Winthrop, Massachusetts: Difference between revisions
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* [[Edward J. King]] - Governor of Massachusetts (1979-1983) |
* [[Edward J. King]] - Governor of Massachusetts (1979-1983) |
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* [[Terry Driscoll]] - All-American college basketball player at Boston College, drafted as the 4th pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 1969 by the Detroit Pistons. Played for the Pistons, the Baltimore Bullets and the Milwaukee Bucks. |
* [[Terry Driscoll]] - All-American college basketball player at Boston College, drafted as the 4th pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 1969 by the Detroit Pistons. Played for the Pistons, the Baltimore Bullets and the Milwaukee Bucks. |
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* [[Hank Jr.]] - Release the smash hit "I got ants in tha pants" and at 21 died of a heroin overdose |
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==Trivia== |
==Trivia== |
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Revision as of 16:37, 13 April 2007
Winthrop, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: Winthrop-by-the-Sea | |
 Location in Massachusetts | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Suffolk County |
| Settled | 1635 |
| Incorporated | 1852 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Town Council |
| Elevation | 36 ft (11 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
• Total | 18,303 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 02152 |
| Area code | 617 / 857 |
| Website | http://www.town.winthrop.ma.us/ |
Winthrop is a town in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, zip code 02152. The population was 18,303 at the 2000 census.
History
 |
Winthrop was first settled in 1635 and was officially incorporated in 1852. Winthrop was named after the first Governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop, and is one of the four municipalities, and the only town, in Suffolk County, (the cities of Boston, Revere, and Chelsea, and the Town of Winthrop). It is located on a peninsula, at the beginning of the North Shore, with 7 miles of shore line that provides breathtaking views of the ocean to the East and of the Boston skyline to the West.
Originally part of an area called Winnesimmet by the Native Americans, the peninsula was annexed by Boston in 1632 and within 5 years became the grazing area for farm animals of the rapidly growing Boston colony. In 1637 it was divided into 15 parcels of land which were given by Governor Winthrop to prominent men in Boston with the stipulation that each must erect a building on his land within 2 years. Few, if any, of these men ever lived here but their farms prospered. One of these early houses, built initially during the first half of the 1600’s,and rebuilt in 1675, was the home of Governor Winthrop’s youngest son, Deane Winthrop, who lived there until his death in 1703. This house is still standing and is maintained, for public viewing, by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association.
In 1739, what is now Chelsea, Revere and Winthrop withdrew from Boston due to governmental control disputes and became the Town of Chelsea. Again the desire for more local control resulted in Revere and Winthrop seceding from Chelsea in 1846 to become North Chelsea. Shortly thereafter, in 1852, Winthrop was incorporated as a Town in its own right with a Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting form of government. In 1920, Winthrop was the second Town in the Commonwealth to apply for and receive a Charter for a Representative Town Meeting which continued to 2006.
In 2006, a new Town Charter was passed in a special election. The Board of Selectmen was abolished, and legislative powers were vested in an elected Town Council. Executive power, largely ceremonial, resides in the Council President, who is popularly elected. An appointed Town Manager serves as the head of administrative services.
Deer Island, though within the city limits of Boston, is located in Winthrop Bay and actually ceased to be an island in the 1930s when Shirley Gut, which separated it from Winthrop, was filled in. The island has a sordid past as an internment camp for Indians during King Philip's War, a quarantine station where many immigrants died, and the site of a county jail. Today the island is home to the mammoth Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant, which treats sewage treatment for the Boston area.[1]
Winthrop includes Snake Island in Boston Harbor as well as a portion of Logan Airport.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.5 km² (8.3 mi²). 5.2 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is land and 16.3 km² (6.3 mi²) of it (76.02%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 18,303 people, 7,843 households, and 4,580 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,551.2/km² (9,208.3/mi²). There were 8,067 housing units at an average density of 1,565.2/km² (4,058.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.44% White, 1.68% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.
There were 7,843 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,122, and the median income for a family was $65,696. Males had a median income of $42,135 versus $36,298 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,374. About 3.3% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
Points of interest
- Deane Winthrop House - Shirley Street
- Fort Banks (An underground bunker is all that remains) - Off of Revere St and Almont St. (Also once used as the Halloween attraction The Haunted Dungeon.)
- Fort Heath
Notable residents
- Sylvia Plath - Poet
- Mark Bavaro - NFL Tight End
- Deane Winthrop - Son of John Winthrop, founder of the town and Massachusetts first Governor
- Benjamin Whorf - an American linguist
- Mike Eruzione - former ice hockey player who was the captain of the 1980 Winter Olympics United States national team that upset the Soviet Union in the famous Miracle on Ice game
- Rick DiPietro An American hockey goalie who currently plays for the National Hockey League's New York Islanders. He was drafted First Overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft
- Michael Soper Sr. - Pitched Single-A ball for the Texas Rangers until injured.
- Tony Fucillo - The winningest football coach in Winthrop High School history (126 wins) As Head coach, he has garnered 4 NEC Titles ('92,'93,'05,'06), 3 Super Bowl appearances ('92,'93,'06), and one Super Bowl victory (2006).
- Larry Thomas - Major League Pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.
- Margery Stinson Crandon - Famous psychic from the 1920s and 1930s who waged a public battle with Houdini and other psychic researchers over the authenticity of supernatural phenomenon [Thomas Tiezte, "Margery" 1973]
- Brook Geraghty - A contestant on Survivor 9 Vanuatu who was the first voted off. Brook was born November 20, 1976 and he still resides in Winthrop today.
- Nick D'Agostino-Film Director
- Edward J. King - Governor of Massachusetts (1979-1983)
- Terry Driscoll - All-American college basketball player at Boston College, drafted as the 4th pick in the first round of the NBA draft in 1969 by the Detroit Pistons. Played for the Pistons, the Baltimore Bullets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
- Hank Jr. - Release the smash hit "I got ants in tha pants" and at 21 died of a heroin overdose
Trivia
- Winthrop was almost the site of the world's first monorail. However right before construction was supposed to begin, the project disappeared and nothing was ever said about it again.
- Winthrop was also supposed to be the site of the Massachusetts State Hospital, which was eventually placed in Danvers, Mass and became the infamous Danvers State Insane Asylum, or Danvers State Hospital.
- Winthrop Cemetery is the resting place of Gilman C. Parker, the final owner and captain of the ghost ship "Mary Celeste."
- Anheuser-Busch once offered a substantial amount of money to the town to paint the water tower to look like a Budweiser beer can for use in a television commercial. Winthrop declined.
References
- ^ "Deer Island Factsheet". Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. Retrieved August 21.
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