Jump to content

Amesbury, Massachusetts

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TEMcGee (talk | contribs) at 21:02, 15 February 2007 (→Schools: Update to new name of school.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the town in Wiltshire, England, see Amesbury.

Template:Infobox Town MA The Town of Amesbury is a city[1] in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. In 1890, 9798 people lived in Amesbury; in 1900, 9473; in 1910, 9894; in 1920, 10,036; and in 1940, 10,862. The population was 16,450 at the 2000 census. A former farming and mill town, Amesbury is today largely residential. It is home to the Amesbury Playhouse.

History

Settled in 1642, Amesbury was first recognized as "Salisbury New Town" in 1666 when it formally separated from Salisbury. It was incorporated as "Amesbury" in 1668, after Amesbury in Wiltshire, England. Beginning as a modest farming community, it would develop an aggressive maritime and industrial economy. The 90 foot drop in the falls of the Powwow River provided water power for sawmills and gristmills. Shipbuilding, shipping and fishing were also important. The ferry across the Merrimack River to Newburyport was a lively business until the construction of bridges to Deer Island. Newton, New Hampshire would be set off from Amesbury in 1741, when the border between the two colonies was adjusted.

In the 19th century, textile mills were built at the falls, as was a mechanized nail-making factory, believed to be the nation's first. The Merrimac Hat Company produced more hats than any of its competitors. Beginning in 1853, Amesbury became famous for building carriages, a trade which would evolve into the manufacture of automobile bodies. The industry, however, would end with the Great Depression. Amesbury also produced Hoyt's Buffalo Brand Peanut Butter Kisses. In 1876, the town of Merrimac was set off from Amesbury. In 1996, the town changed its status to a city, and adopted the mayor and municipal council form of government, although it retained the title "Town of Amesbury." The current mayor is Thatcher W. Kezer III.

The community has an impressive collection of early architecture, particularly in the Federal and Victorian styles. Following a recent restoration of the historic downtown, many new restaurants opened. The "Doughboy," a memorial sculpture by Leonard Craske, stands on the front lawn of the Amesbury Middle School. It was dedicated November 11, 1929. Craske is best known as sculptor for the "Fishermens' Memorial" in Gloucester. There is here a monument erected to Josiah Bartlett, who was born in Amesbury.

  • Mills in 1914
    Mills in 1914
  • Bartlett's statue in c. 1910
    Bartlett's statue in c. 1910
  • Whittier's home in 1909
    Whittier's home in 1909

Historic Sites & Museums:

Schools

Amesbury's high school football rival is Newburyport; the two teams play against each other every Thanksgiving Day.

Geography

Amesbury is located at 42°51′29″N 70°55′50″W / 42.85806°N 70.93056°W / 42.85806; -70.930561. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.4 km² (13.6 mi²). 32.1 km² (12.4 mi²) of it is land and 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it (9.08%) is water. Amesbury is drained by the Powwow River. Powwow Hill, elevation 332 feet (98 meters), is the highest point in town. Once the site of Indian gatherings, or "powwows," it has views to Maine and Cape Ann.

Demographics

For additional demographic information on the central urban area of Amesbury, which is a census-designated place, see the article Amesbury (CDP), Massachusetts. It provodes details that are included in the aggregate numbers reported here.

Main Street from Market Square in 1911

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,450 people, 6,380 households, and 4,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 512.2/km² (1,326.3/mi²). There were 6,623 housing units at an average density of 206.2 persons/km² (534.0 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.19% White, 0.64% African American, 0.22% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 0.95% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,380 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 11.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.7% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.09.

Lake Attitash in 1911

In the city the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $51,906, and the median income for a family was $62,875. Males had a median income of $43,489 versus $31,968 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,103. 5.9% of the population and 3.9% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.0% are under the age of 18 and 8.2% are 65 or older.

Notable residents

References

  1. ^ Although it is called the "Town of Amesbury," it is a statutory city of Massachusetts. See Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
  2. ^ a b c d Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607-1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.

Publications

  • J. Merrill, History of Amesbury (Haverhill, 1880)
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Amesbury,_Massachusetts&oldid=108422239"