HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Medway is a town in Norfolk County,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
, United States. The town had a population of 13,115 at the 2020 census.


History

Medway (originally Midway) was first settled in 1657 and was officially incorporated in 1713. At that time, Medway began as a farming community of two hundred thirty-three. It was not long before the water power of the
Charles River The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
and Chicken Brook stimulated the formation of cotton and paper mills, straw and boot factories, and a variety of cottage industries. Medway demonstrates the central importance of the Charles River and the thriving town that grew alongside it. Today, the one-room schoolhouses are gone and the country stores have moved to the mall, but the open town meetings continue. After nearby Medfield was established as a town in 1651, an increasing number of newcomers settled on the land west of the Charles River. By 1712, this settlement west of the Charles had grown large enough to petition the
Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
for the creation of a separate new town. That petition was granted, and the town of Medway incorporated on October 25, 1713. At its founding by Henry Garnsey, and for 170 years afterward, the town of Medway included the land that is now Millis. Eventually, the eastern section of the town, known as East Medway, separated in 1885 to form the town of Millis, and Medway assumed the shape it has today. The main cause for the independent formation of Millis from Medway was the physical separation caused by a massive tract of undevelopable land appropriately named in those times, the Great Black Swamp. The Black Swamp was at the geographical center point of Medway and East Medway. Had the land been developable, this would have been the ideal location for a central meeting house, as well as churches and schools. However, because the thick forest/swamp was completely undevelopable, this forced inhabitants of Medway and East Medway to form separate communities with their own respective necessities such as a meeting house and churches. Despite this natural separation, the town remained as one for over 170 years. The oldest road in Medway was laid out in 1670 and was known for years as Old Mendon Road. Since that time, this road has been known by many names including The Road to the Wilderness, The Old County Road, The Middle Post Road, and most recently, Village Street. Village Street runs from the Millis border on the east and meanders along the Charles River before eventually joining Main Street just before the Bellingham border on the west. The heart of the old town of Medway is found along this road, with the central location of activity at Medway Village, where Holliston Street intersects with Village Street. In 1869, all of the streets in Medway were officially named. Many streets ended up losing their original names, and were instead named after influential townspeople of the past and present. Some examples of this were; Pine Hill Road became Winthrop Street, Vine Lane became Kelley Street, Candlewood Island Road was named Oakland Street, and The Old Hartford Turnpike was named Main Street. A few other examples of roads in Medway named after past residents include Lovering Street, Adams Street, Partridge Street, Ellis Street, Clark Street, Coffee Street, and Barber Street.


Geography

According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it (0.78%) is water. Medway is the geographical center between Boston, Worcester, and Providence, which is purported by some to explain the origin of the name. However, like many New England cities and towns, it most likely derived its name from an English location, in this case, the town of
Medway Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...
, England, or the
River Medway The River Medway is a river in South East England. It rises in the High Weald AONB, High Weald, East Sussex and flows through Tonbridge, Maidstone and the Medway conurbation in Kent, before emptying into the Thames Estuary near Sheerness, a to ...
.


Adjacent towns


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 12,448 people, 4,182 households, and 3,337 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 1,087.0 people per square mile (419.8/km). There were 4,248 housing units at an average density of 371.0 per square mile (143.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.57%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
0.10% Native American, 0.96%
Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.16% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.67% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 0.84% of the population. There were 4,182 households, out of which 97.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.36. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $150,673 and the median income for a family was $172,302. Males had a median income of $121,245 versus $86,149 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $51,008. About 1.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.


Sports


Football

In 2006, the
New England Intensity The New England Intensity was an American football team in the Independent Women's Football League based in Medway, Massachusetts. Home games were played at Joseph P. Hanlon Field on the campus of Medway High School in Medway. For its first seas ...
of the
Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) was the first Women's American football league established by women players for women players. The league was founded in 2000, began play in 2001, and played its last season in 2018. Members of the ...
began playing its home games at Medway's Hanlon Field. In 2008, the
Bay State Renegades A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...
, of the
New England Football League The New England Football League (NEFL) is a semi-professional american football league based in Salisbury, Massachusetts and owned by Thomas Torrisi. It is the largest semi-professional league in New England. The NEFL was founded in 1994 and was a ...
, began playing their home games at Hanlon Field. The team won four of the five games played at their new home. In 2007, the Worcester Wildcats, also of the
NEFL Neurofilament light polypeptide, also known as neurofilament light chain, is a neurofilament protein that in humans is encoded by the ''NEFL'' gene. Neurofilament light chain is a biomarker that can be measured with immunoassays in cerebrospinal f ...
, relocated for one season to Hanlon Field as their home in Worcester underwent significant renovations.


Education

Medway Public Schools are part of the
Medway Public Schools Medway Public Schools is a public school district in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, based in Medway, Massachusetts Medway is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The town had a pop ...
school district. Currently, there are four schools actively enrolling students in the district. The McGovern school provides preschool, kindergarten, and 1st-grade education, the Burke-Memorial school provides 2nd–4th grade education, Medway Middle School provides 5th–8th-grade education, and Medway High School. The High School is the newest of the four schools. The building was completed in 2003 and the school saw its first graduating class in 2005. As of 2004, the high school had 771 students and 52 teachers, with a teacher:student ratio of 1:15. The Middle School was completely renovated and modernized in 2012. In 2008, approximately 217 10th grade students participated in the
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment system, commonly abbreviated as MCAS , is Massachusetts's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993 in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year. State and f ...
exam. The passing rate was 96.3% for both the Math and English Language sections, and 87.9% for the Science section. In 2007, 193 Medway High School students took the
SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...
, an increase from previous years. The average composite score was 1,614; of these students, 85.8% chose to attend a four-year college education program.


Transportation

Both Route 109 and Route 126 pass through the town and serve as some of the main roads in the town. Interstate 495 shortly passes through the southwest corner of the town, but does not provide any exits. The closest exits are in nearby Bellingham and
Milford Milford may refer to: Place names Canada * Milford (Annapolis), Nova Scotia * Milford (Halifax), Nova Scotia * Milford, Ontario England * Milford, Derbyshire * Milford, Devon, a place in Devon * Milford on Sea, Hampshire * Milford, Shro ...
. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Commuter Rail formerly provided a direct ride into
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
through two stations in the town,
Medway station Medway station was a railroad station in Medway, Massachusetts. It served the West Medway Branch (later the Millis Branch), and opened in 1861. History Medway station was originally part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, until ...
and
West Medway station West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...
. These stations were closed in 1966 and have not since returned. Since these stations were closed, the closest operating stations are in
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
and
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, both on the
Franklin Line The Franklin Line, also called the Franklin/Foxboro Line, is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts, utilizing the Northeast Corridor before splitti ...
.


Places of worship

Medway is home to four churches: *St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Village Street *Medway Community Church, which has Congregational and Baptist roots and is currently a member of the
Conservative Congregational Christian Conference The Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC or 4Cs) is an evangelical Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. The denomination maintains headquarters in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. It is a member of t ...
(CCCC) *Medway Village Church on Village Street, also a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC) *Christ Episcopal Church on School Street


Notable people

*
James "Grizzly" Adams James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
(1812–1860), famous mountain man and bear trainer; born in Medway *
William Taylor Adams William Taylor Adams (July 30, 1822 – March 27, 1897), pseudonym Oliver Optic, was an academic, author, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Early life and education Adams was born in Medway, Massachusetts, on July 30 ...
(1822–1897), author under the name "Oliver Optic"; born in Medway *
Pete Carmichael, Jr. Peter Edwards Carmichael Jr. (born October 6, 1971) is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He was named offensive coordinator on January 12, 2009, replaci ...
, offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints * David Carson, a graduate of Medway High school, is a photojournalist with the St. Louis ''Post-Dispatch'' and was a co-winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for their coverage of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri *
Dennis Crowley Dennis Crowley (born June 19, 1976) is an American Internet entrepreneur who co-founded the social networking sites Dodgeball and Foursquare. Education Crowley was born in Medway, Massachusetts to Mary Moraski Crowley and Dennis P Crowley. He gr ...
, creator of the mobile application "Foursquare" and a member of ''Time'' magazine's 100 most influential app-splitters of 2010 * Alphonso Van Marsh, American journalist and war correspondent for CNN. He became a resident of Medway at a young age in the early 80's. Alphonso lived at 42 Ellis St. with his older brother and parents


References


External links


Town of Medway
{{authority control Towns in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts 1657 establishments in Massachusetts