Charlton, Massachusetts
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| Charlton, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester County |
| Settled | 1735 |
| Incorporated | 1775 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Town | 43.8 sq mi (113.4 km²) |
| - Land | 42.5 sq mi (110.2 km²) |
| - Water | 1.3 sq mi (3.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 895 ft (273 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 11,263 |
| - Density | 264.8/sq mi (102.2/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01507-09 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| Website: http://www.townofcharlton.net/ | |
Charlton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It was obviously named after the various settlements named Charlton in the UK.
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[edit] History
Charlton was first settled in 1735. It become a separate district (from Oxford) in 1755, and was officially incorporated in 1775. The town celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2005, so it considers its start to be the 1755 date.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 113.4 km² (43.8 mi²). 110.2 km² (42.5 mi²) of it is land and 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (2.86%) is water.
The town is bordered on the west by Sturbridge; on the north by East Brookfield, Spencer and Leicester; on the east by Oxford; and on the south by Dudley and Southbridge.
Charlton is bisected by north-south Route 31, which runs through the historical villages of Charlton Center, Charlton City and Charlton Depot. North-south Route 169 connects Charlton City with Southbridge. East-west routes include Route 20, a major commuter road, and the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90), which crosses through Charlton but does not have an exit in the town.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 11,263 people, 3,788 households, and 3,045 families residing in the town. The population density was 102.2/km² (264.8/mi²). There were 4,008 housing units at an average density of 36.4/km² (94.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.46% African American, 0.23% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.98% of the population.
There were 3,788 households out of which 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.6% were non-families. 14.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $63,033, and the median income for a family was $70,208. Males had a median income of $46,727 versus $33,451 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,626. About 4.9% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 10.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus (D) |
| County Treasurer: | Position Eliminated |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Registrar of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Registrar of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| Sheriff: | Guy W. Glodis (D) |
| State government | |
| Representative(s) in General Court: | Geraldo Alicea(D) |
| Senator(s) in General Court: | Stephen M. Brewer (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Thomas J. Foley (D) |
| Federal government | |
| Member(s) of the U.S. House of Representatives: | Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) |
[edit] Education
Charlton public schools are part of the Dudley–Charlton Regional School district. The town of Charlton has schools to serve children of all ages. Charlton Elementary serves students in kindergarten and first grade. The Heritage School serves students in grades 2 through 4. The Charlton Middle School serves grades 5 through 8. Charlton High Schoolers (ninth grade through twelfth grade) attend Shepherd Hill Regional High School in Dudley. There used to be a high school called Charlton High School. It was located in the center of town. Now it would be the town hall of Charlton.
Charlton is also home to Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School which serves Charlton and surrounding communities.
[edit] Points of interest
- Grave of James "Grizzly" Adams in Bay Path Cemetery.
- Headquarters of Nature's Classroom
[edit] External links
- Charlton official website
- Dudley-Charlton Regional School District official website
- Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School official website
