Princeton is a town in Worcester 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. It is bordered on the east by Sterling and

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...

, on the north by

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by

Rutland Rutland () is a ceremonial county and unitary authority in the East Midlands, England. The county is bounded to the west and north by Leicestershire, to the northeast by Lincolnshire and the southeast by Northamptonshire. Its greatest len ...

, and on the southeast by

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

. The preeminent landmark within Princeton is Mount Wachusett, which straddles the line between Princeton and Westminster but the entrance to which is within Princeton. According to tradition, in 1675,

Mary Rowlandson Mary Rowlandson, née White, later Mary Talcott (c. 1637January 5, 1711), was a colonial American woman who was captured by Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ransomed. In 1682, six years after h ...

was ransomed upon

Redemption Rock Redemption Rock is a colonial-era historic site in Princeton, Massachusetts. In 1676, during King Philip's War, the release of Mary Rowlandson (the wife of a Puritan minister) from her Native American captors was negotiated atop a granite ledge ...

, now within the town of Princeton, by King Philip. The population was 3,495 at the 2020 census. Princeton is a rural

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It s ...

, serving as a bedroom commuter town for nearby cities such as

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 ...

, Gardner, and

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 ...

History

During

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 ...

in 1676, Native Americans brought their captive

to Princeton to release her to the colonists at

. The town of Princeton was incorporated in 1759, out of land that was previously part of

. It was named after the Rev. Thomas Prince. In 1810, it annexed a piece of Hubbardston, and in 1870, it annexed a piece of

Register of Historic Places

Princeton has five entries on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

: * East Princeton Village Historic District: Roughly Main St., Leominster Rd. (added April 18, 2004) * Fernside-Vacation House for Working Girls: 162 Mountain Rd. (added July 27, 2002) * Princeton Center Historic District: Jct. of Hubbardston and Mountain Rds. (added March 26, 1999) * Russell Corner Historic District: Merriam, Gregory Hill, East Princeton and Sterling Rds, Bullock Lane, (added February 22, 2006) * West Village Historic District: Jct. of Allen Hill and Hubbardston Roads File:East Princeton, Massachusetts.jpg, East Princeton Village Historic District along

Route 140 Route 140 or Highway 140 may refer to: Australia * Hamilton Highway Canada * New Brunswick Route 140 * Ontario Highway 140 * Prince Edward Island Route 140 Costa Rica * National Route 140 (Costa Rica), National Route 140 Germany * Bundesautoba ...

File:West Village Historic District.jpg, West Village Historic District File:1899 Princeton public library Massachusetts.png, Princeton Public Library at right and Bagg Hall (town hall) at left, 1899 File:Bagg Hall, Princeton MA.jpg, Bagg Hall, the town hall of Princeton, MA

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 (1.12%) is water.

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 3,353 people, 1,166 households, and 959 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 . There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.75%

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 ...

, 0.30%

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 ...

, 0.33% Native American, 0.95%

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 ...

, 0.63% 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 1.04% 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 ...

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 1.46% of the population. There were 1,166 households, out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% 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, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. Of all households, 13.5% were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.18. In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $120,559, and the median income for a family was $152,884. 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 $54,940. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% 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 5.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Education

Schools

Princeton is part of the

Wachusett Regional School District Wachusett Regional School District was founded in 1955 and comprises the Massachusetts towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. The district's central office is located in the Old Jefferson Elementary School in Jefferson, Mass ...

. The Thomas Prince School serves as the town's kindergarten, elementary and middle school (K–8).

Wachusett Regional High School Wachusett Regional High School (abbv. WRHS) is located in Holden, Massachusetts, United States and services the Wachusett Regional School District. Founded in 1955, WRSD comprises Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. William Bea ...

(traditional public high school) in Holden, MA and

Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, also known as Monty Tech, is a to public, secondary, vocational, open enrollment school in Fitchburg and Westminster, Massachusetts, United States. It provides training in 21 different tr ...

(vocational/technical high school) in

Fitchburg, MA Fitchburg is a city in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The third-largest city in the county, its population was 41,946 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Fitchburg is home to Fit ...

are the two public high schools serving the town of Princeton. Princeton is served by

Mount Wachusett Community College Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC) is a public community college in Gardner, Massachusetts. Established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1963, it features an open admissions policy for the majority of its academic programs. MWCC of ...

, whose main campus is located in

Gardner, Massachusetts Gardner, officially the City of Gardner, is a city in Worcester County in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,287 in the 2020 census. Gardner is home of such sites as the Blue Moon Diner, Dunn State Park, ...

Library

The Princeton Public Library was established in 1884. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Princeton spent 1.6% ($129,243) of its budget on its public library; approximately $37 per resident, per year ($45.31 adjusted for inflation to 2021).

Points of interest

*Cornerstone Ranchers *Harrington Farm * Mount Wachusett *Princeton Historical Society * Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary * Wachusett Mountain Ski Area * Wachusett Mountain State Reservation *

*Hubbard farm

Notable people

* Daniel Davis Jr. (1813–1887) - inventor *

Ward Nicholas Boylston Ward Nicholas Boylston (1747–1828; born Ward Hallowell), a descendant of the physician Zabdiel Boylston, was an American merchant, a philanthropist, and benefactor of Harvard University. He was a brother of Admiral Sir Benjamin Hallowell Carew, ...

(1747–1828), gentleman, businessman, and philanthropist, lived in Princeton from September, 1804 until his death. He bequeathed $1000 to the town of Princeton for its church and minister and the support of indigent and deserving widows and orphan children *

Moses Gill Moses Gill (January 18, 1733 – May 20, 1800) was an American merchant and politician who served as the acting governor of Massachusetts from 1799 to 1800, when he died in office, the only acting governor to do so. A successful businessman, he ...

(1734–1800), Massachusetts lieutenant governor and acting governor * Louise H. Gregory (1880–1954), professor of zoology at

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Columbia ...

Ezra Heywood Ezra Hervey Heywood (; September 29, 1829 – May 22, 1893) was an American individualist anarchist, slavery abolitionist, and advocate of equal rights for women. Philosophy Heywood saw what he believed to be a disproportionate concentration of ...

(1829–1893), anarchist, slavery abolitionist, and feminist * Vanessa Marcotte (1989–2016), murder victim, whose case attracted national media attention * Edward Savage (1761–1817), portrait artist, engraver, and early museum proprietor

Film references

* The 2001 film ''

Shallow Hal ''Shallow Hal'' is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black about a shallow man who falls in love with a 300-pound woman after being hypnotized into only seeing a person's inner beauty. Directed by the Farrell ...

'' had scenes shot in Princeton at

Wachusett Mountain Wachusett Mountain may refer to: * Mount Wachusett, the highest point in Worcester County, Massachusetts * Wachusett Mountain (ski area) Wachusett Mountain is an alpine ski area in the northeastern United States, located on Mount Wachusett, ...

. * The 2006 film ''

The Legend of Lucy Keyes ''The Legend of Lucy Keyes'' is a 2006 suspense mystery film directed and written by John Stimpson, and starring Julie Delpy, Justin Theroux and Brooke Adams. The film premiered at the 2006 Santa Barbara Film Festival. Summary After losing the ...

'' is a movie about Princeton and its old legend, about four-year-old Lucy Keyes, who follows her sisters to fetch some water from Wachusett Lake but vanishes and never returns to the house. Her mother, Martha, spends night and day looking for her and calling her name. Some believe Lucy and her mother Martha still haunt on and around Wachusett Mountain.

References

External links

Official Princeton (town) website

Books.google.com: ''Vital Records of Princeton, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849''.

Hearts for Heat NGO Website
{{authority control Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts 1759 establishments in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1759 Towns in Massachusetts