Somerville, Massachusetts
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| Somerville, Massachusetts | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Middlesex County | ||
| Settled | 1630 | ||
| Incorporated | 1842 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Mayor-council city | ||
| - Mayor | Joseph A. Curtatone | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 4.2 sq mi (10.9 km²) | ||
| - Land | 4.1 sq mi (10.6 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 12 ft (4 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 77,478 | ||
| - Density | 18,868.1/sq mi (7,285.0/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 02143, 02144, 02145 | ||
| Area code(s) | 617 / 857 | ||
| Website: http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us/ | |||
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just north of Boston. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 77,478, and was the most densely populated municipality in New England, and among the most dense in the United States. It was established as a town in 1842, when it was separated from the urbanizing Charlestown.
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[edit] History
Somerville was first settled in 1630 as part of Charlestown. It was known as "Charlestown beyond the Neck"[1] because it was part of the Massachusetts mainland, not the Charlestown Peninsula. (Charlestown Neck was the narrow strip of land that joined the two.) The incorporation of Somerville in 1842 separated the largely rural town from the urbanizing Charlestown.
The original choice for the city's new name after breaking away from Charlestown was Walford, after the first settler of Charlestown. However this name was not adopted by the separation committee. Mr. Charles Miller, a member of this committee, proposed the name "Somerville" which was chosen. It was not derived from any one person's name. A report commissioned by the Somerville Historical Society found that Somerville was a "purely fanciful name".[2]
Traffic on the Middlesex Canal began its famous route from the mouth of the Charles River in Charlestown (now Boston) to Lowell going through East Somerville, where several historical markers can be discovered today.
Historically Somerville encompassed many of the less desirable railway and industrial lands squeezed between the Charles River to the southwest and the Mystic River to the northeast. For all its problems, Somerville's late 1800s and early 1900s industrial revolution left behind a rich historical record of Sanborn Maps, apparently invented in Somerville in 1867, and subsequently used for fire insurance appraisal across the USA. The delicate, detailed original Sanborn Maps are on display at the main branch of the Somerville Public Library.[3]
Somerville's industrial past left one special legacy, the invention of Fluff, the marshmallow creme.
One of the earliest American flags was raised on Prospect Hill, above Union Square, on January 1, 1776.[4]
Somerville was once colloquially referred to as "Slummerville," referring to its blue-collar residents and its reputation for crime, especially in the city's east, where James "Buddy" McLean and Howie Winter and the "Winter Hill Gang" were based. However, after the gentrification period the city went through in the 1990s this name became less prevalent. More recently, lobbying by grassroots organizations is attempting to revive and preserve Somerville's "small town" neighborhood environments by supporting local business, public transit, gardens and pedestrian/biker access.
[edit] Political history
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The first Democratic Mayor of the city was John J. Murphy (1929). He succeeded on his seventh try by uniting the Irish, Italians, Greeks, and Portuguese people. There were "Candle Parades" with thousands marching to giant rallies in the middle of Union Square (and other squares too). At the time signs in real estate windows often had "Irish Catholic need not apply" under their "Flats for Rent".[citation needed]
[edit] Geography
Somerville is located at (42.390546, -71.103683).GR1
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.9 km² (4.2 mi²). 10.6 km² (4.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.61%) is water.
Somerville has a number of squares that are bustling business and entertainment centers, among them Davis Square, Union Square, Ball Square, Teele Square, and Magoun Square.
A tree-lined rail trail runs through the heart of Davis Square and is called the Somerville Community Path. The city has many community groups, including Friends of the Community Path, dedicated to extending the Minuteman Bikeway/Linear Park from its current ending at Cedar Street in Somerville, to the Charles River Path and on to Boston.
[edit] Neighborhoods
These are the neighborhoods that the Somerville City Website (http://www.ci.somerville.ma.us) recognizes:
- Davis Square
- East Somerville
- Industrial Park
- Magoun Square
- Mystic River
- Powder House
- Prospect Hill
- Spring Hill
- Ten Hills
- Teele Square
- Tufts
- Ward Two
- West Somerville
- Winter Hill
- Union Square
- Inman Square
[edit] Hills
The seven hills of Somerville are:
- Clarendon Hill
- Cobble Hill
- Ploughed Hill
- Prospect Hill
- Spring Hill
- Walnut Hill
- Winter Hill
[edit] Demographics
Somerville has a mix of blue collar Irish-American, Italian American and to a slightly lesser extent Portuguese American families who are spread throughout the city; immigrant families from Brazil, Haiti and El Salvador, who live in the area known as East Somerville; South Korea and India in the Union Square area, and college students and young professionals, many of whom live in sections near Cambridge, or near Tufts University, which straddles the Somerville-Medford city line, although the university's formal address is Medford.
With only slightly over 4 square miles (10 km²) of land, Somerville is the most densely populated city in New England and the fifth densest municipality under 100,000 in the United States after Guttenberg, NJ, Union City, NJ, West New York, NJ and Hoboken, NJ according to the 2000 Demographics of the United States.
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 77,478 people, 31,555 households, and 14,673 families residing in the city. The population density was 7,278.4/km² (18,868.1/mi²). There were 32,477 housing units at an average density of 3,051.0/km² (7,909.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 76.97% White, 6.50% African American, 0.22% Native American, 6.44% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.96% from other races, and 4.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.76% of the population.
There were 31,555 households out of which 18.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.5% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.8% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 42.6% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $46,315, and the median income for a family was $51,243. Males had a median income of $36,333 versus $31,418 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,628. About 8.4% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.
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Somerville has experienced dramatic gentrification since the Red Line of Boston's subway system was extended through Somerville in 1985, especially in the area between Harvard and Tufts Universities, centering around Davis Square. This was especially accelerated by the repeal of rent control in the mid-1990s being directly followed by the Internet boom of the late 90s. Residential property values approximately quadrupuled from 1991 to 2003, and the stock of rental housing decreased as lucrative condo conversions become commonplace. This has led to tensions between long-time residents and recent arrivals, with many of the former accusing the latter of ignoring problems of working-class families such as drugs, gang violence, and suicides. Incidents such as anti-"yuppie" graffiti appearing around town have highlighted this rift. [1]Recent months have seen the arrival of community groups such as Save Our Somerville (SOS), dedicated to improving relationships between old and new residents and ensuring that the concerns of the Somerville working class remain at the forefront of the city's political concerns. SOS in particular is headed by young residents of the city who claim to desire unity between all residents but also focus on the difficulties that young adults in Somerville face. Their acceptance of people of different races, economic status and sexual preference has been questioned at times, but they enjoy support from a number of well-known, local adults, including elected officials. Many such community-led groups find it difficult to attract wide support as many would-be advocates are forced to move to less expensive towns due to the density of the population and strong economic forces that have made Somerville a very expensive city to live in.
[edit] Culture
Though formally listed as being located in Medford, Tufts University is also located in Somerville. The Somerville-Medford line actually runs through Tufts' campus. The school employs many local residents and has many community service projects that serve the city, especially those run through the Leonard Carmichael Society and the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, the latter of which especially emphasizes public service in Tufts' host communities.
Somerville is home to a thriving arts community. Regular arts-related events, such as the annual "ArtBeat" festival, occur throughout the year. In addition, numerous galleries and music clubs showcase the talents of residents and others.
A major art studio complex is located in former industrial buildings known as the Brickbottom complex, between Union Square and the Cambridge line.
Davis Square is home to a lively coffeehouse scene with several coffeehouses each boasting its own fiercely loyal clientele. It is also known for its mom-and-pop shops, vintage stores, and other independent retailers.
The volunteer-operated Somerville Museum[5] preserves memorabilia chronicling Somerville's roots, with historical and artistic exhibits. It is located on 1 Westwood Road, on the corner with Central Street.
The Somerville Arts Council and Somerville Open Studios both host annual events involving the community in homegrown arts.
[edit] Transportation
Davis Square in Somerville and nearby Porter Square in Cambridge have Red Line subway stations providing easy access to Harvard Square and to downtown Boston. Other parts of the city are served by buses that connect to the Green Line's Lechmere station in East Cambridge or to the Orange Line's Sullivan station in Charlestown.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority also has several proposed stations planned for the city of Somerville, at Union Square there has been a proposal to have the regional MBTA Commuter Rail stop at a station near the square. On the Orange Line it has been proposed to create a new train station in close proximity of the Assembly Square Mall in eastern Somerville; the station is to be built between the current Sullivan and Wellington stations.
[edit] Notable residents
- Robert A. Bruce, academic cardiologist (b. 1916)
- Michael E. Capuano, U.S. Congressman (b. 1952)
- Haroutioun Hovanes Chakmakjian (1878-1973), chemistry professor, Armenian scholar, and father of Alan Hovhaness
- Hal Clement, science fiction author (1922-2003)
- George Dilboy, recipient of Medal of Honor (1896-1918)
- Antje Duvekot, singer/songwriter
- Linda Fisher, artist (b. 1949)
- Nick Gomez, television and movie director (b. 1963)
- Henry Kimball Hadley, composer and conductor (1871-1937)
- Hank Hansen, raiser of the first flag in the Battle of Iwo Jima
- Alan Hovhaness, composer (1911-2000)
- Jennifer Kimball, singer/songwriter
- Howie Long, NFL player, member Football Hall of Fame (b. 1960)
- James "Buddy" McLean, gangster (1929-1965)
- Connie Morella, former U.S. Representative from Maryland
- Bobby "Boris" Pickett, composer "Monster Mash" (b. 1938)
- Harry Nelson Pillsbury, chess champion (1872-1906)
- Alex Rocco actor, gangster (b. 1936)
- Keri Rodrigues, radio and television personality, social commentator (b. 1979)
- Paul Sorrento, Major League Baseball player from 1989 to 1999 (b. 1965)
- Sean Staples, singer/songwriter
- Howie Winter, gangster
[edit] Notes
- ^ The History of Prospect Hill
- ^ cf. Haskell, Albert L., "Haskell's Historical Guide Book of Somerville, Massachusetts", section on "Somerville: Why So Named".
- ^ Somerville Public Library
- ^ Historical postcards of the raising of the Grand Union Flag in 1776.
- ^ The Somerville Museum
[edit] References
- Lehr, Dick; Gerard O'Neil (2000). Black Mass:The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob. Public Affairs Press, 8-84. ISBN 1-891620-40-1.
[edit] Bibliography
- Haskell, Albert L., Haskell's Historical Guide Book of Somerville, Massachusetts
- Sammarco, Anthony Michael (1997). Images of America: Somerville. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-1290-7.
- Zellie, Carole (1982, 1990). Beyond the Neck: The Architecture and Development of Somerville, Massachusetts. St. Paul, Minn.: Landscape Research. ISBN 0-7385-1290-7.
[edit] External links
- Official City of Somerville site
- Wikitravel page
- Progressive Democrats of Somerville
- Friends of the Community Path
- Somerville Dog Owner's Group
- Somerville Theater
- Somerville Arts Council
- Somerville Public Library
- Somerville Open Studios
- Somerville Chamber Of Commerce
- Somerville Journal Online
- The Somerville News (Blog)
- Somerville Real Estate News
- Groundwork Somerville
- STEP: Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership
- Mystic View Task Force
- Somerville's Industrial Past
- Somerville Community Corporation
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Prospect Hill History
- Lost Theaters of Somerville exhibition
- Somerville Restaurants
