Easton, Massachusetts

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Easton, Massachusetts
Town
Oakes Ames Memorial Hall with Ames Free Library in background.
Oakes Ames Memorial Hall with Ames Free Library in background.
Official seal of Easton, Massachusetts
Seal
Nickname(s): Shoveltown
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Bristol
Settled 1694
Incorporated 1725
Government
 • Type Open town meeting
Area
 • Total 29.2 sq mi (75.5 km2)
 • Land 28.4 sq mi (73.7 km2)
 • Water 0.7 sq mi (1.9 km2)
Elevation 112 ft (34 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 23,112
 • Density 791.5/sq mi (313.6/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02375
02356
02334
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-20100
GNIS feature ID 0619433
Website www.easton.ma.us

Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Greater Boston area, but is also part of the 6-county definition of the Providence MSA.

Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.

History

View from The Rockery showing Oakes Ames Memorial hall (left), Ames Free Library (center), and 66 Main Street (right)

Easton was first settled in 1694 and was officially incorporated in 1725.[1]

In 1694, the first settler, Clement Briggs, established his home near the Easton Green. In 1711, the Taunton North Purchase area became Norton, and in 1713, the sixty-nine families settled in Easton and hired Elder William Pratt as their first minister. Prior to the settlers' establishment, the area was occupied by Native Americans as a hunting area and a burial ground. During King Philip's War, Metacom, also known as King Philip, used part of Easton as a headquarters for his troops. There was no legal parish in Easton until 1722, when the East Precinct of Norton was recognized. In 1725, the area was incorporated as the Town of Easton; it was so named because it was formerly called the "East End" of the Taunton North Purchase and was shortened by pronunciation to Easton. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington stayed at the Benjamin Williams Tavern on Bay Road, which is now the second oldest existing house in Easton, while on his way to negotiate for cannonballs at the old Perry Foundry in Taunton.

In 1803, the Ames Shovel Company was established and became nationally known as having provided the shovels which laid the Union Pacific Railroad and opened the west. In 1875, the shovel production of the Ames plant was worth 1.5 million. The most notable of the Ames family were Oakes Ames, a key figure in the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal, and Oliver Ames(R), governor of Massachusetts from 1887–1890.

The Ames family shaped the town's economy, and was responsible for the presence of a number of landmark buildings in the town designed by H. H. Richardson, originator of the Richardsonian Romanesque style and designer of Trinity Church in Boston.

Richardson buildings in Easton include:

Though this school complex was not made by Richardson himself, it was dedicated to him and made in his style:

  • H.H.Richardson/F.L.Olmsted Intermediate School

Although intended to be the town hall, the Oakes Ames Memorial Hall was never accepted by the town and never used for that purpose.

In addition, there is a commercial building at 69 Main Street which designed and build in the nineteenth century by Richardson's office in a Richardsonian style. The Richardson buildings are all located within a compact area designated as the H. H. Richardson Historic District. The area also includes The Rockery, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also landscaped grounds of Oakes Ames Memorial Hall and the Ames Free Library.

Within a few blocks of the H. H. Richardson Historic District is Unity Church, built by the Ames family in 1875, and designed in the Gothic Revival Style by architect and publisher John Ames Mitchell. It includes an ornate oak frieze including sculptures of twenty-two angels playing music, carved by Johannes Kirchmayer (1860–1930), and two notable stained-glass windows, "Angel of Help," and "Figure of Wisdom," both by John LaFarge (1835–1910). "Figure of Wisdom," completed in 1901, is the largest stained-glass work created by LaFarge.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.2 square miles (76 km2), of which 28.4 square miles (74 km2) is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2) (2.54%) is water. The town, in addition to its own smaller state forest, includes part of Borderland State Park at the northwest corner of town, Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area at the southeast corner of town, and all of Wheaton Farm Conservation Area in the southwest. All of the town's waterways are considered part of the Taunton River Watershed area, which in turn is the eastern section of the Narragansett Bay Watershed area.

Easton forms the northeastern corner of Bristol County, where the county intersects with Plymouth County to the east and Norfolk County to the north.

The localities of Easton include Alger's Corner, Daley Corner, Easton Center, Easton Green, Eastondale, Five Corners, Furnace Village, Goward's Corner, Morris Corner, Morse Corner, North Easton, Pratt's Corner, and South Easton.

Adjacent towns

Easton is located in eastern Massachusetts. The roughly trapezoidal-shaped town is bordered by Brockton and West Bridgewater to the east, Taunton and Raynham to the south, Norton to either side of its southwest corner, Mansfield to the west, and Sharon and Stoughton to the north.

Demographics

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1850 2,337 —    
1860 3,067 +31.2%
1870 3,668 +19.6%
1880 3,902 +6.4%
1890 4,493 +15.1%
1900 4,837 +7.7%
1910 5,139 +6.2%
1920 5,041 −1.9%
1930 5,298 +5.1%
1940 5,135 −3.1%
1950 6,244 +21.6%
1960 9,078 +45.4%
1970 12,157 +33.9%
1980 16,623 +36.7%
1990 19,807 +19.2%
2000 22,299 +12.6%
2010 23,112 +3.6%
Template:Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 22,299 people, 7,489 households, and 5,571 families residing in the town. The population density was 784.1 people per square mile (302.7/km²). There were 7,631 housing units at an average density of 268.3 per square mile (103.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.94% White, 1.59% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.13% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.58% of the population.

There were 7,489 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 20.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $69,144, and the median income for a family was $82,190. Males had a median income of $51,429 versus $35,912 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,732. About 0.7% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools

Easton has a public school system. There are three elementary schools serving kindergarten through second grade: Moreau Hall Elementary School at Daley Corner, Parkview Elementary School in North Easton, and Center Elementary School in Easton Center. The two schools serving grades 3-5: Frederick Law Olmsted School and Henry Hobson Richardson School, both located in North Easton's school area, are now considered one school, known as "Richardson-Olmsted."[3] Grades 6 through 8 attend Easton Middle School, and high school students attend Oliver Ames High School.

The high school is Oliver Ames High School, whose athletic teams' mascot is the tiger. The school colors are orange and black. The OA girl's varsity basketball team won the Division II state basketball championship in 2006 and 2010. The Oliver Ames Varsity Baseball team won the Division II State Baseball Championship in June 2007. In November 2007 Oliver Ames girl's varsity soccer team won the Division II state soccer championship. The high school also boasts an impressive music department, complete with a jazz band, marching band, concert band, show choir, concert choir and chamber orchestra. The Oliver Ames Marching Band won the 2008 Division 2 New England championships for USSBA, and placed 5th out of 29 bands competing.

The town is also home to Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, which serves all the bordering towns (except Taunton and Raynham), plus Foxborough. Students may choose to attend Southeastern, Oliver Ames or Bristol County Agricultural High School free of charge.

Private schools

Other than Easton Learning Adventures Preschool, there are currently no private schools located within Easton. However, there is discussion as of July 2009 to construct a private Catholic school in the center of town. (as of 2015 there is no private school)

Higher education

Easton is home to Stonehill College, a private, non-profit, coeducational, Roman Catholic, Liberal Arts college.

Transportation

Easton is served by the following highways that run through the town: Routes 106, 123 and 138. Additionally, the town is served by two major highways which run just outside its border, Route 24 to the east and Interstate 495 to the south.

Easton is the site of two proposed commuter rail stations, North Easton and Easton Village, on the Stoughton Branch option of the MBTA's South Coast Rail project. 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.

Points of interest

Notable people

Athletes

Historical

Writers

Politicians

Actors

Government

Unlike most Massachusetts towns Easton is usually a safe win for Republican Candidates.In the past couple of years Easton has voted for many Republicans like Mitt Romney John Mccain, Scott Brown, Charles D. Baker, Jr,and Sean Bielat.

Easton is represented by Claire Cronin(D) and Shaunna O'Connell(R) in the Massachusetts House of Representatives .

Easton is represented by Brian Joyce(D) in the Massachusetts Senate .

Easton is represented by Elizabeth Warren(D) and Ed Markey(D) in the United States Senate .

In the United States Congress Easton is represented by Joseph P. Kennedy III(D).

Local government

Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.

The Board of Selectmen[6]

  • Daniel Murphy (chair)
  • Dan Smith
  • Dottie Fulginiti
  • Carol Nestler
  • Kevin McIntyre

National recognition

In July 2009, Easton was named #37 on CNN Money Magazine's Best places for the rich and single list,[7] and #17 on its Top 100 Best Places to Live list, moving up from #28 in July 2007.[8]

References

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External links

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