Sturbridge, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
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. For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Sturbridge, please see the articles on Fiskdale
and Sturbridge (CDP)
.
, and was officially incorporated in 1738. New Medfield and Dummer (after Governor William Dummer
) were considered as town names, before the town was named after Stourbridge
, England
.
, the town has a total area of 39 square miles (101 km²), of which 37.4 square miles (96.9 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), or 3.95%, is water. Sturbridge is bordered by Charlton
and Southbridge
to the east, Union
, Connecticut
and Woodstock, Connecticut
to the south, Brimfield
and Holland
to the west, and Brookfield
and East Brookfield
to the north.
U.S. Route 20
runs through Sturbridge, and the junction of Interstate 90
(the Massachusetts Turnpike
) and Interstate 84
is located there. The Wilbur Cross Highway
(Connecticut Route 15) formerly ended in Sturbridge; locals sometimes call Haynes Street "Old Route 15". Haynes Street ends at Main Street (Massachusetts Route 131
), which connects Sturbridge Center with Southbridge; on the west side of town, Massachusetts Route 148
connects Fiskdale with Brookfield.
of 2000, there were 7,837 people, 3,066 households, and 2,213 families residing in the town. The population density
was 209.5 PD/sqmi. There were 3,335 housing units at an average density of 89.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.14% White, 0.36% Black or African American
, 0.27% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races
, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 3,066 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,519, and the median income for a family was $64,455. Males had a median income of $50,168 versus $31,940 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,559. About 4.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
, in the Fiskdale
section of town. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield
, Brookfield
, Holland
, Sturbridge and Wales
.
, is a census-designated place with its own post office and ZIP-code assignment.
, located on Route 20
, is a living museum
that re-creates life in rural New England during the 1830s.
Tantiusques
is an open-space reservation and historic site.
Wells State Park
is a 1400 acres (566.6 ha) woodland park and campground located on Route 49. The park features 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails and Walker Pond
, which offers a setting for fishing, canoeing, and swimming.
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
, 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...
. It is home to Old Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres . The Village includes 59 antique...
living history museum
Living museum
A living museum is a type of museum, in which historical events showing the life in ancient times are performed, especially in ethnographic or historical views, or processes for producing a commercial product in terms of technical and technological developments are shown, especially the craft...
and other sites of historical interest such as Tantiusques
Tantiusques
Tantiusques is a open space reservation and historic site registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The reservation is located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and is owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations; it is notable for its historic, defunct graphite mines...
.
The population was 9,268 at the 2010 census. For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Sturbridge, please see the articles on Fiskdale
Fiskdale, Massachusetts
Fiskdale is a census-designated place in the town of Sturbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,583 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fiskdale is located at ....
and Sturbridge (CDP)
Sturbridge (CDP), Massachusetts
Sturbridge is a census-designated place in the town of Sturbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,253 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sturbridge is located at ....
.
History
Sturbridge was first settled in 1729, by settlers from MedfieldMedfield, Massachusetts
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston....
, and was officially incorporated in 1738. New Medfield and Dummer (after Governor William Dummer
William Dummer
William Dummer was Acting Governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1723 to 1728.-Family:Dummer was born in Boston and died in Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Jeremiah Dummer, the first American born silversmith, and Anna Atwater...
) were considered as town names, before the town was named after Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
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 39 square miles (101 km²), of which 37.4 square miles (96.9 km²) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²), or 3.95%, is water. Sturbridge is bordered by Charlton
Charlton, Massachusetts
Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,981 at the 2010 census.- History :Charlton was first settled in 1735. It was established as a District separated off from Oxford on January 10, 1755, and became a Town in 1775 by a law that made all...
and Southbridge
Southbridge, Massachusetts
The Town of Southbridge is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,719 at the 2010 census.-History:...
to the east, Union
Union, Connecticut
Union is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 854 at the 2010 census, making it the least populous town in Connecticut and the second-least populous municipality in Connecticut; only the Borough of Fenwick has fewer people...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and Woodstock, Connecticut
Woodstock, Connecticut
Woodstock is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,221 at the 2000 census.-Annual events:*The Woodstock Fair, run by the Woodstock Agricultural Society has been held since 1860. The current President of the Woodstock Fair is Susan Z. Hibbard...
to the south, Brimfield
Brimfield, Massachusetts
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.-Geography:...
and 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...
to the west, and 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...
and East Brookfield
East Brookfield, Massachusetts
East Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,183 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place East Brookfield, please see the article East Brookfield , Massachusetts.- History :East Brookfield was...
to the north.
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
runs through Sturbridge, and the junction of Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
(the Massachusetts Turnpike
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...
) and Interstate 84
Interstate 84 (east)
Interstate 84 is an Interstate Highway extending from Dunmore, Pennsylvania at an interchange with Interstate 81 to Sturbridge, Massachusetts, at an interchange with the Massachusetts Turnpike . I-84 has mile-log junction numbering in Pennsylvania; otherwise, exit numbers are roughly sequential...
is located there. The Wilbur Cross Highway
Wilbur Cross Highway
The Wilbur Cross Highway is the designation for the portion of old Route 15 from Wethersfield in Connecticut, through Hartford and Manchester, to the Massachusetts Turnpike in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The highway was built in the 1940s before the Interstate Highway era...
(Connecticut Route 15) formerly ended in Sturbridge; locals sometimes call Haynes Street "Old Route 15". Haynes Street ends at Main Street (Massachusetts Route 131
Massachusetts Route 131
Route 131 is a state highway in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Connecticut. It serves the southwestern portion of the Worcester metropolitan area. It begins at Route 12 in the North Grosvenor Dale section of the town of Thompson in Connecticut and ends at U.S. Route 20 in the center of...
), which connects Sturbridge Center with Southbridge; on the west side of town, Massachusetts Route 148
Massachusetts Route 148
Route 148 is a south–north highway in central Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 148 begins at U.S. Route 20 in Fiskdale, a village in Sturbridge...
connects Fiskdale with Brookfield.
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 7,837 people, 3,066 households, and 2,213 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 209.5 PD/sqmi. There were 3,335 housing units at an average density of 89.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.14% White, 0.36% Black or African American
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...
, 0.27% Native American, 1.14% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.
There were 3,066 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $56,519, and the median income for a family was $64,455. Males had a median income of $50,168 versus $31,940 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 $25,559. About 4.5% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Library
The Sturbridge Public Library was established in 1873. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sturbridge spent 1.51% ($332,136) of its budget on its public library—some $36 per person.Education
Burgess Elementary School, serving grades K-6, is one of three public schools in Sturbridge. It has its own school committee, part of School Union 61. Sturbridge students also 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 the Fiskdale
Fiskdale, Massachusetts
Fiskdale is a census-designated place in the town of Sturbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,583 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fiskdale is located at ....
section of town. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield
Brimfield, Massachusetts
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.-Geography:...
, 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
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...
, Sturbridge 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 :...
.
Neighborhoods
The northwestern portion of the town, FiskdaleFiskdale, Massachusetts
Fiskdale is a census-designated place in the town of Sturbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,583 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Fiskdale is located at ....
, is a census-designated place with its own post office and ZIP-code assignment.
Places of interest
Old Sturbridge VillageOld Sturbridge Village
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, in the United States, which re-creates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres . The Village includes 59 antique...
, located on Route 20
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 20 is an east–west United States highway. As the "0" in its route number implies, US 20 is a coast-to-coast route. Spanning , it is the longest road in the United States, and the route sparsely parallels Interstate 90...
, is a living museum
Living museum
A living museum is a type of museum, in which historical events showing the life in ancient times are performed, especially in ethnographic or historical views, or processes for producing a commercial product in terms of technical and technological developments are shown, especially the craft...
that re-creates life in rural New England during the 1830s.
Tantiusques
Tantiusques
Tantiusques is a open space reservation and historic site registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The reservation is located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and is owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations; it is notable for its historic, defunct graphite mines...
is an open-space reservation and historic site.
Wells State Park
Wells State Park (Massachusetts)
Wells State Park, is a state park located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. The park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, features a campground, swimming beach, trails, and picnic areas. Wells State Park is located off Massachusetts Route 49...
is a 1400 acres (566.6 ha) woodland park and campground located on Route 49. The park features 10 miles (16.1 km) of trails and Walker Pond
Walker Pond
Walker Pond is a body of water in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, situated off Route 49 on the way to Wells State Park.-History:The pond took its name from settler Rachael "Walker" Smith, a local resident who raised twelve italian children there...
, which offers a setting for fishing, canoeing, and swimming.
External links
- Sturbridge official website
- Ask Me About Sturbridge, guide to Sturbridge
- Wells State Park