Wenham, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Wenham is a town
in Essex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 4,875 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 (incorporated in 1643)and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery. It is a town of many open views of farm lands, lakes, woodlands, historic homes and old stone walls that accompany its winding tree-lined roads. It features nearly 300 acres of parks, playgrounds and recreational lands.
Wenham is closely tied to its sister town, Hamilton
, sharing a school system, library, recreation department, commuter rail station
and newspaper. In 2010, the community of Hamilton-Wenham was listed among the "Best Places to Live" by Boston Magazine
.
English settlers first came to Wenham in the 1630s, but the area had been home to Native American Algonquian peoples
for hundreds of years. The Algonquians were a peaceful, agricultural group who planted and stored corn, and whose numbers had been greatly reduced by a massive epidemic
, probably smallpox
, in the early 17th century. Until recent years, Indian artifacts were found frequently throughout Wenham, and a representative collection in the possession of the Wenham Museum.
Wenham was originally a part of Salem
. Hugh Peters
, the minister in Salem
, preached to a group on a hill by the Great Pond
around 1638, most probably to encourage settlement. The earliest land grants in the Wenham area roughly coincide with Peters' sermon. The hill was leveled in later years to make room for the ice industry at the Great Pond
.
In September 1643, the General Court of Massachusetts granted that Wenham should be a town in its own right and send a representative to the General Court. It was the first town to be set off from Salem. Because many of its early settlers came from Suffolk County in England, it is presumed that the name of the town derives from two small villages there -- Great Wenham and Little Wenham
. Wenham means 'home on the moor." A church was formed in October, 1644 with John Fiske as pastor and seven families as members.
In those early days, the church and government were one. A small part of the population--those who were church members--controlled both civil and religious life. It was not until 1833 that an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution
separated church and town.
Wenham provided volunteers in King Phillip's War in the 1670's, and the French and Indian War
in the early 1700's. In 1774, the town voted to select 15 men as minutemen
, and from that time on Loyalists were not welcome in Wenham.
The Industrial Revolution
, which changed the face of many Massachusetts towns in the 19th century, passed Wenham by. It remained a small community, with one notable exception. Wenham's ice industry brought the name of Wenham to the notice of people as far away as London
, where hotels in the 1850's advertised: "We serve Wenham Lake
Ice." Artificial refrigeration and a fire that destroyed the ice house in 1973 brought an end to this unique industry.
Although slaves were owned by Wenham residents in the 18th century, by the 1850s sentiment was fervently in favor of abolition
. Between 1862 and 1865 the army camp, Camp Landers, occupied fourteen acres in Wenham. Part of this tract is now Pingree field. There were accommodations for two full regiments of Union
soldiers with barracks, mess halls, and training fields.
In 1909, Henry Clay Frick
, a steel magnate
, bought the present-day Iron Rail property so that his daughter Helen could create a vacation home for the mill girls throughout New England
. Helen Frick transferred the Iron Rail Vacation Home to the Girls' Clubs of America in 1954, and the town of Wenham bought the property in the 1970s.
Two other Wenham landmarks, the Tea House and the Wenham Museum, have their roots in the Wenham Village Improvement Society. A group of ladies organized the society in 1893 to make Wenham more beautiful by planting more shade trees. They purchased Mr. Henry Hobb's harness shop as a home for a tea house
and exchange for selling ladies' handiwork, jams and jellies. The Tea House and Exchange has continued through the years as the successful fund raising arm of the Wenham Village Improvement Society.
In 1921, the Historical Committee of the Wenham Village Improvement Society encouraged the society to buy the 17th century Claflin-Richards house at the center of town. They did so, and eventually added "the Barn" (which would become Burnham Hall) and the Museum. The Wenham Historical Association and Museum became independent from the Village Improvement Society, and underwent a major renovation and expansion in 1997.
, the town has a total area of 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (4.57%) is water. It is one of the inland communities part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's North Shore Task Force, but it is not part of the North Shore
in the strictest sense, as it is not on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean
(it lies four miles north of Massachusetts Bay
). Wenham Lake lies between the town and Beverly, and several other smaller ponds lie within town. A stretch of the Salem Beverly Waterway Canal passes through town as well, and the southernmost portion of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the western part of town.
Wenham is bordered on the south by Beverly
, on the east by Manchester, on the north by Hamilton
, on the northwest by Topsfield
, and on the west by Danvers
. Wenham lies six miles north of Salem
and 21 miles north-northeast of Boston
. The eastern end of Wenham is crossed by Route 128, with one exit within town. Route 1A
crosses through the center of town, with Route 22 crossing through the east and Route 97
crossing the southwest corner of town. (Route 35
ends at Route 97 just over the Topsfield town line.) Wenham lies along the Newburyport section of the Newburyport/Rockport Line
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
. There are no stations within town, but the Hamilton/Wenham station
lies just north of town, and the North Beverly station
lies south of town in Beverly. The tip of the north runway of Beverly Municipal Airport
lies just within town; the nearest national and international air service is located at Boston's Logan International Airport
.
of 2000, there were 4,440 people, 1,285 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density
was 575.2 people per square mile (222.1/km²). There were 1,320 housing units at an average density of 171.0 per square mile (66.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 0.43% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 1,285 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 23.6% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,524, and the median income for a family was $98,004. Males had a median income of $76,639 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $36,812. About 1.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
, a private four year Christian college.
The majority of the schools in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District are located in Hamilton
. Only Buker Elementary School
is located in Wenham.
According to numbers released by the state Dept of Education, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
ranked 27th in the state based on combined total SAT scores for the 2006/2007 school year.
Boston Magazine
’s 2010 issue showcasing a list of the best public high schools ranked Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
12th, meaning Hamilton-Wenham's public high school is currently in the Top 10 percent of the state overall. Hamilton-Wenham also had one of the highest graduation rates, at 96.8 percent.
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 4,875 at the 2010 census.
The Town of Wenham was originally settled in 1635 (incorporated in 1643)and has retained much of its unique historic character and tranquil rural scenery. It is a town of many open views of farm lands, lakes, woodlands, historic homes and old stone walls that accompany its winding tree-lined roads. It features nearly 300 acres of parks, playgrounds and recreational lands.
Wenham is closely tied to its sister town, Hamilton
Hamilton, Massachusetts
Hamilton is a town located in the eastern central portion of Essex County in eastern Massachusetts. It is primarily a suburban bedroom community, most commonly known for its equestrian estates...
, sharing a school system, library, recreation department, commuter rail station
Hamilton/Wenham (MBTA station)
Hamilton/Wenham is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line.It is located just south of the intersection of Bay Road and Walnut Road in South Hamilton, MA. The station straddles the town line between Hamilton and Wenham with the southern end of the platform...
and newspaper. In 2010, the community of Hamilton-Wenham was listed among the "Best Places to Live" by Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
.
History
Wenham was first settled in 1635 and officially incorporated in 1643.English settlers first came to Wenham in the 1630s, but the area had been home to Native American Algonquian peoples
Algonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
for hundreds of years. The Algonquians were a peaceful, agricultural group who planted and stored corn, and whose numbers had been greatly reduced by a massive epidemic
Epidemic
In epidemiology, an epidemic , occurs when new cases of a certain disease, in a given human population, and during a given period, substantially exceed what is expected based on recent experience...
, probably smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
, in the early 17th century. Until recent years, Indian artifacts were found frequently throughout Wenham, and a representative collection in the possession of the Wenham Museum.
Wenham was originally a part of 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...
. Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters
Hugh Peters [or Peter] was an English preacher.-Early life:He was baptized on 29 June 1598 in Fowey, and was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge....
, the minister in 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...
, preached to a group on a hill by the Great Pond
Wenham Lake
Wenham Lake is a lake located in Wenham and Beverly, Massachusetts. In the 19th century the lake was famous for its ice, harvested and transported by ship throughout the world. It was reputed to be Queen Victoria's favorite...
around 1638, most probably to encourage settlement. The earliest land grants in the Wenham area roughly coincide with Peters' sermon. The hill was leveled in later years to make room for the ice industry at the Great Pond
Wenham Lake
Wenham Lake is a lake located in Wenham and Beverly, Massachusetts. In the 19th century the lake was famous for its ice, harvested and transported by ship throughout the world. It was reputed to be Queen Victoria's favorite...
.
In September 1643, the General Court of Massachusetts granted that Wenham should be a town in its own right and send a representative to the General Court. It was the first town to be set off from Salem. Because many of its early settlers came from Suffolk County in England, it is presumed that the name of the town derives from two small villages there -- Great Wenham and Little Wenham
Little Wenham
Little Wenham is a small village in Suffolk, England. It is part of the civil parish of Wenham Parva within Babergh district....
. Wenham means 'home on the moor." A church was formed in October, 1644 with John Fiske as pastor and seven families as members.
In those early days, the church and government were one. A small part of the population--those who were church members--controlled both civil and religious life. It was not until 1833 that an amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution
Massachusetts Constitution
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the fundamental governing document of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the 50 individual state governments that make up the United States of America. It was drafted by John Adams, Samuel Adams, and James Bowdoin during the...
separated church and town.
Wenham provided volunteers in King Phillip's War in the 1670's, and the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
in the early 1700's. In 1774, the town voted to select 15 men as 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...
, and from that time on Loyalists were not welcome in Wenham.
The Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, which changed the face of many Massachusetts towns in the 19th century, passed Wenham by. It remained a small community, with one notable exception. Wenham's ice industry brought the name of Wenham to the notice of people as far away as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where hotels in the 1850's advertised: "We serve Wenham Lake
Wenham Lake
Wenham Lake is a lake located in Wenham and Beverly, Massachusetts. In the 19th century the lake was famous for its ice, harvested and transported by ship throughout the world. It was reputed to be Queen Victoria's favorite...
Ice." Artificial refrigeration and a fire that destroyed the ice house in 1973 brought an end to this unique industry.
Although slaves were owned by Wenham residents in the 18th century, by the 1850s sentiment was fervently in favor of abolition
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
. Between 1862 and 1865 the army camp, Camp Landers, occupied fourteen acres in Wenham. Part of this tract is now Pingree field. There were accommodations for two full regiments of Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers with barracks, mess halls, and training fields.
In 1909, Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
, a steel magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
, bought the present-day Iron Rail property so that his daughter Helen could create a vacation home for the mill girls throughout New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Helen Frick transferred the Iron Rail Vacation Home to the Girls' Clubs of America in 1954, and the town of Wenham bought the property in the 1970s.
Two other Wenham landmarks, the Tea House and the Wenham Museum, have their roots in the Wenham Village Improvement Society. A group of ladies organized the society in 1893 to make Wenham more beautiful by planting more shade trees. They purchased Mr. Henry Hobb's harness shop as a home for a tea house
Tea house
A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."-Asia:In Central Asia this term...
and exchange for selling ladies' handiwork, jams and jellies. The Tea House and Exchange has continued through the years as the successful fund raising arm of the Wenham Village Improvement Society.
In 1921, the Historical Committee of the Wenham Village Improvement Society encouraged the society to buy the 17th century Claflin-Richards house at the center of town. They did so, and eventually added "the Barn" (which would become Burnham Hall) and the Museum. The Wenham Historical Association and Museum became independent from the Village Improvement Society, and underwent a major renovation and expansion in 1997.
Geography and transportation
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 8.1 square miles (21 km²), of which, 7.7 square miles (19.9 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (4.57%) is water. It is one of the inland communities part of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council's North Shore Task Force, but it is not part of the North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
in the strictest sense, as it is not on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
(it lies four miles north of Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
). Wenham Lake lies between the town and Beverly, and several other smaller ponds lie within town. A stretch of the Salem Beverly Waterway Canal passes through town as well, and the southernmost portion of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the western part of town.
Wenham is bordered on the south by Beverly
Beverly, Massachusetts
Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 39,343 on , which differs by no more than several hundred from the 39,862 obtained in the 2000 census. A resort, residential and manufacturing community on the North Shore, Beverly includes Beverly Farms and Prides...
, on the east by Manchester, on the north by Hamilton
Hamilton, Massachusetts
Hamilton is a town located in the eastern central portion of Essex County in eastern Massachusetts. It is primarily a suburban bedroom community, most commonly known for its equestrian estates...
, on the northwest by Topsfield
Topsfield, Massachusetts
Topsfield is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,085 at the 2010 census.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Topsfield.-Colonial period:...
, and on the west by Danvers
Danvers, Massachusetts
Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts, Danvers is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials, and for its famous asylum, the Danvers State Hospital.-17th century:The land...
. Wenham lies six miles north of 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...
and 21 miles north-northeast of 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...
. The eastern end of Wenham is crossed by Route 128, with one exit within town. Route 1A
Massachusetts Route 1A
Route 1A is a south–north state highway in Massachusetts. It is an alternate route to U.S. 1 with three signed sections and two unsigned sections where the highway is concurrent with its parent...
crosses through the center of town, with Route 22 crossing through the east and 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 the southwest corner of town. (Route 35
Massachusetts Route 35
Route 35 is a Massachusetts State Route running through the towns of Danvers and Peabody in northeastern Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 35 begins at Route 114 in Peabody, as that route turns left off the right-of-way towards Route 128 and the Northshore Mall. After passing Bishop Fenwick...
ends at Route 97 just over the Topsfield town line.) Wenham lies along the Newburyport section of 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...
. There are no stations within town, but the Hamilton/Wenham station
Hamilton/Wenham (MBTA station)
Hamilton/Wenham is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line.It is located just south of the intersection of Bay Road and Walnut Road in South Hamilton, MA. The station straddles the town line between Hamilton and Wenham with the southern end of the platform...
lies just north of town, and the North Beverly station
North Beverly (MBTA station)
North Beverly is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is handicap accessible with raised handicap platforms at the north end of the station. The outbound platform is longer than the inbound platform, and extends all the way to Dodge Street. There are...
lies south of town in Beverly. The tip of the north runway of Beverly Municipal Airport
Beverly Municipal Airport
Beverly Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Beverly, a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States...
lies just within town; the nearest national and international air service is located at Boston's 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 4,440 people, 1,285 households, and 957 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 575.2 people per square mile (222.1/km²). There were 1,320 housing units at an average density of 171.0 per square mile (66.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 0.43% African American, 0.02% Native American, 1.35% Asian, 0.07% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 1,285 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.5% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 23.6% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 82.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $90,524, and the median income for a family was $98,004. Males had a median income of $76,639 versus $43,750 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 $36,812. About 1.2% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Home to Gordon CollegeGordon College (Massachusetts)
Gordon College is a liberal arts college located on the former Princemere estate in Wenham, Massachusetts, northeast of Beverly. Founded by Baptist minister A. J...
, a private four year Christian college.
The majority of the schools in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District are located in Hamilton
Hamilton, Massachusetts
Hamilton is a town located in the eastern central portion of Essex County in eastern Massachusetts. It is primarily a suburban bedroom community, most commonly known for its equestrian estates...
. Only Buker Elementary School
Buker Elementary School
Buker Elementary School is located in Wenham, Massachusetts and contains grades Pre-K through 5th. It is part of the conjoined Hamilton/Wenham Regional School District although it is in Wenham.- History :...
is located in Wenham.
According to numbers released by the state Dept of Education, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School is a public high school in Hamilton, Massachusetts, USA. It is the only high school in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, which is based in Wenham, MA. The school's athletic teams are called the Generals, after General George S. Patton, who lived in...
ranked 27th in the state based on combined total SAT scores for the 2006/2007 school year.
Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
’s 2010 issue showcasing a list of the best public high schools ranked Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School is a public high school in Hamilton, Massachusetts, USA. It is the only high school in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, which is based in Wenham, MA. The school's athletic teams are called the Generals, after General George S. Patton, who lived in...
12th, meaning Hamilton-Wenham's public high school is currently in the Top 10 percent of the state overall. Hamilton-Wenham also had one of the highest graduation rates, at 96.8 percent.
Points of interest
- Claflin-Richards HouseClaflin-Richards HouseThe Claflin-Richards House, also known as the Claflin-Gerrish-Richards House, is a historic house located at 132 Main Street, Wenham, Massachusetts...
(1690) - Grand Wenham Canal (1917)
- Newman-Fiske-Dodge HouseNewman-Fiske-Dodge HouseNewman-Fiske-Dodge House is a historic house at 162 Cherry Street in Wenham, Massachusetts.The house was built in 1658. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
(1658) - Wenham LakeWenham LakeWenham Lake is a lake located in Wenham and Beverly, Massachusetts. In the 19th century the lake was famous for its ice, harvested and transported by ship throughout the world. It was reputed to be Queen Victoria's favorite...
Notable residents
- Paul HardingPaul 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...
, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of 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... - Bob StanleyBob StanleyRobert William "Bob" Stanley is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox.Over his 13-year career, Stanley played only for the Red Sox from 1977-89...
, former Red Sox relief pitcher
External links
- Anderson, Philader. 1831 Map of Wenham.
- Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County. Map of Wenham. plate 95.
- Walker, George H. 1884 Atlas of Essex County.Map of Wenham plate 87.
- Old USGS Maps of Wenham.
- Frederic Tudor and the Massachusetts Ice Exchange, 10 minute video by Robby Griffin, Nick Hamlin, Eric Lundquist, created 2004. Mentions the high quality of the ice from Wenham.
- Hamilton-Wenham Patch
