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Milford is a town in
Worcester County, Massachusetts Worcester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also being the largest in area. The largest city and tr ...
, United States. The population was 30,379 according to the 2020 census. First settled in 1662 and incorporated in 1780, Milford became a booming industrial and quarrying community in the 19th century due to its unique location which includes the nearby source 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 bac ...
, the Mill River, the Blackstone River watershed, and large quantities of Milford pink granite.


History

Milford was first settled in 1662 as a part of Mendon after Native Americans, including the Sachem,
Quashaamit Quashaamit (also known as William of Blewe Hills and William Minnian or William Awinian and Quashawannamut; prior to 1640/72) was a bilingual Praying Indian sachem or sub-sachem, and teaching minister, possibly affiliated with the Nipmuc, (Massa ...
, granted land to the early settlers.
King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1676 between indigenous inhabitants of New England and New England coloni ...
destroyed the town in 1676, but settlers returned in 1680. The Mill River flows through Milford and had several conspicuous fords that were familiar to the Native Americans, and used by the early white settlers. These "mill (river) fords" are said to have given Milford its name. Milford was incorporated April 11, 1780 and the first town hall built in 1819; a brick structure later named the Town House School. The current town hall was built in 1854 by architect
Thomas Silloway Thomas William Silloway (August 7, 1828 – May 17, 1910) was an American architect, known for building over 400 church buildings in the eastern United States. Silloway was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and raised a Methodist by his paren ...
. Milford is renowned for its Milford pink granite, discovered in 1870. Milford quarries fueled the local economy until about 1940. The granite has been used for local buildings such as
Memorial Hall A memorial hall is a hall built to commemorate an individual or group; most commonly those who have died in war. Most are intended for public use and are sometimes described as ''utilitarian memorials''. History of the Memorial Hall In the aft ...
, the
Bancroft Memorial Library Bancroft Memorial Library is the public library serving Hopedale, Massachusetts. It is located at 50 Hopedale Street in the town center, in a fine Romanesque building built in 1898-99 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Archi ...
in Hopedale, Worcester City Hall, and the
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonwea ...
. Other notable buildings include the original Pennsylvania Station in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, the main post office in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, and more recently the
Singapore Changi Airport Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passe ...
in 2002. The Milford Hospital was donated in 1903 by Governor
Eben Sumner Draper Eben (sometimes incorrectly Ebenezer) Sumner Draper (June 17, 1858 – April 9, 1914) was an American businessman and politician from Massachusetts. He was for many years a leading figure in what later became the Draper Corporation, the do ...
. Today, the health care facility exists as the Milford Regional Medical Center. In January 2008, the Center opened a cancer treatment facility with the
Dana–Farber Cancer Institute Dana–Farber Cancer Institute is a comprehensive cancer treatment and research institution in Boston, Massachusetts. Dana–Farber is the founding member of Dana–Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, Harvard's Comprehensive Cancer Center designated ...
. The center is affiliated with UMass Medical Center as a
teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...
. In 2015 the hospital completed a $54 million expansion project that created a new emergency department and updated the intensive care unit, as well as patient rooms.


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 th ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land, and , or 1.82%, is water. Milford is drained by 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 bac ...
. The town is crossed by Interstate 495 and state routes 16, 85, 109, and 140.


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 inc ...
of 2000, there were 26,799 people, 10,420 households, and 7,200 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 RosenberPopu ...
was 1,835.6 people per square mile (708.7/km). There were 10,713 housing units at an average density of 733.8 per square mile (283.3/km). The racial makeup of the town was 92.95%
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 ...
, 1.35%
Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
or
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 ...
, 0.11% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.06%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.99% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...
or Latino people of any race were 4.36% of the population. There were 10,420 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% 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 ...
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $50,856, and the median income for a family was $61,029. Males had a median income of $42,173 versus $30,989 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 $23,742. About 5.8% of families and 7.2% 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 ...
, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.


Economy

Milford has been growing at a fast rate since the introduction of Interstate 495, which opened in the area with dual exits at Route 85 and Route 109 in 1969. Since then many major retailers have opened in town. The
Waters Corporation Waters Corporation is a publicly traded Analytical Laboratory instrument and software company headquartered in Milford, Massachusetts. The company employs more than 7,800 people, with manufacturing facilities located in Milford, Taunton, Massac ...
is based in Milford.


Government

The core of Milford's governing system is the representative town meeting, where elected citizens can voice their opinions, but more importantly, directly effect changes in the community. Along with a Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Planning Board, Finance Committee, etc., the citizens of Milford have input into how the town is run. The Massachusetts Department of Correction is headquartered in Milford.


Library

The Milford Town Library was established in 1858. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Milford spent 1.5% ($966,758) of its budget on its public library—approximately $35 per person, per year ($42.87 adjusted for inflation to 2021).July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available
Municipal Pie Reports
. Retrieved 2010-08-04


Education

Milford Public Schools operates six public schools and is an eligible town for a vocational school,
Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, or BVT for short, is a technical high school in Upton, Massachusetts, serving the thirteen towns of the Blackstone Valley. The school was established in 1964. The school offers eighteen t ...
. The current superintendent of schools in Milford is Kevin McIntyre.


Annual events

* Independence Day fireworks, held on Plains Park within a day of July 4. There is also an annual parade. * Portuguese Picnic, a two-night festival held at the Portuguese Club


Sites of interest

*
Memorial Hall A memorial hall is a hall built to commemorate an individual or group; most commonly those who have died in war. Most are intended for public use and are sometimes described as ''utilitarian memorials''. History of the Memorial Hall In the aft ...
, home and museum of the Milford Historical Commission * Ted's Diner, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000, was the oldest diner built by the Tierney Diner Company. Ted's was left abandoned by the town and vandalized, eventually moved to make way for a new fire station. * St. Mary's Cemetery holds the only Irish round tower in the United States, built from local granite.


Media

* '' The Milford Daily News'' is a daily newspaper covering Milford and several nearby towns 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 Nor ...
and
Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
counties. * WMRC 1490-AM and simulcasted as MyFM 101.3 on FM is the radio station licensed to serve Milford. Local news every morning with school cancellations and general information also. Local sports broadcasts of the local school teams or the major Boston sports teams can be heard on many nights. A Classic Hits format is the music that is playing when the station is playing music. * Two non-profit
public, educational, and government access Public-access television is traditionally a form of non-commercial mass media where the general public can create content television programming which is narrowcast through cable television specialty channels. Public-access television was creat ...
(PEG)
cable TV Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
stations serve Milford-area subscribers on Channels 8 and 11. Channel 8 is the Milford town public-access television station that produces and runs a variety of local shows. Channel 11 is the Milford educational-access television station, and runs school committee meetings as well as projects made by students in the
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
's video production classes. *This area also receives the major television stations that serve the Boston area, which can be received over the air or through a cable or satellite provider.


In popular culture

Milford was fictitiously featured in a 2008 episode of the Fox television series '' Fringe''.Plot Synopsis for FOX's Fringe (Season 1, Episode 6: "The Cure", Original Air Date: 21 October 2008)


Notable people

* Norm Abram, carpenter and co-host of ''This Old House''; host of the ''New Yankee Workshop'' *
Adin Ballou Adin Ballou (1803–1890) was an American proponent of Christian nonresistance, Christian anarchism and socialism, abolitionism and the founder of the Hopedale Community. Through his long career as a Universalist and Unitarian minister, he ...
, author, religious leader and prominent 19th-century proponent of pacifism, socialism and abolitionism; wrote ''The History of Milford, Massachusetts'', 1882 *
Nathan Barnatt Nathan James Barnatt (born February 2, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, dancer, YouTuber, singer, and filmmaker. He is best known for his famous comic characters Keith Apicary and "Dad". Career Barnatt appeared on Comedy Central's ''The ...
, actor and comedian *
Michael Bavaro Michael Bavaro is a filmmaker and creative strategist based in Boston. He grew up in Milford, Massachusetts and graduated from Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts with a B.S. degree in communications and received the "Communic ...
, producer of
Rex Trailer Rex Trailer (September 16, 1928 – January 9, 2013) was a Boston-based regional television personality, broadcast pioneer, cowboy and Country and Western recording artist. He is best known as the host of the children's television show ''Boo ...
's ''
Boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...
'' *
Albert Fitch Bellows Albert Fitch Bellows (November 20, 1829November 24, 1883), was an American landscape painter of the Hudson River School. Early years Bellows was born at Milford, Massachusetts. He first studied architecture and, in 1849, became the partner of B ...
, artist * Al Cass, musician and inventor *
Horace Brigham Claflin Horace Brigham Claflin (December 18, 1811 – November 14, 1885) was an American merchant. Early life and education Born in Milford, Massachusetts on December 18, 1811, Horace Brigham Claflin was educated at the Milford Academy. He is a member ...
, merchant *
William Claflin William Claflin (March 6, 1818 – January 5, 1905) was an American politician, industrialist and philanthropist from Massachusetts. He served as the 27th Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1869 to 1872 and as a member of the ...
, industrialist, philanthropist and governor *
Chris Colabello Christopher Adrian Colabello (born October 24, 1983) is an Italian-American former professional baseball first baseman and outfielder. He played parts of four seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Toronto Blue Jays, a ...
, Major League Baseball player * Vincent Connare, designer of the Comic Sans and Trebuchet fonts *
Ezekiel Cornell Ezekiel Cornell (1732/33 – April 25, 1800) was a Revolutionary War general who represented Rhode Island in the U.S. Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782. Early life Ezekiel Cornell was born in on March 27, 1732/33 in either Dartmout ...
, member of
Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
, 1780–1782 * Paul Coyne, award-winning producer of numerous television series * John Davoren, politician * Greg Dickerson, sports broadcaster * William F. Draper, U.S. Representative, U.S. Ambassador to Italy *
Brian Fair Brian James Fair (born May 30, 1975) is an American musician from Massachusetts, best known as lead vocalist of the metalcore band Shadows Fall. He graduated from Milford High School in 1993, and went on to study literature at Boston Universit ...
, lead singer of the metal band
Shadows Fall Shadows Fall is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1996. Although Shadows Fall has experienced several line-up changes, for most of its recording career, Shadows Fall has been composed of Jon Donais (lead guitar, ...
* Rich Gotham, president of the Boston Celtics * George F. Johnson, businessman * Art Kenney, pitcher for the Boston Bees (later renamed the Boston Braves) in 1938 * Charles Laquidara, radio disc jockey * Howie Long, NFL Hall of Famer, TV broadcaster and actor * Ralph Lumenti, Major League Baseball player * Leonard Chapin Mead, college president * Richard T. Moore, politician * Joseph E. Murray, pioneer in the area of organ transplants; 1990 recipient of the Nobel Prize for medicine * Henry "Boots" Mussulli, jazz saxophonist * John Ritto Penniman, decorative painter, portraitist and decorator; his works are currently displayed in several notable museums, such as the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
* Gerard Phelan, football player who caught the famous 63-yard, game-winning touchdown pass (thrown by Doug Flutie) for the
Boston College Eagles The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams that represent Boston College, located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivisi ...
in an
NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
game against the Miami Hurricanes *
Ruth Pointer Ruth Esther Pointer (born March 19, 1946) is an American singer–songwriter who is best known as the eldest member of the American family vocal group the Pointer Sisters. Career Joining her sisters in 1972, the Pointer Sisters released their f ...
, singer and member of
The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, bl ...
* George Pyne III,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...
player * George Pyne, businessman * Jim Pyne, former NFL player * Jorge Rivera, mixed martial artist, UFC middleweight contender *
Brian Skerry Brian Skerry (born September 27, 1961) is a photographer and photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been a contributing photographer for National Geographic Magazine. In 2014 he was named ...
, underwater photo-journalist *
Erik Per Sullivan Erik Per Sullivan (born July 12, 1991) is an American former actor. He is best known for his role as Dewey Wilkerson, Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox series ''Malcolm in the ...
, actor from '' Malcolm in the Middle'', '' The Cider House Rules'', and ''
Christmas with the Kranks ''Christmas with the Kranks'' is a 2004 American Christmas comedy film based on the 2001 novel ''Skipping Christmas'' by John Grisham. It was directed by Joe Roth, written and produced by Chris Columbus, and starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, ...
'' * Michael Videira, midfielder for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club * Jarvis White,
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
State Assemblyman


Gallery

Image:Lincoln Square and Main Street, Milford, MA.jpg, Lincoln Square in 1907 Image:Old High School, Milford, MA.jpg, Old High School in 1907 Image:Boston & Albany Station, Milford, MA.jpg, B. & A. Station


See also

*
List of mill towns in Massachusetts * Adams, Massachusetts, Adams * Amesbury, Massachusetts, Amesbury * Athol, Massachusetts, Athol * Attleboro, Massachusetts, Attleboro * Chicopee, Massachusetts, Chicopee * Clinton, Massachusetts, Clinton * Dalton, Massachusetts, Dalton * Dedha ...


References


External links


Town of Milford

Milford Town Library



Milford Performing Arts Center

Upper Charles Trail
{{Authority control Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts