Princeton, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Princeton is a town in Worcester County
, Massachusetts
, United States
.
It is bordered on the east by Sterling
and Leominster
, on the north by Westminster
, on the northwest by Hubbardston
, on the southwest by Rutland
, and on the southeast by Holden
.
The preeminent landmark within Princeton is Mount Wachusett
, which straddles the line between Princeton and Westminster but the entrance to which is within Princeton. According to tradition, in 1675, Mary Rowlandson
was ransomed upon Redemption Rock
, now within the town of Princeton, by King Philip
.
The population was 3,413 at the 2010 census.
. It was named after the Rev. Thomas Prince
. In 1810, it annexed a piece of Hubbardston
, and in 1870, it annexed a piece of Westminster
.
:
, the town has a total area of 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.12%) is water.
of 2000, there were 3,353 people, 1,166 households, and 959 families residing in the town. The population density
was 94.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 33.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.75% White, 0.30% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.63% from other races
, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.
There were 1,166 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples
living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% 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 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $80,993, and the median income for a family was $84,300. Males had a median income of $60,888 versus $39,494 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $32,232. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
.
, located in Holden, or the vocational/technical high school "Monty Tech" Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
in Fitchburg, MA.
, North Brookfield, Massachusetts
, and Leicester, Massachusetts
. The up-and-coming NGO's unique attributes are its community-binding nature, as well as its promise to use every dollar donated for actual fuel distributions. Recently featured on the front page of the Worcester County newspaper, the Telegram and Gazette, Shea has also found herself the focus of articles in Worcester Living Magazine, and the Landmark, Wachusett Region's newspaper.
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 bordered on the east by Sterling
Sterling, Massachusetts
Sterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census.- History :Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781....
and Leominster
Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,...
, on the north by Westminster
Westminster, Massachusetts
Westminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,277.- History :Westminster was first settled in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759....
, on the northwest by Hubbardston
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Hubbardston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the town population was 4,382.- History :...
, on the southwest by Rutland
Rutland, Massachusetts
Rutland is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,973 at the 2010 census. Worcester County's only buffalo herd is located in Rutland, at Alta Vista Farm...
, and on the southeast by Holden
Holden, Massachusetts
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts.The population was 17,346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
.
The preeminent landmark within Princeton is Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett
Mount Wachusett is located in the towns of Princeton and Westminster in Worcester County, Massachusetts. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term meaning "near the mountain" or "mountain place". The mountain is a...
, which straddles the line between Princeton and Westminster but the entrance to which is within Princeton. According to tradition, in 1675, Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson
Mary Rowlandson was a colonial American woman who was captured by Native Americans during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ransomed. After her release, she wrote a book about her experience, The Sovereignty and Goodness of God: Being a Narrative of the Captivity and...
was ransomed upon Redemption Rock
Redemption Rock
Redemption Rock is a colonial-era historic site in Princeton, Massachusetts. In 1676, during King Philip's War, the release of Mary Rowlandson from her Native American captors was negotiated atop a granite ledge...
, now within the town of Princeton, by King Philip
Metacomet
Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit...
.
The population was 3,413 at the 2010 census.
History
Princeton was created in 1759, out of land that was once part of RutlandRutland, Massachusetts
Rutland is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,973 at the 2010 census. Worcester County's only buffalo herd is located in Rutland, at Alta Vista Farm...
. It was named after the Rev. Thomas Prince
Thomas Prince
Thomas Prince was an American clergyman, scholar and historian noted for his historical text A Chronological History of New England, in the Form of Annals...
. In 1810, it annexed a piece of Hubbardston
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Hubbardston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the town population was 4,382.- History :...
, and in 1870, it annexed a piece of Westminster
Westminster, Massachusetts
Westminster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 7,277.- History :Westminster was first settled in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759....
.
Register of Historic Places
Princeton has four entries on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
:
- East Princeton Village Historic District — Roughly Main St.Route 140 (Massachusetts)Route 140 is a long state highway which passes through parts of southeastern and central Massachusetts. The highway follows a southeast-northwest trajectory, running from U.S...
, Leominster Rd. (added April 18, 2004) - Fernside-Vacation House for Working Girls — 162 Mountain Rd. (added July 27, 2002)
- Princeton Center Historic District — Jct. of Hubbardston and Mountain Rds. (added March 26, 1999)
- West Village Historic District - Jct. of Allen Hill and Hubbardston Roads
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 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²), of which, 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (1.12%) is water.
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 3,353 people, 1,166 households, and 959 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 94.6 PD/sqmi. There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 33.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.75% White, 0.30% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.63% 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 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.
There were 1,166 households out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. 13.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% 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 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.9% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $80,993, and the median income for a family was $84,300. Males had a median income of $60,888 versus $39,494 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 $32,232. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Library
The Princeton Public Library was established in 1884. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Princeton spent 1.6% ($129,243) of its budget on its public library—some $37 per person.Elementary and Middle Schools
Thomas Prince School, serves as the towns Elementary and Middle school in one building. It is part of the five town Wachusett Regional School DistrictWachusett Regional School District
Wachusett Regional School District was founded in 1955 and comprises the Massachusetts towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling.-Holden:Wachusett Regional High SchoolDavis Hill Elementary SchoolDawson Elementary School...
.
High School
Princeton high school students may choose to go to Wachusett Regional High SchoolWachusett Regional High School
Wachusett Regional High School is located in Holden, Massachusetts and services the Wachusett Regional School District. Founded in 1955, WRSD comprises Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. William Beando was appointed principal as of July 1, 2007, succeeding the one year interim...
, located in Holden, or the vocational/technical high school "Monty Tech" Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, also known as Monty Tech, is a vocational school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts which teaches 20 different trades. The school includes a child care center. It also includes a performing arts center named after former Superintendent-Director Stratos G...
in Fitchburg, MA.
Organizations
Princeton has organizations that has been created by its residents to help in many different ways.Hearts for Heat
Hearts for Heat has recently become a notable aspect of Princeton life. Founded in 2006 by Princeton resident Cindy Shea, this Non-governmental Organization provides heat (oil, coal, wood, electric) to residents of Princeton. After meeting 100% of fuel assistance need in Princeton, the NGO expanded to include sections in surrounding towns Spencer, MassachusettsSpencer, Massachusetts
Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,688 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer , Massachusetts....
, North Brookfield, Massachusetts
North Brookfield, Massachusetts
North Brookfield is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,680 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place North Brookfield, please see the article North Brookfield , Massachusetts.- History :North Brookfield...
, and Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester, Massachusetts
Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,970 at the 2010 census.-History:Leicester was first settled in 1713 and was officially incorporated in 1714....
. The up-and-coming NGO's unique attributes are its community-binding nature, as well as its promise to use every dollar donated for actual fuel distributions. Recently featured on the front page of the Worcester County newspaper, the Telegram and Gazette, Shea has also found herself the focus of articles in Worcester Living Magazine, and the Landmark, Wachusett Region's newspaper.
Notable residents
- Ward Nicholas BoylstonWard Nicholas BoylstonWard Nicholas Boylston , a descendent of the physician Zabdiel Boylston , was a man of wealth and refinement, a merchant, a philanthropist and a great benefactor of Harvard University...
(1747–1828), gentleman, businessman, and philanthropist, lived in Princeton from September, 1804 until his death. He bequeathed $1000 to the town of Princeton for its church and minister and the support of indigent and deserving widows and orphan children. - Edward Savage (1761-1817), portrait artist, engraver, and early museum proprietor
- The Rt. Rev. James DeWolf Perry (1916–1947) Rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Fitchburg MA; Episcopal Bishop of Rhode Island; Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church; chief of Red Cross chaplains in Europe during World War I.