- Norfolk, Massachusetts
-
Norfolk, Massachusetts — Town — Federated Church of Norfolk
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°07′10″N 71°19′32″W / 42.11944°N 71.32556°WCoordinates: 42°07′10″N 71°19′32″W / 42.11944°N 71.32556°W Country United States State Massachusetts County Norfolk Settled 1795 Incorporated 1870 Government – Type Open town meeting Area – Total 15.2 sq mi (39.3 km2) – Land 14.8 sq mi (38.4 km2) – Water 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2) Elevation 212 ft (65 m) Population (2010) – Total 11,227 – Density 758.6/sq mi (292.4/km2) Time zone Eastern (UTC-5) – Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4) ZIP code 02056 Area code(s) 508 / 774 FIPS code 25-46050 GNIS feature ID 0618326 Website http://www.town.norfolk.ma.us/ Norfolk is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States with a population of 10,460 people in 2,818 households at the 2000 census. Formerly known as North Wrentham, Norfolk broke away to become an independent town in 1870.
Contents
History
Norfolk is a rural suburban town on the periphery of metropolitan Boston, located on an upper valley of the Charles River. There were a half dozen small farms in the town after 1669, the result of a determined effort to populate the colonial frontier. This was seen as a difficult task despite the good agricultural lands, fresh water fishing and fish runs because the settlement was so remote.
It was abandoned during King Philip's War, and when Norfolk was reestablished, settlers relied on agriculture and cattle grazing with some considerable lumbering and planting of orchards. After 1812, three cotton manufacturing companies were established at Stony Brook, and later in the 19th century George Campbell's paper mill was opened at Highland Lake making heavy wrapping and building papers.The town saw a rapid increase in population after 1925 when a hospital and a state prison were built in Norfolk on the Walpole line. Major residential development took place before 1940 in the Pondville and Clark Streets section of town with scattered new housing along Seekonk and Main Streets, and suburban residential building has continued since.
It is located in eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Millis and Medfield on the north, Walpole on the east, Foxborough and Wrentham on the south, and Franklin and Medway on the west. Norfolk is 20 miles southwest of Boston; about 21 miles north of Providence, Rhode island; and about 205 miles from New York City.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.2 square miles (39 km2), of which 14.8 square miles (38 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (2.30%) is water.
Demographics
Historical populations Year Pop. ±% 1870 1,081 — 1880 930 −14.0% 1890 913 −1.8% 1900 980 +7.3% 1910 960 −2.0% 1920 1,159 +20.7% 1930 1,429 +23.3% 1940 2,294 +60.5% 1950 2,704 +17.9% 1960 3,471 +28.4% 1970 4,656 +34.1% 1980 6,363 +36.7% 1990 9,270 +45.7% 2000 10,460 +12.8% 2001* 10,424 −0.3% 2002* 10,621 +1.9% 2003* 10,625 +0.0% 2004* 10,667 +0.4% 2005* 10,666 −0.0% 2006* 10,840 +1.6% 2007* 10,958 +1.1% 2008* 11,144 +1.7% 2009* 11,183 +0.3% 2010 11,227 +0.4% * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 10,460 people, 2,818 households, and 2,412 families residing in the town. The population density was 705.1 people per square mile (272.1/km²). There were 2,861 housing units at an average density of 192.9 per square mile (74.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.97% White, 4.90% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.43% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population.
There were 2,818 households out of which 50.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.4% were non-families. 10.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 142.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $86,153, and the median income for a family was $92,001. Males had a median income of $60,926 versus $40,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,454. About 0.8% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
As of 2006, there are three public schools located within the town. They are the H. Olive Day Elementary School, the Freeman-Centennial Elementary School, and King Philip Regional Middle School. Students go on to attend King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham, MA or, specialty high schools such as Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin, MA and Norfolk County Agricultural High School in Walpole, MA. A new elementary school is currently in construction, and it will replace the Freeman-Centennial Elementary School when it is completed in 2012. The new school will be named the Freeman-Kennedy Elementary School. A new public library building recently opened on town hill. Inside the new library in 2009, a one-room school house, the original public library building, was reopened as a meeting room and historical landmark.
Transportation
The Norfolk Airpark (FAA airport code 32M) has one 2700 foot north-south runway and is about 2 miles west of the town center. It was closed in recent years, however, and is in disrepair. Plans for new developments have been proposed, specifically residential projects. As of the present, there is debate within the town regarding the fate of the old airport as it would be a source of unnecessary noise.
The Norfolk MBTA commuter rail station is in Zone 5 and is located at 9 Rockwood Rd. Norfolk, MA.[10]
Emergency services
The Norfolk Police Department is a fairly small department which is located in the center of town. It is run by a total of 25 police officers, including the chief of police. The police department also has a total of 21 special police officers and 3 police matrons. The town's fire department and emergency medical services was staffed full time with 24h/7d coverage for the first time in April 2001 under the advocacy of Fire Chief William Kelley and then Public Safety Liaison, Selectman Raymond William Perron Jr. It is run by a total of 23 authorities which includes the fire chief (Fire chief is also Forest Warden), and is the only REAL branch of the town's emergency services department. Out of the 23 members of the Norfolk Fire Department, 18 are also EMT's (Emergency Medical Technicians) and Paramedics. The police and fire communications department (also known as police dispatch) is operated by a total of 4 full time dispatchers and 6 part time dispatchers. All of these emergency services are located in the center of town on Main Street. For more information on these services, you can click on the following links.
Police: http://www.virtualnorfolk.org/public_documents/norfolkma_police/index
Fire: http://www.virtualnorfolk.org/public_documents/norfolkma_fire/index
Media
The Norfolk Boomerang is Norfolk's weekly newspaper that was established in 2005. It is independently owned and operated. It is published on Fridays and is for sale in stores and by subscription. It is the only media source that focuses on Norfolk and Norfolk only. The newspaper's website is http://www.norfolkboomerang.com. The town is also served by a small radio station, WDIS AM 1170, started in 1978.
References
- ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
- ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ MBTA > Schedules & Maps > Commuter Rail > Norfolk
External links
- Norfolk municipal home page
- King Philip Regional School District home page
- Norfolk Community page
- The Norfolk Boomerang's Website - Norfolk's Community Newspaper
- Library web page
- Town web cam
Municipalities and communities of Norfolk County, Massachusetts Cities 
Towns CDPs Bellingham | Dover | Foxborough | Medfield | Millis-Clicquot | Sharon | Walpole
Other
villageCategories:- Towns in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
- Populated places established in 1795
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
