Abington, Massachusetts

Abington, Massachusetts
—  Town  —
Abington Town Offices
Seal
Location in Plymouth County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°06′17″N 70°56′45″W / 42.10472°N 70.94583°W / 42.10472; -70.94583Coordinates: 42°06′17″N 70°56′45″W / 42.10472°N 70.94583°W / 42.10472; -70.94583
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Plymouth
Settled	1668
Incorporated	1712
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	9.9 sq mi (25.6 km2)
• Land	9.7 sq mi (25.0 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	108 ft (33 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	15,985
• Density	1,600/sq mi (620/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02351
Area code(s)	339 / 781
FIPS code	25-00135
GNIS feature ID	0618336
Website	www.abingtonma.gov

Abington is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 20 miles (32 km) southeast of Boston. The population was 15,985 at the 2010 census.^[1]

History

Abington was first settled by European settlers in 1668. The lands included the current towns of Bridgewater, Rockland, Whitman, and parts of Hanover. The town was officially incorporated in 1712, having been named six years earlier by Governor Joseph Dudley as a tribute to Anne Venables-Bertie, Countess of Abington, Cambridgeshire, who helped him secure the governorship of the colony from Queen Anne.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the manufacture of boots and shoes was its primary industry, with nearly half of the footwear provided for the Union Army during the Civil War being provided by Abington factories. In 1874 and 1875, the towns of Rockland and Whitman, respectively, separated and incorporated as towns. In 1893, the town was the site of a riot between town constables and workers from the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, over the town's rights to build a streetcar line that crossed the railroad's tracks. The town eventually built the line, and as a "peace offering," the railroad built the North Abington Depot building, which was built in the style of H. H. Richardson.^[2]

Geography

Abington is located at 42°7′10″N 70°56′52″W / 42.11944°N 70.94778°W / 42.11944; -70.94778 (42.119534, -70.947876).^[3]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 9.9 square miles (25.6 km²), of which 9.7 square miles (25.0 km²) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.6 km²), or 2.41%, is water.^[4]

Abington ranks 308th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth, and is the fourth-smallest town (behind Hull, Whitman and Rockland) in Plymouth County. Abington is bordered by Holbrook to the northwest, Weymouth to the northeast, Rockland to the east, Whitman to the south, and Brockton to the west. Abington is considered to be an inland town of the South Shore, and is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Boston.

Abington has two major waterways; the Shumatuscacant River to the west provides the town's border with Brockton, and Beaver Brook runs through the eastern part of town; it was the source of much of the water power used by the shoe factories. In the northwestern corner of town lies Ames Nowell State Park, a large forested area around Cleveland Pond. Much of the town's population is centered on the eastern side of town, closer to the former town geographic center. The northeast corner of town is also the site of portions of the runways of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station, which was closed in 1996 as a part of the fourth round of BRAC base closures.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 15,985 people, 6,080 households, and 4,111 families residing in the town with 6,377 total housing units. The racial makeup of the town was 92.5% White, 2.1% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 1.9% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.9% of the population.

There were 6,080 households out of which 33.6% had individuals under the age of 18 living with them, 51.8% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 25.1% of all households consisted of someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 19, 5.6% from 20 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.5 years. Males made up 48.9% of the population, while females made up 51.1%.^[15]

The median income for a household in the town, based on a 2006-2010 projection, was $74,589.^[16] In 2000, the median income for a family was $68,826. Males had a median income of $44,151 versus $30,923 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,380. About 2.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Statistically speaking, Abington is the 125th largest community by population in the Commonwealth, and ranks 71st by population density. Its population is lower than the population average but above the median; the population density is above the average.

Government

On the national level, Abington is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is represented by Bill Keating. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown.

On the state level, Abington is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Seventh Plymouth district, which includes the towns of East Bridgewater and Whitman. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Norfolk and Plymouth District, which includes Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland and part of Braintree.^[17] The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.^[18]

Abington is governed by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen. The town operates its own police and fire department, with firehouses located in the north and south of town along Route 18. There are two post offices in town, on Route 123 east of Route 18 and on Route 58 north of Route Route 139. The Abington Public Library, a member of the Old Colony Library Network, is located adjacent to the town hall, both of which opened in 1997 across from the high school. The town operates a park, Island Grove Park, located in the southeast of town. Abington is known in the South Shore region as having the oldest public school buildings in the region. The newest Abington Public School was built over 50 years ago. Despite having a significant population increase in the past 20 years, Abington has less firefighters than it is did in 1970. Also Abington has enjoyed a significant increase in large retail stores locating to the town. Despite the increase in business moving into Abington, the tax rate for home owners has increased in recent years. Abington does not have a higher rate commercial tax rate for businesses.

Current Board of Selectmen (January 2012): Christopher Aiello (Chairman); R. Andrew Burbine (Vice Chair); Kevin R. Donovan; Kenneth Coyle; Michael F. Franey ^[19]

Education

Abington has its own school department for the town's approximately 2,300 students. Center School, located near the center of town, serves children pre-kindergarten to kindergarten. Beaver Brook Elementary (formerly the Early Childhood Center or ECC), located near the Charles M. Frolio Junior High School, serves kids first grade to fourth grade. Woodsdale Elementary, located near the Ames Nowell State Forest, serves students in fifth and sixth grade. The Charles M. Frolio Junior High School serves seventh and eighth grade students. Abington High School is located just west of Route 18, down the street from the Town Hall and library. Abington's colors are green, gold, and white, and their teams are known as the Green Wave. The school's chief rival is Whitman-Hanson Regional High, whom they play in an annual Thanksgiving Day football game.

High school students may also choose to attend South Shore Vocational-Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. Abington is also home to Saint Bridget School, a Catholic parochial school along Route 58, which offers a pre-school program and enrolls students from kindergarten through eighth grade. There are other private schools nearby, located in the neighboring towns of Brockton and Weymouth.

Transportation

There are two main north-south routes through town, Route 18 and Route 58, the latter terminating at the former just a 0.5 miles (800 m) north of the town line. Route 123 and Route 139 run east to west through the town, with Route 139 being the more northern route. There is no freeway access to town; the town is located between Route 24 and Route 3.

The former Old Colony Railroad line runs through the eastern part of town, and is currently used as a part of the Plymouth-Kingston route of the MBTA's commuter rail line. There is a stop in Abington, just southwest of the intersection of Routes 123 and 58. A spur off the line formerly went into the town of Rockland; that spur is now abandoned. There is no air service in the town; the nearest national and international air service can be found at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Events

On June 10, 2012, Abington will celebrate its 300th anniversary of its incorporation.^[20]

Notable residents

• Aaron Hobart (1787–1858), United States Congressman from Massachusetts^[21]
• Jared C. Monti (1975–2006), Medal of Honor
• Bruce Allen Murphy, a native son who became a professor and noted judicial biographer
• Gary Lee Sampson (b.1959), carjacker and serial killer^[22]
• John L. Sullivan (1858–1918), bare-knuckle boxer and first modern world heavyweight champion
• Martha Ware (1917–2009), first female selectman and first female judge of Plymouth County^[23]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Abington, Massachusetts

• Town of Abington official website
• AbingtonCAM (Abington Community Access and Media)
• Abington Montage Video tour by Christopher Prall
• The Patriot Ledger, local newspaper
• The Enterprise, local newspaper
• Answer Book/Abington, "Everything you need to know"
• Abington Public Library
• Abington Public Schools
• St. Bridget Catholic School

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