Grafton, Massachusetts

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Grafton, Massachusetts
Grafton center in 2006
Grafton center in 2006
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°12′25″N 71°41′10″W / 42.20694, -71.68611
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Worcester
Settled 1718
Incorporated 1735
Government
 - Type Open town meeting
 - Town
   Administrator		 Natalie T. Lashmit
 - Board of
   Selectmen		 Peter J. Adams
Christopher R. LeMay
Brook Padgett
Mary Ann Cotton
Craig Dauphinais
Area
 - Total 23.3 sq mi (60.3 km²)
 - Land 22.7 sq mi (58.9 km²)
 - Water 0.5 sq mi (1.4 km²)
Elevation 425 ft (130 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 14,894
 - Density 655.0/sq mi (252.9/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01519
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-26430
GNIS feature ID 0619480
Website: http://www.town.grafton.ma.us/

Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,894 at the 2000 census. Grafton is known for a Nipmuc village, now known as Hassanamisco Reservation, early settlement, in 1718, and early industrial period, filming of "Ah Wilderness" in its northeast village, once known as New England Village, and the Willard Clock Museum.

Contents

[edit] History

Bands of the Nipmuc tribe were the indigenous inhabitants, and maintain a state-recognized reservation known as Hassanamessit, or Hassanamisco, which was formerly a Praying Indian village.[1] Grafton was first settled by Europeans in 1718 and was officially incorporated in 1735. Grafton stands tall in the industrialization of the Blackstone Valley. It Northeast Village was once known as "New England Village". Here is a brief excerpt from the Blackstone Daily.

Grafton has been a significant contributor in the success and progress of the American Industrial Revolution that was started in 1793 by Samuel Slater with his cotton mill in Pawtucket. North Grafton's Upper Mill, now known as the Washington Mills complex that still produces abrasives, was once known as the New England Manufacturing Company. This was part of the New England Village as North Grafton was known for generations. This part of the mill was built in 1826 and was part of a much larger complex, but most of that is now gone, mostly due to serious fires. Mill housing was built at 12, 14 and 16 Overlook Street. These central chimney style homes were boarding houses with ornate trim that has since been lost.[2]

Grafton is notable as a strategic nuclear target during the Cold War. Located in North Grafton is the Wyman Gordon Company. When built, Wyman Gordon installed the largest metal forge in the free world, at the time. This forge is used to form strategic metals used in commercial and military aircraft for turbine blades, landing struts and other aircraft parts where light weight and extreme strength are needed. The entire undercarraige of the space shuttles were forged in Grafton, MA. of magnesium.

While impossible to verify, one can assume that after political and financial centers, strategic manufacturing centers like Wyman Gordon in Grafton were high on the Soviet target list.

It is named for the Duke of Grafton, a title created for the illegitimate son of King Charles II of England. Ethan Allen ran a gun factory here in the early 1800s. In the 1930s, a movie, Ah, Wilderness!, was filmed in the town. The moviemakers built a gazebo for the screenshots and left it on the "town's common". The gazebo still stands there today. The Grafton Common has historical homes, churches and buildings and is considered the most quintessential common in the Blackstone Valley. The Town today is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the oldest industrialized region in the U.S. The Willard Clock Museum, (see external link below), is a highlight.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 23.3 square miles (60.3 km²), of which, 22.7 square miles (58.9 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.4 km²) of it (2.28%) is water. Grafton is located 30 miles west of Boston, MA (35 minutes east) and 5 miles southeast of Worcester, MA (8 minutes northwest).

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,894 people, 5,694 households, and 3,951 families residing in the town. The population density was 655.0 people per square mile (252.9/km²). There were 5,828 housing units at an average density of 256.3/sq mi (99.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.92% White, 1.25% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.45% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.91% of the population.

There were 5,694 households out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,020, and the median income for a family was $66,396. Males had a median income of $48,016 versus $32,347 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,952. About 2.3% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

County government: Worcester County
Clerk of Courts: Dennis P. McManus (D)
District Attorney: Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D)
Registrar of Deeds: Anthony J. Vigliotti (D)
Registrar of Probate: Stephen Abraham (D)
County Sheriff: Guy W. Glodis (D)
State government
State Representative(s): George N. Peterson, Jr (R)
State Senator(s): Edward M. Augustus, Jr.(D)
Governor's Councilor(s): Thomas J. Foley (D)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s): Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District),
U.S. Senators: Ted Kennedy (D), John Kerry (D)


[edit] Transportation

Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with the Grafton station on its Framingham/Worcester Line.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] Martin Issues Final Determination to Decline Federal Acknowledgment of The Nipmuc Nation, 2004
  2. ^ "New England Village/Walking Tours". Blackstone Daily.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-11.
  3. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

[edit] External links

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