and there is a small State Forest in the town.
, located in Bridgewater, houses 9th through 12th grades. The high school athletics teams are nicknamed the Trojans, and the primary colors are red and white, with blue trim. The BR School District Chairman is Ronald Pacy and the school committee consists of eight members. High school students may also attend Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, located in Taunton, or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. The town has one private school, Northbrook Academy, which houses grades 6-9. Students may also select to attend private and parochial schools in the neighboring towns, including Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton, Massachusetts.
In recent years, discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of the withdrawal of Raynham's three pre-kindergarten-eighth grade schools from the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. The town cites an unfair funding formula, as well as Bridgewater's inability to fully fund the district, as its reasons for the proposal. However, on November 17, 2010, the proposal was unanimously defeated by voters at a special town meeting, thereby maintaining the current regional system. Because of the voting indifferences between towns, all of the schools are getting deeper and deeper into debt.
- a black and a former slave, volunteered in 1776 to serve in the Continental Army in place of his master who had been drafted. He served under General George Washington as tent master and is believed to have crossed the Delaware with him and spent the winter at Valley Forge.
Jared C. Monti
- Received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan. Monti was killed in action
in 2006.
Tyler Ribeiro - a former professional soccer player. Played for Real Madrid in Spain and F.C Porto in Portugal. retired in 1979 because of multiple injuries to his left ankle.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Bristol County
Bristol County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center
Raynham Center, Massachusetts
Raynham Center is a census-designated place in the town of Raynham in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,633 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Raynham Center is located at ....
.
History
The area which would become Raynham was settled in 1639 as a part of Taunton, which was founded by Elizabeth PooleElizabeth Poole
Elizabeth Poole or Pole was an English settler in Plymouth Colony who founded the town of Taunton, Massachusetts. She was the first woman known to have founded a town in the Americas. Poole was a well-born woman from Shute in East Devon, near Axminster...
, the first woman to found a town in America. In 1652, iron was found along the Two Mile (Forge) River
Forge River
The Forge River is a river in the town of Raynham in southeastern Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Taunton River. It rises from Gushee Pond near Interstate 495 and flows northwest through Titicut Swamp, then turns southwest for the rest of its course...
, and the town claims to be the site of one of the first successful iron works in America, and the last of those early iron works to officially close (in 1872). The eastern end of Taunton, was separated from Taunton and was incorporated as Raynham (named for the English town of Raynham
East Raynham
East Raynham is a village in the county of Norfolk. It is located on the A1065 some south-west of from Fakenham. The River Wensum flows close to the village...
in County of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England) on April 2, 1731. Many ships' hulls were built along the Taunton River in Raynham, which were sailed down the river towards Fall River
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
and 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...
for final fittings. The town also had other small manufacturing industries, but for the most part it was, and still is, known for its rural and agrarian base.
Transportation
The intersection of 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 ...
and 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...
, a four-lane divided highway, is located at the town's border with Bridgewater. Additionally, 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...
, Route 104
Route 104 (Massachusetts)
Route 104 is a west–east highway in southeastern Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 104 begins at U.S. Route 44 in Taunton. The highway crosses less than a thousand feet later thereafter into Raynham and passes through Raynham Center...
and Route 138
Route 138 (Massachusetts)
Route 138 is a north–south state highway in Massachusetts. From Milton, Route 138 runs south through the following towns/cities:* Canton * Stoughton...
pass through the town. Route 24 has one exit which gives access to the town, Exit 13 (Route 44), and there is also a Raynham exit on Interstate 495, Exit 8 (Route 138).
Raynham is one of the towns covered by the Greater Attleboro-Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) bus service. The Middleborough-Lakeville line 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's nearest stop is in neighboring Bridgewater. Raynham is the site of a proposed commuter rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
station, Raynham Place
Raynham Park (MBTA station)
Raynham Park is a future railroad station on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Providence/Stoughton Line located in Raynham, Massachusetts. It is being built as part of the state's effort to extend rail service to Fall River and New Bedford....
, on the Stoughton Branch option of the MBTA's South Coast Rail project. The station would be located next to the former Raynham-Taunton Greyhound Park. In March 2011, following the release of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Draft Environmental Impact Report, Gov. Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
's administration and the MBTA announced this alternative as the best option for achieving all the goals of the project.
The nearest local airport is in Taunton; commercial air service exists at Logan International Airport in Boston as well as at T.F. Green Airport in Providence, Rhode Island.
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 11,739 people, 4,143 households, and 3,231 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 572.7 people per square mile (221.1/km²). There were 4,209 housing units at an average density of 205.3 per square mile (79.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.54% White, 1.04% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.69% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.71% 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 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 4,143 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% 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, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,449, and the median income for a family was $68,354. Males had a median income of $46,954 versus $31,760 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $24,476. About 3.2% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The town is part of the Eighth Plymouth state representative district, which includes Bridgewater and part of Easton. It is also part of the First Plymouth and Bristol state senate district, which includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Marion, Middleborough, Taunton and Wareham. Raynham is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 4th Barracks (located in Middleborough) of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Barney FrankBarney 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 I) Senator, re-elected 2008, is John F. Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator is Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
.
Raynham is governed by 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....
and elects 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:...
, which directs a full-time town administrator. Donald L. McKinnon (term expires April 2012), Joseph Pacheco (term expires April 2013) and Marie A. Smith (term expires April 2011) are the town elected selectmen. The Town Administrator is Randall Buckner. The three members of the board of selectmen are elected at large on a staggered schedule. Basic services are centered around the town hall located at Raynham Center, including the police station and fire department. There are two post offices, located near Raynham Center and along Route 138 near North Raynham. The town also operates the Borden Colony Recreation Area, and there is a small State Forest in the town.
Education
Raynham belongs to the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. There are three schools in Raynham: L.B. Merrill Elementary School, housing Pre-Kindergarten through 1st Grade, LaLiberte Elementary School, housing 2nd through 4th grades, and Raynham Middle School, housing 5th through 8th grades. Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High SchoolBridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, founded in 1960, is a regional high school in Bridgewater, Massachusetts shared by the towns of Bridgewater and Raynham. The high school, commonly referred to as B-R, relocated to a new building at 415 Center Street in 2007...
, located in Bridgewater, houses 9th through 12th grades. The high school athletics teams are nicknamed the Trojans, and the primary colors are red and white, with blue trim. The BR School District Chairman is Ronald Pacy and the school committee consists of eight members. High school students may also attend Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, located in Taunton, or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. The town has one private school, Northbrook Academy, which houses grades 6-9. Students may also select to attend private and parochial schools in the neighboring towns, including Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton, Massachusetts.
In recent years, discussions have taken place regarding the possibility of the withdrawal of Raynham's three pre-kindergarten-eighth grade schools from the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. The town cites an unfair funding formula, as well as Bridgewater's inability to fully fund the district, as its reasons for the proposal. However, on November 17, 2010, the proposal was unanimously defeated by voters at a special town meeting, thereby maintaining the current regional system. Because of the voting indifferences between towns, all of the schools are getting deeper and deeper into debt.
Recreation
Raynham - Taunton Greyhound Park is located in Raynham and holds the world record for largest annual handle. All racing at the park was formally ended on January 1, 2010 after the state election banned all greyhound racing. The building remains to host simulcast racing. In 2011 the Wampanoag people Indian tribe indicated an interest in establishing a controversial 'Racino" style gaming casino at the Raynham dog track.Religion
Raynham is host to several organizations of various religious denomination. Among the largest is St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church. First Baptist Church on Church Street is home to the Raynham Food Basket. Agape Chapel is a contemporary evangelical church with a large youth group http://sites.advancedministry.com/experience. Other churches include the Lutheran Church of the Way, First Congregational Church (Stone Church), and Father's House Family Church. Raynham also hosts a Thai Buddhist temple, Wat Nawamintararachutis. When fully completed, the temple is expected to be the largest Buddhist temple outside of Thailand. The town is serviced by two Christian radio stations, WEZE 590 AM (Boston) and Positive & Encouraging K-Love 91.1 FM (WTKL New Bedford).Notable residents
Toby GilmoreToby Gilmore
Tobias "Toby" Gilmore Born in coastal West Africa as Shibodee Turrey Wurry son of a local Chieftain, he was kidnapped at age sixteen by slave traders...
- a black and a former slave, volunteered in 1776 to serve in the Continental Army in place of his master who had been drafted. He served under General George Washington as tent master and is believed to have crossed the Delaware with him and spent the winter at Valley Forge.
Jared C. Monti
Jared C. Monti
Jared Christopher Monti was a soldier in the United States Army who received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan....
- Received the United States military's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in Afghanistan. Monti was killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
in 2006.
Tyler Ribeiro - a former professional soccer player. Played for Real Madrid in Spain and F.C Porto in Portugal. retired in 1979 because of multiple injuries to his left ankle.
See also
- Greater Taunton AreaGreater Taunton Arearight|thumb|200px|A map of the Greater Taunton AreaThe Greater Taunton Area is the suburban area surrounding the city of Taunton, in northeastern Bristol County, Massachusetts. It comprises various present-day municipalities that were once under the jurisdiction of Taunton in Colonial America...
- Taunton RiverTaunton RiverThe 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...
- Taunton River WatershedTaunton River Watershedright|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...
- Wat NawamintararachutisWat NawamintararachutisWat Nawamintararachutis is a working Thai Theravada Buddhist temple or "wat" in Raynham, Massachusetts, which is about an hour south of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is one of only a handful of Thai Buddhist temples in the United States with actual Thai Buddhist monks in residence. Constructed...