Brewster, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brewster, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Barnstable County |
| Settled | 1656 |
| Incorporated | 1803 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 25.5 sq mi (65.9 km²) |
| - Land | 23.0 sq mi (59.5 km²) |
| - Water | 2.5 sq mi (6.4 km²) |
| Elevation | 39 ft (12 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 10,094 |
| - Density | 439.2/sq mi (169.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 02631 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| Website: http://www.town.brewster.ma.us/ | |
Brewster is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 10,094 at the 2000 census.
Brewster is twinned with the town of Budleigh Salterton in the United Kingdom.
The Brewster Whitecaps of the Cape Cod Baseball League play at the Stony Brook School from mid-June to early August.
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[edit] History
Brewster was first settled in 1656 as a northeastern parish of the town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The town separated from Yarmouth as the northern, more wealthy parish of Harwich in 1693, and was officially incorporated as its own town in 1803. Brewster was named in honor of Elder William Brewster, the first religious leader of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony. The town's history grew around Stony Brook, where the first water-powered grist and woolen mill in the country was founded in the late 1600s. There were also many other rich sea captains in the town, who built many of the mansions and stately homes which now constitute the town's inns and bed-and-breakfasts.[1]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 65.9 km² (25.5 mi²). 59.5 km² (23.0 mi²) of it is land and 6.4 km² (2.5 mi²) of it (9.70%) is water.
Brewster is bordered on the north by Cape Cod Bay, on the west by Dennis, on the south by Harwich, and on the east by Orleans. The town is usually separated into two villages, West and East Brewster. Brewster is thirty-one miles south of Provincetown, seventeen miles east of Barnstable, thirty-one miles east of the Sagamore Bridge, and eighty-five miles southeast of Boston, Massachusets.
The town is bordered by extensive mudflats to the north, along the shores of Cape Cod Bay. The town is also home to the Roland C. Nickerson State Forest Park, the largest state forest on Cape Cod. The town has several large ponds, especially along the Harwich town line. There are several brooks throughout the town, all of which lead to Cape Cod Bay. The bay is also home to several boat landings and beaches in the town.
[edit] Transportation
U.S. Route 6 and Route 6A pass through the town from east to west, and Routes 124 and 137 both have a northern terminus along Route 6A in town. Short portions of Routes 28 and 39 also pass through the southeastern corner of town (the portion of 28 is less than 100 yards long). Route 6 is a limited-access, two-lane, semi-divided highway, Brewster is accessed by exits 10,11, and 12. Route 6A (Main St.)from the Dennis line takes you east through the town center, and on towards Orleans; the other five highways are all surface roads.
There is no rail or air service in the town. The Cape Cod Rail Trail, as well as several other bicycle trails, pass through the town. The nearest public airfield is in Chatham,(Chatham Municipal, CQX) the nearest regional airport is Barnstable Municipal Airport, HYA, and the nearest national and international air service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 10,094 people, 4,124 households, and 2,853 families residing in the town. The population density was 169.6/km² (439.2/mi²). There were 7,339 housing units at an average density of 123.3/km² (319.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.24% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.35% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.
There were 4,124 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,276, and the median income for a family was $57,174. Males had a median income of $41,407 versus $33,388 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,638. About 1.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
Brewster is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the First Barnstable District, along with Dennis and a portion of Yarmouth. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and a portion of Barnstable.[2] The town is patrolled by the Second (Yarmouth) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.[3]
On the national level, Brewster is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.
Brewster is governed by the open town meeting form of government, led by an executive secretary and a board of selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, headquartered together at the intersection of Routes 6A and 137. There is a single post office near the geographic center of town, as well as the Brewster Ladies' Library, a 50,000-volume library which is a part of the Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS) network. The Long Pond Medical Center, located just over the Harwich line at the intersection of Routes 6 and 137, serves the medical needs of the town, as well as the southeastern corner of the Cape.
[edit] Education
Brewster is a member of the Nauset Regional School District, along with the towns of Eastham, Orleans and Wellfleet. The town operates the Stony Brook Elementary School, which serves students from kindergarten through second grade, and the Eddy Elementary School, which serves students in third through fifth grades. Middle School students attend Nauset Middle School in Orleans, and high school students attend Nauset Regional High School in North Eastham.
Additionally, the town's high school students may attend Upper Cape Regional Technical School in neighboring Harwich free of charge. There are also two private schools, The Family School and The Laurel School, both of which serve elementary students.
See also: Brewster (CDP), Massachusetts
[edit] Points of interest
- Brewster Historical Society Museum
- The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
- New England Fire and History Museum
[edit] References
- ^ Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Street Atlas. South Easton, MA: Arrow Maps Inc., 2004, p 32.
- ^ Index of Legislative Representation by City and Town, from Mass.gov
- ^ Station D-2, SP Yarmouth
[edit] External links
- Town of Brewster official website
- Brewster Chamber of Commerce tourist information
- Cape Rep Theatre
- Brewster Whitecaps
