West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,450 at the 2006 census. Along with neighboring Merrimac and Groveland, it is part of the Pentucket Regional School District.
History
Post Office Square, c. 1905
West Newbury was first settled in 1635 as part of neighboring Newbury. On February 18, 1819, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an act "to incorporate the town of Parsons."[1] The initial proposals had been made in the late 18th century, but determined resistance from the town of Newbury, which had already lost Newburyport, blocked the measure for decades. On June 14, 1820, the court passed another act to change the name to West Newbury.
Over the last twenty or so years, West Newbury has developed from a rural farming town to an affluent community.
The town's oldest continually-operating farm is Long Hill Orchard. The farm has been active since 1896, and has a long and intriguing history that adds to the over-all feel of West Newbury. Today, the farm is home to a certified organic Community Supported Agriculture program; this program attracts the majority of the town's residents.
West Newbury is sometimes referred to as "a village of Newburyport," due to its close proximity to the city, as well as its tiny size and close relationship to neighboring Newburyport.
West Newbury is well-known for its many hills: Pipestave Hill, Archelaus Hill, Brake Hill, Ilsey Hill, Indian Hill, Long Hill, and Meetinghouse Hill. It is also known as the home of the WWE wrestler John Cena.
West Newbury is a part of Massachusetts' North Shore, as well as the Merrimack Valley regions of the state.
West Newbury's status as an affluent community can be attributed to its location in Essex County. In 2006, Essex County received the dubious honor of being named number one on Forbes Magazine's list of most overpriced places to live in the U.S. The magazine cited high living costs and expensive real estate as the major reasons Essex County was picked over cities with higher mean real estate values.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²), of which, 13.5 square miles (35.0 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is water. The total area is 7.53% water. The town is 40 miles north of Boston. West Newbury is also within ten minutes drive of the ocean, as well as many local beaches, including Sandy Point, Plum Island, Salisbury, Seabrook, and Hampton.
Demographics
The U.S. Post Office in West Newbury
As of the census[2] of 2006, there were 4,450 people, 1,392 households, and 1,183 families residing in the town. The population density is 306.9 people per square mile (118.5/km²). There were 1,423 housing units at an average density of 105.3/sq mi (40.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.48% White, 0.19% African American, 0.02% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65% of the population.
There were 1,392 households out of which 46.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.8% are married couples living together, 6.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 15.0% are non-families. 11.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.98 and the average family size is 3.25.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $102,828, and the median income for a family was $128,050. Males had a median income of $100,670 versus $80,189 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,323. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under the age of 18 and 9.8% of those 65 and older.
Property values in West Newbury are among the highest in the state; particularly the Newbury-Newburyport-West Newbury area, which are towns in Essex County, one of the single most expensive counties in the state.
Notable residents
Culture
West Newbury has been the setting Virginia Lee Burton's children's story "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel"'s town of Popperville and its residents were modeled after West Newbury. The town hall where the story ends is modeled after West Newbury's Old Town Hall[3]. West Newbury also provided the geographical inspiration for the Mad Scientists' Club series of stories by Bertrand R. Brinley. Portions of John Cena's music video, 'Right Now' was shot partly in West Newbury, Massachusetts, with the remainder was filmed on Hampton Beach, NH. In the late Summer and Fall of 2008, various scenes from Mel Gibson's upcoming film "The Edge of Darkness" were shot on Church Street. West Newbury is home to Emery House, Monastery Guesthouse and sanctuary of The Society of Saint John the Evangelist.
References
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