Reading, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Reading is an affluent town situated in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
, some 10 miles (16.1 km) north of central Boston. The population was 24,747 at the 2010 census.
's original settlers arrived from England
in the 1630s through the ports of Lynn
and Salem
. In 1639 some citizens of Lynn petitioned the government of the colony for a place for an inland plantation. They were initially granted six square miles, followed by an additional four. The first settlement in this grant was at first called Lynn Village and was located on the south shore of the Great Pond, now known as Lake Quannapowitt
. On June 10, 1644 the settlement was incorporated as the town of Reading, taking its name from the town of Reading
in England
.
The first church was organized soon after the settlement, and the first parish, later known as South Reading, became the separate town of Wakefield
in 1868. Thomas Parker
was one of the founders of Reading. He also was a founder of the 12th Congregational Church (now the First Parish Congregational Church), and served as deacon there. He was a selectman of Reading and was appointed a judicial commissioner. There is evidence that Parker was "conspicuous in naming the town" and that he was related to the Parker family of Little Norton, England, who owned land by the name of Ryddinge.
A special grant in 1651 added land north of the Ipswich River
to the town of Reading. In 1853 this area became the separate town of North Reading
. The area which currently comprises the town of Reading was originally known as Wood End, or Third Parish.
The town of Reading was initially governed by an open town meeting
and a board of selectmen
, a situation that persisted until the 1940s. In 1693, the town meeting voted to fund public education
in Reading, with grants of four pounds for three months school in the town, two pounds for the west end of the town, and one pound for those north of the Ipswich River. In 1769, the meeting house was constructed, in the area which is now the Common in Reading. A stone marker commemorates the site.
Reading played an active role in the American Revolutionary War
. Minutemen
were prominently involved in the engagements pursuing the retreating British Army
after the battles of Lexington and Concord
. John Brooks
, later to become Governor of Massachusetts
, was captain of the Fourth Company of Minute and subsequently served at the Battle of White Plains
and at Valley Forge
. Only one Reading soldier was killed in action during the Revolution; Joshua Eaton died in the Battle of Saratoga
in 1777.
In 1791, sixty members started the Federal Library. This was a subscription Library with each member paying $
1.00 to join, and annual dues of $.25. The Town's public library was created in 1868.
_map,_1852.jpg)
came to Reading and improved the access to Boston, and the southern markets. During the first half of the nineteen century, Reading became a manufacturing town. Sylvester Harnden's furniture
factory, Daniel Pratt's clock
factory, and Samuel Pierce's organ pipe
factory were major businesses. By the mid-19th century, Reading had thirteen establishments that manufactured chair
s and cabinets
. The making of shoe
s began as a cottage industry and expanded to large factories. Necktie
s were manufactured here for about ninety years. During and after Civil War the southern markets for Reading's products declined and several of its factories closed. For many years, Reading was an important casket
manufacturing center.
During the Civil War
, members of the Richardson Light Guard of South Reading fought at the First Battle of Bull Run
. A second company was formed as part of the Army of the Potomac
, and a third company joined General Bank's expedition in Louisiana
. A total of 411 men from Reading fought in the Civil War, of whom 15 died in action and 33 died of wounds and sickness. A memorial exists in the Laurel Hill Cemetery commemorating those who died in the Civil War.
. Both commuter services were later taken over by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
, and for many years, there was discussion of extending the MBTA Orange Line
to Reading. Industrial expansion during that time included the Goodall-Sanford Co. off Ash Street, later sold to General Tire & Rubber Company. Additional businesses created after World War I included the Boston Stove Foundry, Roger Reed Waxes, Ace Art, Addison-Wesley Publishing
and several other companies. For many years, Wes Parker's Fried Clams was a landmark off state Route 128.
Military installations also came to the town, with two Nike missile sites
, one on Bear Hill and the other off Haverhill Street, and the opening of Camp Curtis Guild
, a National Guard training facility. The business community currently consists of a number of retail and service businesses in the downtown area, a series of commercial businesses in and around the former town dump on Walker's Brook Road (formerly John Street) as well as the Analytical Sciences Corporation (TASC).
In 1944, Reading adopted the representative town meeting
model of local government in place of the open town meeting. In 1986, a new charter was adopted by the towns voters. This retained the representative town meeting and board of selectmen, but focused policy and decision making in a smaller number of elected boards and committees whilst providing for the employment of a town manager to be responsible for day to day operations of the local government.
Basketball player Bill Russell lived in Reading in the 1960s next to a gas station on Main Street, but later moved to another part of town. Due to his race, vandals broke into the basketball player's home and damaged his property, and his residency was petitioned against by a small group of townspeople. Russell left Reading after several years.
In recent years the town of Reading struggled with the decisions to build a new elementary school, to cope with the influx of new families to the community, and renovate the severely aging Reading Memorial High School
. Both of these projects were approved and as of August 2007 the new $57 million dollar renovation at the High School is completed.
There are three trees that dominate the landscape Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida, and Toxicodendron radicans.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 9.9 square miles (25.7 km²). No significant amount of land is covered permanently by water, although there is a plethera of vernal pools in various areas of conservation land.
Reading borders the following towns: Woburn
, Stoneham
, Wakefield
, Lynnfield
, North Reading
, and Wilmington
.
of 2000, there were 23,708 people, 8,688 households, and 6,437 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,388.3 people per square mile (921.8/km²). There were 8,823 housing units at an average density of 888.8 per square mile (343.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.47% White, 0.36% Black or African American
, 0.06% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.
There were 8,688 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples
living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $96,524, and the median income for a family was $110,990. Males had a median income of $61,117 versus $39,817 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $32,888. About 1.7% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
, whose members are elected from eight precincts.
The town elects a five member board of selectmen
by general election, who serve for overlapping three year terms. The selectmen are responsible for calling the elections for the town meeting, and for calling town meetings. They initiate legislative policy by proposing legislative changes to the town meeting, and then implement the votes subsequently adopted. The also review fiscal guidelines for the annual operating budget and capital improvements program and make recommendations on these to the town meeting. In addition the board serves as the local road commissioners and licensing board, and appoints members to most of the town's other boards, committees, and commissions.
The day to day running of the town government is the responsibility of a town manager, appointed by the board of selectmen.
and Interstate 95
/Massachusetts Route 128 to the north of Boston. I-93 provides a direct route south to central Boston and beyond via the Big Dig, whilst I-95/128 loops around Boston to the west, crosses Interstate 90
/Massachusetts Turnpike
, and then continues south before meeting up with I-93 again at Canton
.
Reading is served by Reading station
on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
's Haverhill/Reading commuter rail line
, which links the town to Boston's North Station. Plans existed during the 70's, when this line of track was bought by the MBTA, to extend the Orange Line Subway out as far as Reading. Although new stations were successfully constructed at Malden Center and Oak Grove station, residents just past Oak Grove complained and such plans were put on hold.
, comprises:
Reading was an early and active participant in Boston's METCO
program, which brought Black and inner-city students from Boston
to attend grades K-12.
Austin Preparatory School, is a co-ed, independent school, in the Augustinian Catholic tradition, founded in 1962. It is located on 55 acres of land and has an enrollment of 700 students.
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...
, 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...
, some 10 miles (16.1 km) north of central Boston. The population was 24,747 at the 2010 census.
Settlement and Independence
Many of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
's original settlers arrived from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in the 1630s through the ports of Lynn
Lynn, Massachusetts
Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
and Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
. In 1639 some citizens of Lynn petitioned the government of the colony for a place for an inland plantation. They were initially granted six square miles, followed by an additional four. The first settlement in this grant was at first called Lynn Village and was located on the south shore of the Great Pond, now known as Lake Quannapowitt
Lake Quannapowitt
Lake Quannapowitt is one of two main lakes in Wakefield, Massachusetts, the other being the manmade Crystal Lake. Lake Quannapowitt is a popular setting for walkers, joggers, bikers, and in-line skaters off Route 128 in Middlesex County. It is the site of many organized races from 5Ks to Ultra...
. On June 10, 1644 the settlement was incorporated as the town of Reading, taking its name from the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The first church was organized soon after the settlement, and the first parish, later known as South Reading, became the separate town of Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
in 1868. Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker (deacon)
Thomas Parker was one of the founders of Reading, Massachusetts, and a deacon and one of the founders of the 12th Congregational Church in Massachusetts .- Life :...
was one of the founders of Reading. He also was a founder of the 12th Congregational Church (now the First Parish Congregational Church), and served as deacon there. He was a selectman of Reading and was appointed a judicial commissioner. There is evidence that Parker was "conspicuous in naming the town" and that he was related to the Parker family of Little Norton, England, who owned land by the name of Ryddinge.
A special grant in 1651 added land north of the Ipswich River
Ipswich River
Ipswich River is a small river in northeastern Massachusetts, USA. It is long, and its watershed is approximately , with an estimated population in the area of 160,000 people. - Geography :...
to the town of Reading. In 1853 this area became the separate town of North Reading
North Reading, Massachusetts
North Reading is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,892 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1651 when the town of Reading received a special land grant north of the Ipswich River...
. The area which currently comprises the town of Reading was originally known as Wood End, or Third Parish.
Open 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....
and 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:...
, a situation that persisted until the 1940s. In 1693, the town meeting voted to fund public education
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
in Reading, with grants of four pounds for three months school in the town, two pounds for the west end of the town, and one pound for those north of the Ipswich River. In 1769, the meeting house was constructed, in the area which is now the Common in Reading. A stone marker commemorates the site.
Reading played an active role in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. Minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
were prominently involved in the engagements pursuing the retreating British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
after the battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
. John Brooks
John Brooks
John Brooks was the 11th Governor of Massachusetts from 1816 to 1823; he was the last significant Federalist elected official in office in the United States....
, later to become Governor of Massachusetts
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
, was captain of the Fourth Company of Minute and subsequently served at the Battle of White Plains
Battle of White Plains
The Battle of White Plains was a battle in the New York and New Jersey campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on October 28, 1776, near White Plains, New York. Following the retreat of George Washington's Continental Army northward from New York City, British General William Howe landed...
and at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
. Only one Reading soldier was killed in action during the Revolution; Joshua Eaton died in the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
in 1777.
In 1791, sixty members started the Federal Library. This was a subscription Library with each member paying $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1.00 to join, and annual dues of $.25. The Town's public library was created in 1868.
19th Century
The Andover-Medford Turnpike was built by a private corporation in 1806-7. This road, now known as Massachusetts Route 28, provided the citizens of Reading with a better means of travel to the Boston area. In 1845, the Boston and Maine RailroadBoston and Maine Railroad
The 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...
came to Reading and improved the access to Boston, and the southern markets. During the first half of the nineteen century, Reading became a manufacturing town. Sylvester Harnden's furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
factory, Daniel Pratt's clock
Clock
A clock is an instrument used to indicate, keep, and co-ordinate time. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic words clagan and clocca meaning "bell". A silent instrument missing such a mechanism has traditionally been known as a timepiece...
factory, and Samuel Pierce's organ pipe
Organ pipe
An organ pipe is a sound-producing element of the pipe organ that resonates at a specific pitch when pressurized air is driven through it. Each pipe is tuned to a specific note of the musical scale...
factory were major businesses. By the mid-19th century, Reading had thirteen establishments that manufactured chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
s and cabinets
Cabinet (furniture)
A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
. The making of shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
s began as a cottage industry and expanded to large factories. Necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
s were manufactured here for about ninety years. During and after Civil War the southern markets for Reading's products declined and several of its factories closed. For many years, Reading was an important casket
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
manufacturing center.
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, members of the Richardson Light Guard of South Reading fought at the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
. A second company was formed as part of the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
, and a third company joined General Bank's expedition in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. A total of 411 men from Reading fought in the Civil War, of whom 15 died in action and 33 died of wounds and sickness. A memorial exists in the Laurel Hill Cemetery commemorating those who died in the Civil War.
20th Century
In the 20th century, Reading became a residential community with commuter service to Boston on the Boston and Maine Railroad and the Eastern Massachusetts Street RailwayEastern Massachusetts Street Railway
The Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway was a streetcar and later bus company in eastern Massachusetts, serving most suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts...
. Both commuter services were later taken over by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
, and for many years, there was discussion of extending the MBTA Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
to Reading. Industrial expansion during that time included the Goodall-Sanford Co. off Ash Street, later sold to General Tire & Rubber Company. Additional businesses created after World War I included the Boston Stove Foundry, Roger Reed Waxes, Ace Art, Addison-Wesley Publishing
Addison-Wesley
Addison-Wesley was a book publisher in Boston, Massachusetts, best known for its textbooks and computer literature. As well as publishing books, Addison-Wesley also distributed its technical titles through the Safari Books Online e-reference service...
and several other companies. For many years, Wes Parker's Fried Clams was a landmark off state Route 128.
Military installations also came to the town, with two Nike missile sites
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
, one on Bear Hill and the other off Haverhill Street, and the opening of Camp Curtis Guild
Camp Curtis Guild
Camp Curtis Guild is a Massachusetts Army National Guard camp located in the towns of Reading, Lynnfield, and Wakefield, Massachusetts. It is named after former Massachusetts governor Curtis Guild Jr.-History:...
, a National Guard training facility. The business community currently consists of a number of retail and service businesses in the downtown area, a series of commercial businesses in and around the former town dump on Walker's Brook Road (formerly John Street) as well as the Analytical Sciences Corporation (TASC).
In 1944, Reading adopted the representative town meeting
Representative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
model of local government in place of the open town meeting. In 1986, a new charter was adopted by the towns voters. This retained the representative town meeting and board of selectmen, but focused policy and decision making in a smaller number of elected boards and committees whilst providing for the employment of a town manager to be responsible for day to day operations of the local government.
Basketball player Bill Russell lived in Reading in the 1960s next to a gas station on Main Street, but later moved to another part of town. Due to his race, vandals broke into the basketball player's home and damaged his property, and his residency was petitioned against by a small group of townspeople. Russell left Reading after several years.
In recent years the town of Reading struggled with the decisions to build a new elementary school, to cope with the influx of new families to the community, and renovate the severely aging Reading Memorial High School
Reading Memorial High School
Reading Memorial High School is an award winning four year public high school located in Reading, Massachusetts, USA. Reading Memorial is managed by Reading Public Schools. The school has a student body of over 1,200 drawn from Parker Middle School and Coolidge Middle School. A new building...
. Both of these projects were approved and as of August 2007 the new $57 million dollar renovation at the High School is completed.
Geography
Reading is located at 42°31′33"N 71°6′35"W (42.52585, -71.109939).There are three trees that dominate the landscape Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida, and Toxicodendron radicans.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 9.9 square miles (25.7 km²). No significant amount of land is covered permanently by water, although there is a plethera of vernal pools in various areas of conservation land.
Reading borders the following towns: Woburn
Woburn, Massachusetts
Woburn is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 38,120 at the 2010 census. Woburn is located north of Boston, Massachusetts, and just south of the intersection of I-93 and I-95.- History :...
, Stoneham
Stoneham, Massachusetts
Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Its population was 21,437 at the 2010 census, down from 22,219 in 2000. The town is the birthplace of Olympic figure skating medalist Nancy Kerrigan and is the home of the Stone Zoo.- History :...
, Wakefield
Wakefield, Massachusetts
-History:-Geography:The diagram above shows what is to the east, west, north, south, and other directions of the center of Wakefield. Towns with population above 25,000 are in bold italics.-Demographics:-Notable residents:...
, Lynnfield
Lynnfield, Massachusetts
Lynnfield is a wealthy town in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 11,542.- History :...
, North Reading
North Reading, Massachusetts
North Reading is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,892 at the 2010 census.-History:The area was first settled in 1651 when the town of Reading received a special land grant north of the Ipswich River...
, and Wilmington
Wilmington, Massachusetts
Wilmington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,325 at the 2010 census.-History:Wilmington was first settled in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1730, from parts of Woburn, Reading and Billerica. Minutemen from Wilmington responded to the alarm...
.
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 23,708 people, 8,688 households, and 6,437 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 2,388.3 people per square mile (921.8/km²). There were 8,823 housing units at an average density of 888.8 per square mile (343.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.47% White, 0.36% Black or African American
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...
, 0.06% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.21% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population.
There were 8,688 households out of which 36.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% 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, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.22.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $96,524, and the median income for a family was $110,990. Males had a median income of $61,117 versus $39,817 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 $32,888. About 1.7% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.7% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The municipal government of the town of Reading comprises a representative town meetingRepresentative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
, whose members are elected from eight precincts.
The town elects a five member 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:...
by general election, who serve for overlapping three year terms. The selectmen are responsible for calling the elections for the town meeting, and for calling town meetings. They initiate legislative policy by proposing legislative changes to the town meeting, and then implement the votes subsequently adopted. The also review fiscal guidelines for the annual operating budget and capital improvements program and make recommendations on these to the town meeting. In addition the board serves as the local road commissioners and licensing board, and appoints members to most of the town's other boards, committees, and commissions.
The day to day running of the town government is the responsibility of a town manager, appointed by the board of selectmen.
Transportation
Reading is located close to the junction of Interstate 93Interstate 93
Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
and Interstate 95
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...
/Massachusetts Route 128 to the north of Boston. I-93 provides a direct route south to central Boston and beyond via the Big Dig, whilst I-95/128 loops around Boston to the west, crosses Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
/Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
, and then continues south before meeting up with I-93 again at Canton
Canton, Massachusetts
Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...
.
Reading is served by Reading station
Reading (MBTA station)
Reading is a historic commuter rail station in Reading, Massachusetts, United States, on the Haverhill/Reading Line of the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, a branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . The depot was built in 1870 to service the Boston and Maine Railroad and was...
on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
's Haverhill/Reading commuter rail line
Haverhill/Reading Line
The Haverhill Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running north from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the cities and towns ofMalden,Melrose,Wakefield,Reading,Wilmington,Andover,...
, which links the town to Boston's North Station. Plans existed during the 70's, when this line of track was bought by the MBTA, to extend the Orange Line Subway out as far as Reading. Although new stations were successfully constructed at Malden Center and Oak Grove station, residents just past Oak Grove complained and such plans were put on hold.
Education
Reading's public school system, managed by Reading Public SchoolsReading Public Schools
Reading Public Schools is the school district that manages the public schools in Reading, Massachusetts, USA.The superintendent is John Doherty, who works under the direction of a six-person School Committee.-Mission statement:...
, comprises:
- Reading Memorial High SchoolReading Memorial High SchoolReading Memorial High School is an award winning four year public high school located in Reading, Massachusetts, USA. Reading Memorial is managed by Reading Public Schools. The school has a student body of over 1,200 drawn from Parker Middle School and Coolidge Middle School. A new building...
- Coolidge Middle SchoolCoolidge Middle School (Reading, Massachusetts)A.W Coolidge Middle School is a public middle school in Reading, Massachusetts, USA. It was named after Arthur W. Coolidge, a Massachusetts politician who served multiple positions within the state government and was fourth cousin to U.S. President John Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge Middle is managed...
- Walter S. Parker Middle SchoolWalter S. Parker Middle SchoolThe Walter S. Parker Middle School is a public middle school in Reading, Massachusetts, United States. The school enrolled 586 students during the 2008-2009 academic year in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade levels. The principal is Doug Lyons and the assistant principal is Beth Bealieau...
- Alice M Barrows Elementary School
- Birch Meadow Elementary School
- Joshua Eaton Elementary School
- JW Killam Elementary School
- Wood End Elementary School
Reading was an early and active participant in Boston's METCO
METCO
METCO stands for the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity. Founded in 1966 in Boston, Massachusetts, METCO is the longest continuously running voluntary school desegregation program in the country and a national model for the few other voluntary desegregation busing programs currently...
program, which brought Black and inner-city students from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to attend grades K-12.
Austin Preparatory School, is a co-ed, independent school, in the Augustinian Catholic tradition, founded in 1962. It is located on 55 acres of land and has an enrollment of 700 students.
Points of interest
- The Parker TavernParker TavernParker Tavern is a historic house at 103 Washington Street in Reading, Massachusetts, United States, and is the oldest extant structure in Reading....
- The town's oldest remaining 17th Century structure, built in 1694. This property, on Washington Street, is currently owned and operated by the non-profit Reading Antiquarian Society. - The roof of the St. Athanasius Parish, on Haverhill St., was designed by Louis A. Scibelli and Daniel F. Tulley, and is one of the largest hyperbolic paraboloids in the Western Hemisphere
- Burbank Arena skating rink on Haverhill St. as well as private condos on Bear Hill St. both reside over the sites of decommissioned Army National GuardArmy National GuardEstablished under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U.S. Code, the Army National Guard is part of the National Guard and is divided up into subordinate units stationed in each of the 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia operating under their respective governors...
Nike Ajax missile silos.http://ed-thelen.org/loc-m.html#B-03http://ed-thelen.org/J-McGrath/NREADING.HTM This is where the High School mascot received its nickname the Rockets. - The Stephen Hall HouseStephen Hall HouseStephen Hall House is a historic house in Reading, Massachusetts.It was built in 1855 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984....
, a building on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
Local Media
- The Daily Times Chronicle publishes a Reading edition of the newspaper on weekdays.
- The Reading Advocate publishes weekly, and is delivered by mail.
- Reading has a Patch.com site. Patch is owned by AOL, Inc.
- Reading's Community Access Television station is RCTV, which provides trainings and air-time for residents to produce their own programs.
Notable residents
- Charles A. Bessey, Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient wounded in Indian WarsIndian WarsAmerican Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
at Elkhorn Creek, WyomingWyomingWyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, 13 January 1877. - Jess BrallierJess BrallierJess M. Brallier is a publisher, author, and web publisher. Brallier has authored or co-authored 31 books, including Lawyers and Other Reptiles. He is currently Publisher and General Manager of Family Education Network , an online publisher for: parents, teachers, and reference readers.-...
, Award-winning publisher, best-selling author, and web publisher. - John Doherty, Major League Baseball player.
- Joshua EatonJoshua EatonSgt. Joshua Eaton was the only resident of Reading, Massachusetts to die from enemy gunfire during the American Revolution. In early 1777 he enlisted from Reading's 3rd Parish into the 8th Massachusetts Regiment, under the command of Lt. Col. John Brooks. His company was led by Capt...
, farmer, who died in the Revolutionary War, at the Battle of Saratoga, lived his entire civilian life in Reading. - Mark ErelliMark ErelliMark Erelli is an American folk singer/songwriter from Reading, Massachusetts. He currently resides in Massachusetts. Erelli is a 1996 graduate of Bates College, where he majored in Biology, and holds a Master's Degree in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Massachusetts...
, folk musician - Fred FoyFred FoyFrederick William Foy was an American radio and television announcer, who used Fred Foy as his professional name. He is best known for his narration of The Lone Ranger...
, radio and television announcer for Lone Ranger, Green Hornet, Sgt. Preston of the Yukon, Dick Cavett shows. - Dr. John Hart, This highly respected and eminent surgeon originally from Ipswich (born October 13, 1751), served as a Regimental Surgeon during the American Revolution.
- Lennie MerulloLennie MerulloLeonard Richard Merullo is an American former professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1941–47. He was born in East Boston, Massachusetts.- Chicago Cubs :...
, a professional baseball player who played for the Chicago Cubs starting in 1941 and later moved on to be a professional baseball scout for major league basebal. - Moses NicholsMoses NicholsMoses Nichols was an American physician, soldier, and leading citizen of Amherst, New Hampshire.Nichols was born in Reading, Massachusetts, to Timothy Nichols and his wife Hannah Perkins. On July 7, 1761, Moses Nichols married Hannah Eaton of Lynn, Massachusetts...
, officer during the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the... - Dea. Thomas ParkerThomas Parker (deacon)Thomas Parker was one of the founders of Reading, Massachusetts, and a deacon and one of the founders of the 12th Congregational Church in Massachusetts .- Life :...
, founder of Reading - Eddie PeabodyEddie PeabodyCaptain Edwin Ellsworth Peabody was an American musical entertainer. His career spanned five decades and he was perhaps the most famous plectrum banjo player ever...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
player - Chris PizzottiChris PizzottiChris Pizzotti is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Harvard....
- Football Quarterback at Reading Memorial High School, Harvard College, and is an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets. - Bill RussellBill RussellWilliam Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
, professional basketball player and coach, once lived in Reading. - Tom SilvaTom SilvaTom Silva is a contractor notable for his long running participation in the PBS show This Old House. He is co-owner of Silva Brothers' Construction, based in Lexington, Massachusetts.-Biography:...
, general contractor for This Old House on PBS. - Brad WhitfordBrad WhitfordBradford Ernest Whitford is the rhythm guitarist for the hard rock band Aerosmith. He graduated Reading Memorial High School in 1970.-Career:...
, guitarist for AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, a member of the RMHS class of '70 - William M. FowlerWilliam M. FowlerWilliam Morgan Fowler, Jr. is a professor of history at Northeastern University, Boston and an author. He served as Director of the Massachusetts Historical Society from 1998 through 2005.-Early life and education:...
U.S. Naval historian, professor at Northeastern University, and former director of the Massachusetts Historical SocietyMassachusetts Historical SocietyThe Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history... - Charles Austin TweedCharles Austin TweedCharles Austin Tweed was an American politician and jurist. During his early career he was elected to the Florida Senate and California State Senate...
, politician - Charles StuartCharles Stuart (murderer)Charles "Chuck" Stuart was a man from Reading, Massachusetts who murdered his pregnant wife and inflamed racial tensions in the Boston area by concocting a fictitious African-American assailant.-Murders:...
, murderer
Further reading
- Dutton, E.P. Chart of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay with Map of Adjacent Country. Published 1861. A good map of roads and rail lines from Reading to Boston and surrounding area.
- History of the Town of Reading, including the Present Towns of Wakefield, Reading and North Reading with Chronological and Historical Sketches from 1639 to 1874. By Lilley Eaton, 815 pages, published 1874.
- History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, by Samuel Adam Drake, published 1880, Volume 2. Page 270 Reading by Hirum Barrus and Carroll D. Wright. Page 259 North Reading. Page 399 Wakefield by Chester W. Eaton.