Dunstable, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Dunstable is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
, United States. The population was 3,179 at the 2010 census.
.
in Bedfordshire
, England, United Kingdom
, home of Edward Tyng, the town's first settler. The original township of Dunstable, granted in 1661, consisted of two hundred square miles, including the towns of Dunstable, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
, Pepperell, Massachusetts
, Townsend, Massachusetts
, Hudson, New Hampshire
, Nashua, New Hampshire
, Hollis, New Hampshire
, and parts of other towns as well. Increases in population leading to subsections becoming independent towns and the solidification of the Northern boundary of Massachusetts
in 1740 shrunk the town down to what remains today.
Today, Dunstable, in the face of urban sprawl
, has held onto a largely rural character.
, the town has a total area of 16.7 square miles (43.3 km²), of which 16.5 square miles (42.7 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (1.13%) is water. Dunstable borders Pepperell
to the west, Groton
to the south, Tyngsborough
to the east, and Nashua
and Hollis
, New Hampshire
to the north.
of 2000, there were 2,826 people, 923 households, and 798 families residing in the town. The population density
was 171.0 people per square mile (66.0/km²). There were 944 housing units at an average density of 57.0 per square mile (22.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.11% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 923 households out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.5% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $86,633, and the median income for a family was $92,270. Males had a median income of $61,425 versus $39,946 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $30,608. About 2.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
, United States. The population was 3,179 at the 2010 census.
Etymology
Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, UKDunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
.
- Legend tells that the lawlessness of the time was personified in a thief called Dun. Wishing to capture Dun, the King stapled his ring to a post daring the robber to steal it. It was, and was subsequently traced to the house of the widow Dun. Her son, the robber, was taken and hanged to the final satisfaction that the new community bore his name.
- It comes from the Anglo-Saxon for "the boundary post of Duna".
- Derived from Dunum, or Dun, a hill, and Staple, a marketplace.
History
Dunstable was first settled in 1656 and was officially incorporated in 1673. It is likely named after the town of DunstableDunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, home of Edward Tyng, the town's first settler. The original township of Dunstable, granted in 1661, consisted of two hundred square miles, including the towns of Dunstable, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,...
, Pepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,497 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell.-History:...
, Townsend, Massachusetts
Townsend, Massachusetts
Townsend is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,926 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Townsend, please see the article Townsend , Massachusetts....
, Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 24,467 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 7,336 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Hudson census-designated place and is located at the junctions of New Hampshire...
, Nashua, New Hampshire
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
, Hollis, New Hampshire
Hollis, New Hampshire
Hollis is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,684 at the 2010 census. The town center village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hollis Village Historic District....
, and parts of other towns as well. Increases in population leading to subsections becoming independent towns and the solidification of the Northern boundary of Massachusetts
Northern boundary of Massachusetts
The northern boundary of the U.S. state of Massachusetts adjoins two other states - Vermont and New Hampshire. The majority of the line is roughly a straight line from the northwest corner of the state east to a point north of Lowell...
in 1740 shrunk the town down to what remains today.
Today, Dunstable, in the face of urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
, has held onto a largely rural character.
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 16.7 square miles (43.3 km²), of which 16.5 square miles (42.7 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (1.13%) is water. Dunstable borders Pepperell
Pepperell, Massachusetts
Pepperell is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,497 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of East Pepperell.-History:...
to the west, Groton
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...
to the south, Tyngsborough
Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Tyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,...
to the east, and Nashua
Nashua, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 86,494 people, 35,044 households, and 21,876 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,719.9 people per square mile . There were 37,168 housing units at an average density of 1,202.8 per square mile...
and Hollis
Hollis, New Hampshire
Hollis is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,684 at the 2010 census. The town center village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Hollis Village Historic District....
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
to the north.
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 2,826 people, 923 households, and 798 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 171.0 people per square mile (66.0/km²). There were 944 housing units at an average density of 57.0 per square mile (22.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.49% White, 0.11% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.07% 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 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population.
There were 923 households out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.5% were non-families. 10.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.31.
In the town the population was spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $86,633, and the median income for a family was $92,270. Males had a median income of $61,425 versus $39,946 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 $30,608. About 2.1% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.1% of those age 65 or over.
District Schools
- Boutwell School
- Swallow Union Elementary School
- Florence Roche Elementary School
- Groton-Dunstable Regional Middle School
- Groton-Dunstable Regional High SchoolGroton-Dunstable Regional High SchoolGroton-Dunstable Regional High School is located in Groton, Massachusetts and serves the communities of both Groton and Dunstable in the Groton-Dunstable Regional School District...
- Prescott Elementary School (Closed after the 2007-2008 school year due to budget cuts)
Other Public Schools
- Greater Lowell Technical High SchoolGreater Lowell Technical High SchoolGreater Lowell Technical High School is a public vocational high school in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts. Greater Lowell Technical High School former name was Greater Lowell Vocational Technical High School. The school serve the city of Lowell and towns of Tyngsborough, Dracut, and Dunstable. There...
- Public Regional Technical High School in Tyngsborough, MassachusettsTyngsborough, MassachusettsTyngsborough is a town located in the northwest section of Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Composed of of land and surface water, Tyngsborough borders the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, Dracut, and the City of Lowell, as well as the New Hampshire communities of Hudson,...
Points of interest
- "The Little Red Schoolhouse" is a historical building located on route 113 near the Tyngsborough border. This school house originally came from Tyngsborough. Local students take field trips there to historically re-enact a school day. An annual Strawberry Festival is also held there. Boy Scout Troop 28 of Dunstable holds a Mother’s Day pancake breakfast there every year.
- The "Sarah R. S. Roby" Town Hall in located at 511 Main Street (Rt. 113) was built in 1909 and renovated in 2003. Most town offices are located here as well as meeting rooms for various meetings and events.
- The Town Commons across from the Dunstable Town Hall on Rt. 113 is the site of many town events including the Summer Fest Carnival sponsored by the Dunstable-Tyngsborough Lion's Club in June, the summer "Concerts on the Common" live performance series and the Grange Fair in August. This is also the site for the annual auto show in Dunstable.
- The Dunstable Evangelical Congregational Church (DECC) is located at 518 Main Street, adjacent to the Town Commons and directly across from Town Hall. While the congregation was established in that location in 1831, the current building dates from the early 1900s. Because it is the only church in town, it is often called simply "the Dunstable Church".
- The Dunstable Free Library is located at 588 Main Street. In addition to the collection of books, periodicals, movies, children’s activities and historic items (which include a collection of typewriters and misc. Girl Scouting materials) , it is the site of many community activities as well as the site for town elections.
Notable residents
- Isaac FletcherIsaac FletcherIsaac Fletcher was a United States Representative from Vermont. He was born in Dunstable, Massachusetts. He pursued classical studies, and was graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire in 1808. He taught in the academy at Chesterfield, New Hampshire...
(1784–1842), United States Representative from VermontVermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England... - Amos KendallAmos KendallAmos Kendall was an American politician who served as U.S. Postmaster General under Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Many historians regard Kendall as the intellectual force behind Andrew Jackson's presidential administration, and an influential figure in the transformation of America from an...
(1789–1869), United States Postmaster GeneralUnited States Postmaster GeneralThe United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
during the administration of Andrew JacksonAndrew JacksonAndrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans... - Amos LawrenceAmos LawrenceAmos Lawrence, was an American merchant and philanthropist.-Biography:...
(1786–1852), merchant and philanthropist - Samuel ParrisSamuel ParrisSamuel Parris was the Puritan minister in Salem, Massachusetts during the Salem witch trials; he was also the father of one of the afflicted girls, and the uncle of another.-Life:...
(1653–1720), Puritan minister during the Salem witch trialsSalem witch trialsThe Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693... - Ellen Swallow RichardsEllen Swallow RichardsEllen Henrietta Swallow Richards was the foremost female industrial and environmental chemist in the United States in the 19th century, pioneering the field of home economics. Richards graduated from Westford Academy...
(1842–1911), chemist, first woman admitted to MIT
Trivia
- Dunstable is a dry town. No liquor is sold in either of the town's two small general stores.
- The Dunstable Town HallDunstable Town HallDunstable Town Hall is a historic town hall at 511 Main Street in Dunstable, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.The Town Hall used to contain:*The Fire department*The Police department*The Library...
once housed both Police Department, and Library, though recent renovations in the town gave construct to dedicated buildings for each. - There are no traffic lights in Dunstable due to the low amounts of traffic.
Further reading
- Nason, Elias and George Bailey Loring. A History of the Town of Dunstable, Massachusetts. A. Mudge: 1877.
- 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. by Wall & Gray. Map of Massachusetts. Map of Middlesex County.
- History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1 (A-H), Volume 2 (L-W) compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879-1880. 572 and 505 pages. Dunstable article by Rev. Elias Nason in volume 1 pages 416-427.
