Shirley, Massachusetts

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Shirley, Massachusetts
Town
Old Shirley Municipal Building in 2008.
Old Shirley Municipal Building in 2008.
Official seal of Shirley, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Middlesex
Settled 1720
Incorporated 1753
Government
 • Type Open town meeting
Area
 • Total 15.9 sq mi (41.2 km2)
 • Land 15.8 sq mi (41.0 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 279 ft (85 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 7,211[1]
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01464
Area code(s) 351 / 978
FIPS code 25-61590
GNIS feature ID 0618234
Website http://www.shirley-ma.gov/

Shirley is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately fifty miles west-northwest of Boston. The population was 7,211 at the 2010 census.[1] The town has a well-preserved historic New England town center.

It is home to the Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Shirley, a medium-security state prison. (The neighboring maximum-security Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center lies just outside the town limits in the town of Lancaster.) The remains of a Shaker village have been preserved within the grounds of the prison.

History

Old Town Hall

The inhabitants at the time of European encounter were Nipmuc (or Pennacook) Indians, who called the area Catacunemaug. Once part of "The Plantation of Groton," Shirley was first settled by English pioneers about 1720.

In 1753 it separated from Groton and was incorporated, named in honor of William Shirley, governor of Massachusetts (1741–1757). A paper mill was built here around 1790 and in 1812 Shirley established the first of seven cotton mills. Other local products included iron, nails, textiles, rope, belts, suspenders, and athletic equipment. Two of the large 19th-century mill buildings have been subdivided and adapted for use by 21st-century businesses.[2]

Shirley Shaker Village in 1884

A utopian religious community, Shirley Shaker Village, was established in Shirley in 1793. The Shakers advocated pacifism, common property, celibacy and communal living. They are renowned for their plain architecture and furniture. The Shaker movement peaked in the 1840s, but gradually dwindled, perhaps because of greater employment opportunities offered by the Industrial Revolution, or because succeeding generations grew less tolerant of the Shaker church's insistence on self-abnegation. Shirley Shaker Village closed in 1908.

A medium-security state prison was built on land surrounding the remains of the Shaker village in Shirley, and continues to operate.

Geography

The town has a total area of 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²), of which 15.8 square miles (41.0 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km²) (0.50%) is water.[3] It is bounded by the Squannacook and Nashua rivers and contains Mulpus Brook and Catecunemaug Brook. Significant wetlands are Spruce Swamp (drained by Spruce Swamp Brook) and Tophet Swamp.[4]

Demographics

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See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1850 1,158 —    
1860 1,468 +26.8%
1870 1,451 −1.2%
1880 1,305 −10.1%
1890 1,191 −8.7%
1900 1,680 +41.1%
1910 2,139 +27.3%
1920 2,260 +5.7%
1930 2,427 +7.4%
1940 2,608 +7.5%
1950 4,271 +63.8%
1960 5,202 +21.8%
1970 4,909 −5.6%
1980 5,124 +4.4%
1990 6,118 +19.4%
2000 6,373 +4.2%
2010 7,211 +13.1%
* = population estimate. Template:Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references

This article describes the town of Shirley as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Shirley (CDP), Massachusetts.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 6,373 people, 2,067 households, and 1,426 families residing in the town. The population density was 402.7 people per square mile (155.5/km²). There were 2,156 housing units at an average density of 136.2 per square mile (52.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 83.90% White, 6.72% Black or African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.10% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.12% from other races, and 1.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.86% of the population.

There were 2,067 households out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 39.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 137.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 151.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,344, and the median income for a family was $66,250. Males had a median income of $42,078 versus $32,130 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,556. About 1.9% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Schools

  • Lura A. White Elementary School[6]
  • Ayer Shirley Regional Middle School[7]
  • Ayer Shirley Regional High School[8]
  • A new regional school system shared with the neighboring Town of Ayer officially launched in 2011

Parks

  • Benjamin Hill Recreation Area[9]
  • Fredonian Nature Center
  • Whitley Park

Churches

  • Shirley Historical Society Museum[10]
  • Trinity Chapel Episcopal Church[11]
  • United Church of Shirley[12]
  • Holy Ghost Revival Outreach Ministries

Points of interest

Transportation

Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Shirley on its Fitchburg Line.[14] The Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) supplies Councils-On-Aging service for elderly and disabled residents.[15]

Media

Newspapers

Cable

Notable people

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.shirley-ma.gov/Pages/ShirleyMA_WebDocs/about
  2. ↑ [1], Phoenix Park Online
  3. ↑ United States Census Bureau
  4. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey, Ayer, Massachusetts, 7.5 × 15 minute quadrangle, 1988.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lura A. White Elementary School. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  7. ↑ [2]. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  8. ↑ [3]. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ Benjamin Hill Recreation Area. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  10. ↑ St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  11. ↑ Trinity Chapel Episcopal Church. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  12. ↑ United Church of Shirley. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  13. ↑ Shirley Historical Society Museum. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  14. ↑ MBTA website. mbta.com. Retrieved May 25, 2008.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Shirley Oracle. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  17. ↑ Sentinel & Enterprise. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  18. ↑ Sun. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  19. ↑ Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved March 24, 2014.
  20. ↑ Wikisource-logo.svg Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

References

  • The source for Shirley's coordinates is Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The 1990 Gazetteer was consulted and the value given for the zip code 01464 was used: 42.558653 N, 71.646444 W.

Further reading

Maps

See also

External links

Destinations from Shirley
Townsend Pepperell Groton
Lunenburg Ayer
  Shirley  
Leominster Lancaster Harvard
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