Georgetown, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Georgetown is a town
in Essex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 8,183 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley
.
, south of Newbury and north of Ipswich. Several farmers, finding suitable meadowlands in the western half of the settlement, began settling along the Penn Brook by the middle of the seventeenth century, creating Rowley's West Parish. Though not directly involved in King Philip's War
, the village nonetheless did become a victim of Indian raids. The village, which became known as New Rowley, grew for many years, with small mills, and eventually a shoe company opening up in the town. By 1838, the town was sufficiently large enough for its own incorporation, and was renamed Georgetown. Small industry continued, and today the town is mostly residential in nature, a distant suburb of Boston's North Shore.
, the town has a total area of 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²), of which, 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.75%) is water. Georgetown is located on the edge of the hills and coastal plain of northeastern Massachusetts. It has many streams and brooks, as well as two major ponds, Rock Pond and Pentucket Pond. The town has several areas of protected land, including the Georgetown-Rowley State Forest to the south, the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area to the north, the Lufkins Brook Area to the west, and a small portion of the Boxford State Forest in the southwest.
Georgetown is located approximately ten miles east of Lawrence
and twenty-eight miles north of Boston, north of the center of Essex County. it is bordered by Groveland
to the northwest, Newbury
to the northeast, Rowley
to the southeast, and Boxford
to the southwest. Interstate 95
crosses through the eastern half of town, with one exit within the town, at Route 133
. Route 133 crosses from east to west through town, with Route 97
crossing from northwest to south. Both state routes share a short stretch of road near the town center. The town has no mass transit; the nearest rail service can be found along the Newburyport/Rockport Line
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
in Rowley. The nearest air service is at Logan International Airport
.
of 2000, there were 7,377 people, 2,566 households, and 2,024 families residing in the town. The population density
was 570.2 people per square mile (220.1/km²). There were 2,616 housing units at an average density of 202.2 per square mile (78.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.52% White, 0.15% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.31% from other races
, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 2,566 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% were married couples
living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $76,260, and the median income for a family was $79,649. Males had a median income of $58,806 versus $36,108 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $28,846. About 2.7% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen
and a town administrator. The current selectmen are David Surface (Chairman), Evan O'Reilly, Phil Trapani Steven Smith, and Gary Fowler. Georgetown has its own police department, two fire stations (near the town center and in the east of town), a post office, library, and highway department. The nearest hospitals to the town are in Haverhill and Newburyport.
On the state level, Georgetown is under the jurisdiction of the Central District Court of Essex County, located in Haverhill. It is patrolled by the Newbury barracks of Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police
. In state government, Georgetown is part of the Second and Eighteenth Essex Districts in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
, and is part of the First Essex and Middlesex District in the Massachusetts Senate
. On the national level, Georgetown is in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
, and has been represented since 1997 by John F. Tierney
(D). In the United States Senate
, Massachusetts's senior senator, serving since 1985, is John Kerry
(D), and its junior senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
(R), who was the town's choice in the election by a 2-to-1 majority.
Georgetown High School's colors are Royal blue and white, and its nickname is the Royals, with a mounted knight as its mascot. They compete in the Small School division of the Cape Ann League, and have a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with Manchester-Essex Regional High School. In addition to GHS, high school students may also attend Whittier Regional Voc-Tech in Haverhill, which serves as the eastern Merrimack Valley's vocational school. Private schools are also located throughout the area, the nearest being The Governor's Academy
in Rowley.
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 Essex County
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, 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 8,183 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley
Rowley, Massachusetts
Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2000 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley.-History:...
.
History
Georgetown was originally settled in 1639 as a part of the town of Rowley by the Reverend Ezekiel Rogers. The town at the time stretched from the Atlantic coast to the Merrimack RiverMerrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
, south of Newbury and north of Ipswich. Several farmers, finding suitable meadowlands in the western half of the settlement, began settling along the Penn Brook by the middle of the seventeenth century, creating Rowley's West Parish. Though not directly involved in King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
, the village nonetheless did become a victim of Indian raids. The village, which became known as New Rowley, grew for many years, with small mills, and eventually a shoe company opening up in the town. By 1838, the town was sufficiently large enough for its own incorporation, and was renamed Georgetown. Small industry continued, and today the town is mostly residential in nature, a distant suburb of Boston's North Shore.
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 13.2 square miles (34.2 km²), of which, 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.75%) is water. Georgetown is located on the edge of the hills and coastal plain of northeastern Massachusetts. It has many streams and brooks, as well as two major ponds, Rock Pond and Pentucket Pond. The town has several areas of protected land, including the Georgetown-Rowley State Forest to the south, the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area to the north, the Lufkins Brook Area to the west, and a small portion of the Boxford State Forest in the southwest.
Georgetown is located approximately ten miles east of Lawrence
Lawrence, Massachusetts
Lawrence is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States on the Merrimack River. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a total population of 76,377. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and North Andover to the southeast. It and Salem are...
and twenty-eight miles north of Boston, north of the center of Essex County. it is bordered by Groveland
Groveland, Massachusetts
Groveland, Massachusetts Groveland is a small residential town located in northern Essex County, bordering Boxford, Georgetown, Haverhill, and West Newbury. The town is divided into two precincts, Groveland and South Groveland.-History:...
to the northwest, Newbury
Newbury, Massachusetts
Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,666 at the 2010 census. Newbury includes the villages of Old Town , Plum Island and Byfield, home of The Governor's Academy , a private preparatory school.- History :Newbury Plantation was settled and incorporated...
to the northeast, Rowley
Rowley, Massachusetts
Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,500 at the 2000 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley.-History:...
to the southeast, and Boxford
Boxford, Massachusetts
Boxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,965 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Boxford.-Geography:...
to the southwest. Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
crosses through the eastern half of town, with one exit within the town, at Route 133
Massachusetts Route 133
Route 133 is an east–west Massachusetts state route that runs from Lowell to Gloucester.-Route description:Route 133 begins at the junction of Route 38 and Route 110 in Lowell, where Route 110 begins a concurrency with Route 38 northbound. Route 133 heads east from this point, heading...
. Route 133 crosses from east to west through town, with Route 97
Massachusetts Route 97
Route 97 is a south–north highway in Essex County in northeastern Massachusetts. It connects the cities of Beverly and Haverhill before continuing into Salem, New Hampshire as New Hampshire Route 97.-Route description:...
crossing from northwest to south. Both state routes share a short stretch of road near the town center. The town has no mass transit; the nearest rail service can be found along the Newburyport/Rockport Line
Newburyport/Rockport Line
The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg serves Chelsea, Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, and Beverly. From there, a northern branch of...
of the MBTA 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...
in Rowley. The nearest air service is at Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
.
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 7,377 people, 2,566 households, and 2,024 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 570.2 people per square mile (220.1/km²). There were 2,616 housing units at an average density of 202.2 per square mile (78.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.52% White, 0.15% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 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 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.
There were 2,566 households out of which 41.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.8% 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, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.1% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $76,260, and the median income for a family was $79,649. Males had a median income of $58,806 versus $36,108 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 $28,846. About 2.7% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Georgetown employs the open town meetingOpen 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....
form of government, and is led by 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:...
and a town administrator. The current selectmen are David Surface (Chairman), Evan O'Reilly, Phil Trapani Steven Smith, and Gary Fowler. Georgetown has its own police department, two fire stations (near the town center and in the east of town), a post office, library, and highway department. The nearest hospitals to the town are in Haverhill and Newburyport.
On the state level, Georgetown is under the jurisdiction of the Central District Court of Essex County, located in Haverhill. It is patrolled by the Newbury barracks of Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
. In state government, Georgetown is part of the Second and Eighteenth Essex Districts in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
, and is part of the First Essex and Middlesex District in the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
. On the national level, Georgetown is in Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district
Massachusetts's 6th congressional district is in northeastern Massachusetts. It contains most of Essex County, including the North Shore and Cape Ann. It is currently represented by John F...
, and has been represented since 1997 by John F. Tierney
John F. Tierney
John F. Tierney is the United States representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate for liberal policies and government oversight. A former attorney, he has served since 1997....
(D). In the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, Massachusetts's senior senator, serving since 1985, is John 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...
(D), and its junior senator, elected in 2010, 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...
(R), who was the town's choice in the election by a 2-to-1 majority.
Education
Georgetown, unlike its neighbors, employs its own school district, rather than being part of a regional district. It has three schools:- Perley Elementary School(formerly Perley High School) is a Blue Ribbon Schools ProgramBlue Ribbon Schools ProgramThe Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
award winning elementary school for grades preK-1. - Penn Brook Elementary School is an elementary school on Elm St. in Georgetown for grades 2–5.
- Georgetown Middle-High School is the only high school/middle school in the town and serves grades 6–12.
Georgetown High School's colors are Royal blue and white, and its nickname is the Royals, with a mounted knight as its mascot. They compete in the Small School division of the Cape Ann League, and have a Thanksgiving Day football rivalry with Manchester-Essex Regional High School. In addition to GHS, high school students may also attend Whittier Regional Voc-Tech in Haverhill, which serves as the eastern Merrimack Valley's vocational school. Private schools are also located throughout the area, the nearest being The Governor's Academy
The Governor's Academy
The Governor's Academy is an independent school located on in the village of Byfield, Massachusetts, United States ; north of Boston. The Academy enrolls approximately 385 students in grades nine through twelve, 70% of whom are boarders...
in Rowley.
Points of interest
- Brocklebank-Nelson-Beecher HouseBrocklebank-Nelson-Beecher HouseThe Brocklebank-Nelson-Beecher House is a First Period Colonial house located at 108 East Main Street , Georgetown, Massachusetts. It is now a nonprofit museum owned by the Georgetown Historical Society. An admission fee is charged....
- The real and original Cannon "Old Nancy", a relic of the Revolutionary War that is owned by the Town, may be viewed at the Town Hall.
- Erie 4 Fire Company is the oldest privately owned and operated volunteer fire company in America.
- Georgetown-Rowley State Forest
- Boston and Maine RailroadBoston and Maine RailroadThe Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
(now defunct) - Cuffee Dole, an African-American man, was buried on the outskirts of the Union cemetery but as the Cemetery grew his plot became more centrally located.
- Goodrich Massacre Site http://www.wickedlocal.com/georgetown/town_info/history/x1909897525
- Georgetown Peabody Library is the town's only public library. It recently just finished an addition and renovation.
Notable residents
- Brian St. PierreBrian St. PierreBrian St. Pierre is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College....
(former standout quarterback at St. John's Preparatory School and Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. He was drafted to the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in 2003 and now plays for the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
) - Jenny ThompsonJenny ThompsonJennifer Beth Thompson is an American former competitive swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight gold medals , in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics.Thompson, a Massachusetts native who calls Dover, New Hampshire her...
(U.S. Olympic swimming star, lived in town from 1973-early '80s) - Terry O'ReillyTerry O'ReillyTerence Joseph James O'Reilly is a retired ice hockey right winger, who played for the NHL's Boston Bruins, and one of the most effective enforcers in NHL history....
(former hockey player and Captain for the Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
) - John UpdikeJohn UpdikeJohn Hoyer Updike was an American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic....
, American novelist, resided at 58 West Main Street, Georgetown, Massachusetts from 1976 to 1982. His jogs through Georgetown provided backdrop for his 1981 novel Rabbit is Rich, which won him the National Book Critics Circle AwardNational Book Critics Circle AwardThe National Book Critics Circle Award is an annual award given by the National Book Critics Circle to promote the finest books and reviews published in English....
, the National Book AwardNational Book AwardThe National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
and the Pulitzer Prize for FictionPulitzer Prize for FictionThe Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/shared/WebDisplay/0,,214908_1_0,00.html. - Paul Harding (author)Paul Harding (author)Paul Harding is an American musician and author, best known for his debut novel Tinkers which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2010 PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship for Writers. Harding was drummer for the band Cold Water Flat from approximately the founding in 1990 to 1997. Harding...
, best known for his debut novel TinkersTinkers (novel)Tinkers is the first novel by American author Paul Harding. The novel tells the tale of George Washington Crosby, a clock repairman, who, on his deathbed, recounts his life story and his father's struggles with epilepsy to his family...
(2009) which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction2010 Pulitzer PrizeThe 2010 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on Monday, April 12, 2010. In journalism, The Washington Post won four awards while The New York Times won three. For the first time, an online source, ProPublica, won in what had previously been the sole province of print. A musical, Next to Normal, won the...
.
Current events
- Georgetown recently served as the filming location for Diane English's movie The Women (2008)http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430770/. The movie stars numerous Hollywood leading ladies, including Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Annette Bening, Jada Pinkett Smith, Candice Bergen, Bette Midler and Debra Messing. Primary filming location was at Camp Leslie, along the shore of Pentucket Pond.
Further reading
- Sammarco, Anthony Mitchell, Georgetown, Arcadia Publishing, Images of America series, 2002
External links
- Georgetown official Town website
- Georgetown Public Library.
- Georgetown Historical Society.
- Georgetown Theatre Workshop (Community Theatre
- Erie 4 Fire Co.website
- Georgetown Record newspaper
- 1794 Map of Rowley by Joseph Chaplin.
- 1830 Map of Rowley by Philander Anderson, which includes the New Rowley Parish which was incorporated in 1838 as Georgetown.
- 1872 Atlas of Essex County. Map of Georgetown on Plate 59, Map of Georgetown Center on plate 61.
