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Fitchburg, Massachusetts

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Fitchburg, Massachusetts
City
Downtown Fitchburg as seen from Riverfront Park
Downtown Fitchburg as seen from Riverfront Park
Nickname(s): 
River City, The "Burg"
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CountyWorcester
Settled1730
Incorporated1764
Government
 • TypeMayor-council city
 • MayorLisa Wong
 • City CouncilAT LARGE: Stephan Hay
AT LARGE: Rosemary Reynolds
AT LARGE: Marcus DiNatale
AT LARGE: Jeffrey Bean
AT LARGE: Dean A. Tran
WARD 1: David Clark
WARD 2: Norman L. Boisvert
WARD 3: Joel R. Kaddy
WARD 4: Dolores Thibault-Muñoz
WARD 5: Nicholas Carbone
WARD 6: Jody M. Joseph (President)
Area
 • Total
28.1 sq mi (72.7 km2)
 • Land27.8 sq mi (71.9 km2)
 • Water0.3 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation
482 ft (143 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
40,318
 • Density1,400/sq mi (550/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
01420
Area code351 / 978
FIPS code25-23875
GNIS feature ID0617121
Websitewww.fitchburgma.gov

Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.

History

Fitchburg was first settled in 1730 and was officially incorporated in 1764. It is named for John Fitch, a settler. In 1748, Fitch and his family were abducted to Canada by Native Americans, but returned the next year.[citation needed]

Fitchburg is situated on both the Nashua River and a railroad line. The original Fitchburg Railroad ran through the Hoosac Tunnel, linking Boston and Albany, New York. The tunnel was built using the Burleigh Rock Drill, designed and built in Fitchburg. Fitchburg was a 19th century industrial center. Originally operated by water power, large mills produced machines, tools, clothing, paper, and firearms. The city is noted for its architecture, particularly in the Victorian style, built at the height of its mill town prosperity. As the city is one of two shire towns, the Northern Worcester County Registry of Deeds, established in 1903, and the county jail on Water Street were two county facilities located in Fitchburg.

The 1961 film Return to Peyton Place was filmed in Fitchburg.[1]

Geography

Fitchburg is located at 42°34′43″N 71°48′12″W / 42.57861°N 71.80333°W / 42.57861; -71.80333 (42.578689, -71.803383)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 28.1 square miles (73 km2), of which 27.8 square miles (72 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.07%, is water. The city is drained by the Nashua River. Fitchburg is very hilly and is often referred to as the second hilliest city in the United States after San Francisco.[citation needed] The highest point in Fitchburg is the summit of Brown Hill near the northwestern corner of the city, at 1,210 feet (370 m) above sea level.[2]

Fitchburg is bordered by Ashby to the north, Lunenburg to the east, Leominster to the south, Westminster to the west, and a small portion of Ashburnham to the northwest.

Climate

Fitchburg's climate is humid continental, which is the predominant climate for Massachusetts and New England. Summers are typically warm, rainy, and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Spring and fall are usually mild, but conditions are widely varied, depending on wind direction and jet stream positioning. The warmest month is July, with an average high temperature of 79°F and an average low temperature of 56°F. The coldest month is January, with an average high temperature of 31°F and an average low temperature of 12°F.

Climate data for Fitchburg
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 64
(18) 		67
(19) 		81
(27) 		91
(33) 		92
(33) 		94
(34) 		95
(35) 		98
(37) 		92
(33) 		84
(29) 		77
(25) 		69
(21) 		98
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 31
(−1) 		35
(2) 		43
(6) 		55
(13) 		66
(19) 		75
(24) 		79
(26) 		78
(26) 		70
(21) 		58
(14) 		48
(9) 		36
(2) 		56.2
(13.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 12
(−11) 		14
(−10) 		22
(−6) 		32
(0) 		41
(5) 		51
(11) 		56
(13) 		54
(12) 		46
(8) 		35
(2) 		27
(−3) 		18
(−8) 		34
(1)
Record low °F (°C) −25
(−32) 		−22
(−30) 		−16
(−27) 		6
(−14) 		21
(−6) 		29
(−2) 		34
(1) 		28
(−2) 		24
(−4) 		13
(−11) 		−7
(−22) 		−16
(−27) 		−25
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.42
(87) 		3.13
(80) 		3.63
(92) 		4.00
(102) 		4.03
(102) 		4.24
(108) 		4.09
(104) 		4.35
(110) 		3.87
(98) 		4.65
(118) 		3.94
(100) 		3.66
(93) 		47.01
(1,194)
Source: Weather Channel[3]

Neighborhoods

Fitchburg is divided into multiple different neighborhoods/villages, including:

  • Cleghorn
  • Crockerville
  • East Fitchburg
  • Rollstone Hill
  • South Fitchburg
  • Tar Hill
  • The Patch
  • Watchusett Station
  • Waite's Corner
  • West Fitchburg

Rollstone Boulder

The Rollstone Boulder, on the summit of Rollstone Hill in 1909.

Fitchburg is noted for the "Rollstone Boulder", a 110-ton specimen of porphyritic granite, which is in a small triangular park adjacent to the city green. The boulder was a feature of the summit of Rollstone Hill; it was exploded and reassembled on the green in 1929 and 1930. A plaque attached to the boulder today reads, in part:

This boulder, carried by the last glacier from Mt. Monadnock, New Hampshire to the summit of the hill whose name commemorates it, was for centuries a land mark to Indian and Settler. Threatened with destruction by quarrying operations, it was saved by popular subscription...

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17901,151—    
18001,390+20.8%
18101,566+12.7%
18201,736+10.9%
18302,169+24.9%
18402,604+20.1%
18505,120+96.6%
18607,805+52.4%
187011,260+44.3%
188012,429+10.4%
189022,037+77.3%
190031,531+43.1%
191037,826+20.0%
192041,029+8.5%
193040,692−0.8%
194041,824+2.8%
195042,691+2.1%
196043,021+0.8%
197043,343+0.7%
198039,580−8.7%
199041,194+4.1%
200039,102−5.1%
201040,318+3.1%

Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 39,102 people, 14,943 households, and 9,369 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,408.5 people per square mile (543.9/km²). There were 16,002 housing units at an average density of 576.4 per square mile (222.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 81.86% White, 3.65% African American, 0.35% Native American, 4.27% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 6.78% from other races, and 3.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.97% of the population. 16.4% were of French, 12.4% French Canadian, 10.5% Italian, 14.2% Irish and 5.7% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 77.2% spoke English, 13.4% Spanish, 3.2% French and 1.9% Hmong as their first language.

There were 14,943 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.3% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,004, and the median income for a family was $43,291. Males had a median income of $35,855 versus $26,558 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,256. About 12.1% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.1% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Template:Infobox Mass Town Govt

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008[15]
Party Number of Voters Percentage

Template:American politics/party colors/Democratic/row

Democratic 7,529 34.42%

Template:American politics/party colors/Republican/row

Republican 2,305 10.54%

Template:American politics/party colors/Independent/row

Unaffiliated 11,810 53.99%

Template:American politics/party colors/Libertarian/row

Minor Parties 229 1.05%
Total 21,873 100%

Emergency services

Fire department

Fitchburg Fire/EMS[16]

  • Central Fire/EMS Headquarters -33 North Street
  • Summer Street Station #1 -42 John Fitch Highway
  • Oak Hill Road Station #2 -231 Fairmount Street

Law enforcement

There are four law enforcement agencies that serve Fitchburg, two at the city level, one at the county level, and one at the state level.

  • City level:
    • Fitchburg Police Department[17] - The Fitchburg Police Department is a full-service law enforcement agency with law enforcement responsibilities for 28 square miles (73 km2) and 192 miles (310 km) of public road. The department responds to over 40,000 incidents each year, while addressing the needs of a population of approximately 40,000 people in Central Massachusetts.
    • Fitchburg State University Campus Police[18] - The Fitchburg State University Police Department includes a Chief, Lieutenant, Sergeant, thirteen Police Officers, three full time Dispatchers, three Reserve Officers. The police officers are fully trained, licensed, and armed as Special State Police Officers under Massachusetts General Law c.22c, 63 and c.73,18 as well as sworn Worcester County Deputy Sheriffs. Officers possess full police powers and are responsible for the prevention of crime, the detection and apprehension of offenders, the preservation of public peace, and the enforcement of all criminal laws and state statues as well as compliance with the policies and regulations of the university.
  • County level:
    • Worcester County Sheriff[19]
  • State level:
    • Massachusetts State Police - The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state. At present, it has approximately 2,200 officers and 400 civilian support staff, making it the largest law enforcement agency in New England.

Medical care

There is one medical facility in Fitchburg, Hospital (Burbank Campus).[20] Fitchburg is also served by Hospital HealthAlliance (Leominster Campus),[21] which is located in neighboring Leominster.

Public library, Fitchburg, ca.1907
State Normal School in c. 1920, now Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg State University's Hammond Building

Library

The Fitchburg public library was established in 1859.[22][23] In fiscal year 2008, the city of Fitchburg spent 1.34% ($1,111,412) of its budget on its public library—some $27 per person.[24] In fiscal year 2009, the city of Fitchburg spent .48% ($388,977) of its budget on its public library -- $9.23 per person.[25] This represents a year over year drop in municipal funding of 65% between FY2008 and FY2009. The Fitchburg Public Library does not meet Massachusetts minimum standards of public library services and is not eligible to be certified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.[26]

Education

Public schools

  • Goodrich School
  • Crocker Elementary School
  • McKay Elementary School
  • Reingold Elementary School
  • South Street Elementary School
  • North Central Charter Essential School
  • Fitchburg Arts Academy (FAA)
  • Arthur M. Longsjo Jr. Middle School
  • Memorial Middle School
  • B. F Brown Middle School (Closed 2009)
  • Fitchburg High School
  • Fitchburg Evening Alternative High School
  • Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, also called Monty Tech

Private schools

Colleges and universities

High school athletics

Fitchburg has a rich football tradition, and every year its team plays cross-town rival Leominster in the Thanksgiving Day game, which is a proud member of a list of high school football rivalries in the United States.

Transportation

Transportation for Fitchburg is largely supplied by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART). MART[27] operates fixed-route bus services, shuttle services, as well as paratransit services within the Montachusett Region. It also provides connections to the MBTA Commuter Rail line at Fitchburg Station. The Fitchburg Station is the last stop on the Fitchburg Line from the North Station in Boston.

The Fitchburg Municipal Airport occupies 335 acres off Airport Road in Fitchburg near the Leominster border. In 1940, the airport land was donated to the City of Fitchburg and serves the greater Fitchburg area.

Business

Main Street, looking east, in c. 1912

Throughout the early twentieth century, Fitchburg was known for its paper industry, which occupied the banks of the Nashua River and employed a large segment of the European immigrant population. It has been noted by many residents in Fitchburg that the Nashua River would be dyed the color the paper mills had been coloring the paper that day.

  • Founded in 1939, the Wachusett Potato Chip Company purchased the former County Jail buildings and grounds in the 1940s and has operated as a manufacturing and distributing facility for snack products since that time.
  • Two truck manufacturing firms, the Wachusett Truck Company and the New England Truck Company, operated in Fitchburg during the early twentieth century.
  • The Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Works made motorcycles for a short time, in addition to their primary products, firearms and bicycles.
  • Assumption Life, a large financial services company, was founded in Fitchburg in 1903 before moving to Moncton, New Brunswick.

Fitchburg Central Steam Plant

The Fitchburg Central Steam Plant was built in 1928 to provide steam and electricity to the many local paper mills. As the paper mills were abandoned or improved the Central Steam Plant fell into disuse and was abandoned. In 2008, the EPA designated the Central Steam Plant a brownfield site due to contamination of the site soil and groundwater with metals and inorganic contaminants. The EPA provided the City of Fitchburg $50,500 in grant money[28] to help clean up hazardous substances on the site.

Clean up[29] of the Central Steam Plant started in 2010 and is ongoing as of July 2011.

Recreation

Fitchburg Steam Line Trail

The Fitchburg Steam Line Trail[30] is a bike and walking path located in Fitchburg on Route 2A. It is 0.6 miles long and runs along the Nashua River and Flag Brook in the Waites Corner neighborhood. The path is gravel and is relatively easy terrain. The trail is the first contracted part of a planned project to build a mixed use bike and walking trail through Fitchburg. This trail will eventually connect with trails in the neighboring towns of Leominster and Westminster. Additional parts of the proposed trail are in the Riverfront and Gateway Parks.[31]

The Fitchburg Steam Line Trail is located near the junction of Route 31 (Princeton Rd) and Route 2A (Westminster St) at 465 Westminster Street. The trail parking lot is marked with signs, and is on the south side of 2A approximately 1/4 mile East of Route 31.

As of July 2011 the trail is currently closed to use due to the cleanup of the Fitchburg Central Steam Plant.

Media

Amateur racer in the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, 2006.
Coggshall Park in autumn
Nixey Callahan baseball card

Newspapers

Television

  • Fitchburg Access Television

Radio

  • WEEI, AM-850 Sports Radio
  • WPKZ, AM-1280
  • WXPL, FM-91.3 Fitchburg State Radio

Culture

Fitchburg's cultural highlights include:

In the fictional Harry Potter universe, Fitchburg is the hometown of the professional Quidditch team the Fitchburg Finches.[33]

Notable residents

Sister cities

Fitchburg has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

References

  1. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055370/
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 x 15 minute series, Fitchburg quadrangle
  3. ^ [1] Weather Channel'.' Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  4. ^ "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
  5. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  7. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  8. ^ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  9. ^ "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  11. ^ "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  12. ^ "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  13. ^ "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  14. ^ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-7 through 21-09, Massachusetts Table 4. Population of Urban Places of 10,000 or more from Earliest Census to 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  15. ^ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division. Retrieved 2010-05-08.
  16. ^ "Fire Department". Ci.fitchburg.ma.us. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  17. ^ "Fitchburgpolice.com". Fitchburgpolice.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  18. ^ http://www.fsc.edu/campuspolice/
  19. ^ "worcestercountysheriff.com". worcestercountysheriff.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  20. ^ HealthAlliance
  21. ^ http://www.umassmemorial.org/HealthAllianceHP.cfm?id=9
  22. ^ "Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts - Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts - Google Boeken". Books.google.com. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  23. ^ "Fitchburg Library". Fitchburgpubliclibrary.org. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  24. ^ [2][dead link‍]
  25. ^ "Advisory Services For Libraries - Library Statistics - Public Library Data". Mblc.state.ma.us. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  26. ^ http://Available: [http://mblc.state.ma.us/grants/state_aid/index.php
  27. ^ "mrta.us". mrta.us. 2010-11-17. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  28. ^ "Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet: Fitchburg, MA | Brownfields and Land Revitalization | US EPA". Cfpub.epa.gov. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  29. ^ http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us/news/20100315-Community%20Relations%20Plan.pdf
  30. ^ "Steam Line Trail". Bikeitorhikeit.org. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  31. ^ "Parks". Fitchburgma.gov. 2006-06-03. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  32. ^ "fitchburghistoricalsociety.org". fitchburghistoricalsociety.org. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  33. ^ Whisp, Kennilworthy (2001). Quidditch Through the Ages. WhizzHard Books. pp. 31–46. ISBN 1551924544.
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