Ashburnham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. At the 2000 census the town population was 5,546. It is home to Cushing Academy, a private preparatory school.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of South Ashburnham, please see the article South Ashburnham, Massachusetts.
History
Ashburnham was first settled in 1736, and was officially incorporated in 1765. The name is of British origin, possibly drawn from the Earl of Ashburnham, in Pembrey, or the Sussex community of Ashburnham.
Ashburnam was originally made up of the lands granted to officers and soldiers of a 1690 expedition to Canada. It was called the Plantation of Dorchester-Canada until it was incorporated.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.0 square miles (106.2 km²), of which 38.7 square miles (100.2 km²) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km²) of it (5.68%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 5,546 people, 1,929 households, and 1,541 families residing in the town. The population density was 143.4 people per square mile (55.4/km²). There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of 57.0/sq mi (22.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.66% White, 0.22% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.66% of the population. 19.5% were of Irish, 15.9% French, 13.7% French Canadian, 9.4% Italian, 7.0% English, 6.6% Finnish and 5.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 1,929 households out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.20.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
In 2007, the median income for a household in the town was $71,950, and the median income for a family was $71,950. Males had a median income of $41,980 versus $31,823 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,659. About 4.8% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. The median house cost was $266,347.
Government
Educational institutions
Private:
Public:
Points of interest
Ashburnham is the starting point for the Wapack Trail and Massachusetts Midstate Trail.
Notable residents
Ivers Whitney Adams, founder and President of the Boston Red Stockings, Boston's very first baseball team; as well as the Boston Base Ball Club, the first professional Baseball franchise in Boston. He also gave to the town its own water supply as well as commissioned Bela Pratt to design the Schoolboy Statue of 1850, now on the corner of Main and School Streets. Dr. Amos Pollard, military surgeon who died defending the hospital in the Battle of the Alamo, was born in Ashburnham. Brendan Walsh, a famed modern day renaissance man resides amongst the lush forest in Ashburnham.
References
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