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Lancaster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Incorporated in 1653, Lancaster is the oldest town in Worcester County. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 8,441.


History

In 1643 Lancaster was first settled as "Nashaway" (named after the local
Nashaway The Nashaway (or Nashua or Weshacum) were a tribe of Algonquian Indians inhabiting the upstream portions of the Nashua River valley in what is now the northern half of Worcester County, Massachusetts, mainly in the vicinity of Sterling, Lancaster ...
Native American tribe) by a group of colonists known as the Nashaway Company who may have initially been interested in iron deposits in the area. Several of the company were blacksmiths or gunsmiths, including, Herman Garrett, and as early as 1653 a settler, George Adams, was whipped for selling guns and alcohol to the Indians in the area. The town was officially incorporated and renamed "Lancaster on the Nashua" in 1653. Prominent Massachusetts military leader
Simon Willard Simon Willard (April 3, 1753 – August 30, 1848) was a celebrated American clockmaker. Simon Willard clocks were produced in Massachusetts in the towns of Grafton and Roxbury, near Boston. Among his many innovations and timekeeping improvement ...
served as an advisor to the company and eventually settled in Lancaster for a period, and provided guns to the local tribe by order of the Massachusetts General Court. Supporters of Lancaster's founder, John Prescott, born in 1604 (great grandfather of Bunker Hill leader William Prescott), wished to name the new settlement Prescott, but the Massachusetts General Court considered such a request from a common freeman presumptuous, given that at that time, not even a governor had held the honor of naming a town after himself. Instead, they decided to use Lancaster, the name of Prescott's home town in England. Until it was cut down in 1989 due to safety concerns, Lancaster boasted the largest oak tree in the state, called the Beaman Oak, named after settler Gamaliel Beaman (1623–1677). Lancaster boasts being the official "mothertown" to all of Eastern central Massachusetts. Towns such as
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, Bolton, Leominster,
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
, Berlin, Sterling, and part of
West Boylston West Boylston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States and a northern suburb of Worcester. The population was 7,877 at the 2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the Wachu ...
were all formed from territory of the original boundaries of Lancaster. Lancaster was the site of the Mary Rowlandson (–1711) attack (
Lancaster raid The Lancaster Raid was the first in a series of five planned raids on English colonial towns during the winter of 1675-1676 as part of King Philip's War. Metacom, known by English colonists as King Philip, was a Wampanoag sachem who led and organiz ...
) in February 1676 (1675 old style calendar). During Metacom's War, which was fought partially in Lancaster, a group of Native Americans pillaged the entire town of Lancaster. Their last stop was Mary Rowlandson's house. Coming to the defense of the house was Rowlandson's brother-in-law, who was immediately shot and killed by the attacking Native Americans. The Native Americans then set fire to the house, forcing Rowlandson to exit the burning building. Upon crossing the doorstep, Rowlandson saw a scene full of carnage. The majority of her household was slaughtered, with the exception of her husband, Joseph Rowlandson Sr., who was not on the premises, their son, also called Joseph, their two daughters, Mary and Sarah, and herself. Mary, her son, and her two daughters were captured by the Native Americans and forced to join their travels across New England. The Native Americans non-fatally shot Mary Rowlandson in her side, but her youngest daughter, Sarah, sustained an injury during the attack that would later bring about her death. After her release from captivity, Rowlandson wrote a book called ''A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson.'' In 2000, Lancaster Elementary School changed its name to Mary Rowlandson Elementary School.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.84%, is water. Lancaster is bordered by Lunenburg and Shirley to the north,
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
to the northeast, Bolton to the southeast,
Clinton Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
to the south, Sterling to the southwest, and Leominster to the northwest.


Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 8,055 people, 2,409 households, and 1,758 families residing in the town. The population density was 290.8 people per square mile (112.3/km2). There were 2,614 housing units at an average density of 94.4 per square mile (36.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 86.4% White, 7.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.7%
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 ...
, 2.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic 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 8.1% of the population. There were 2,409 households, out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% 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, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% were non-families. Of all households 21.8% had a householder that lived alone and 8.4% had a householder that lived alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.6% at the age of 19 or under, 7.9% from 20 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 128.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 131.0 males. As of the 2015
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
, the median income for a household in the town was $96,813, and the median income for a family was $99,207. Males had a median income of $62,500 versus $45,174 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,899. About 8.3% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.1% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.


Government


Education

Lancaster is served by the Nashoba Regional School District. It is also the site of the former
Atlantic Union College Atlantic Union College (AUC) was a private Seventh-day Adventist college in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1882. The college closed in 2018 due to accreditation and financial problems. From 1933 to 2018, AUC was a four-year l ...
and of
South Lancaster Academy South Lancaster Academy (SLA) is a co-educational preparatory day school, consisting of grades Preschool through 12, operated by Seventh-day Adventists in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. It is a part of the Seventh-day Adventist education system, ...
, incorporated in 1882–1883. The Dr. Franklin Perkins School is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
special education school located in the town.
Trivium School Trivium School is an independent Catholic college-preparatory school for boys and girls in grades seven through twelve. It is located in Lancaster, Massachusetts. Background Trivium School was founded in 1979. Its first headmaster was John S ...
, founded in 1979, is a
private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Catholic
college preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher education ...
occupying the former estate of E. V. R. Thayer Jr.


Library

Lancaster's public Thayer Memorial Library first opened in 1868. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Lancaster spent 1.74% ($259,465) of its budget on its public library—approximately $36 per person, per year.


Notable people

*
Herman Vandenburg Ames Herman Vandenburg Ames (; August 7, 1865 – February 7, 1935) was an American legal historian, archivist, and professor of United States constitutional history at the University of Pennsylvania and, from 1907 to 1928, dean of its graduate sc ...
, dean of the University of Pennsylvania graduate school * James Atherton, pioneer and the namesake of Atherton Bridge *
Frank Bancroft Francis Carter Bancroft (May 9, 1846 – March 30, 1921) was an American manager in Major League Baseball for the Worcester Ruby Legs, Detroit Wolverines, Cleveland Blues, Providence Grays, Indianapolis Hoosiers, and Cincinnati Reds of the Natio ...
, Baseball manager * Luther Burbank, botanist, horticulturist and a pioneer in agricultural science *
Ezra Butler Ezra Butler (September 24, 1763July 12, 1838) was an American clergyman, politician, lawyer, judge, the 11th governor of Vermont, and a United States representative from Vermont. Biography Butler was born in Lancaster in the Province of Mass ...
, United States Representative from Vermont *
James C. Carter James Coolidge Carter (October 14, 1827 – February 14, 1905) was a New York City lawyer, a partner in the firm that eventually became Carter Ledyard & Milburn, which he helped found in 1854. Early life Carter was born on October 14, 1827 in La ...
, New York City lawyer *
Charles F. Chandler Charles Frederick Chandler (December 6, 1836 – August 25, 1925) was an American chemist, best known for his regulatory work in public health, sanitation, and consumer safety in New York City, as well as his work in chemical education—first a ...
, chemist *
Horace Cleveland Horace William Shaler Cleveland (December 16, 1814 – December 5, 1900) was an American landscape architect. His approach to natural landscape design can be seen in projects such as the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Con ...
, landscape architect * Francis B. Fay, merchant and politician *
Hannah Flagg Gould Hannah Flagg Gould (September 3, 1789 – September 5, 1865) was a 19th-century American poet. Her father had been a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, and after her mother's death, she became his constant companion, which accounts for t ...
, poet * Timothy Harrington, Lancaster clergyman * Abraham Haskell, physician *
Stephen N. Haskell Stephen Nelson Haskell (April 22, 1833 – October 9, 1922) was an evangelist, missionary and editor in the Seventh-day Adventist Church who became one of the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the South Pacific. Personal life He wa ...
, clergyman and pioneering leader of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, founded South Lancaster Academy * Caroline Lee Hentz, novelist * Henrietta Swan Leavitt, astronomer who discovered the relation between the
luminosity Luminosity is an absolute measure of radiated electromagnetic power (light), the radiant power emitted by a light-emitting object over time. In astronomy, luminosity is the total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted per unit of time by a st ...
and the period of
Cepheid variable stars A Cepheid variable () is a type of star that pulsates radially, varying in both diameter and temperature and producing changes in brightness with a well-defined stable period and amplitude. A strong direct relationship between a Cepheid vari ...
* Charles W. Moors, Wisconsin politician *
Herbert Parker (Massachusetts politician) Herbert Parker (March 2, 1856 – February 11, 1939), of Lancaster, Massachusetts, was a Massachusetts politician. Early life Parker was born in Charlestown (now part of Boston), Suffolk County, Massachusetts on March 2, 1856. He was a son of ...
, Republican politician, Massachusetts Attorney General from 1902–1906 * John Prescott, pioneer, founder of Lancaster * Mary Rowlandson, colonial Indian captive and author of one of America's first best selling books * Jared Sparks, historian, Harvard University president (taught at a private school in Lancaster 1815–1817) * John Thayer, ornithologist * Nathaniel Thayer, Unitarian congregational minister * Nathaniel Thayer (Jr.), financier and philanthropist * John Whitcomb, soldier in the Continental Army * Henry Whiting, soldier in the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War * Abijah Willard, Loyalist soldier in the American Revolution * Dr. Samuel Willard, representative to the Massachusetts ratification of the
United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven ar ...


References


External links


Town of Lancaster official website

Lancaster Online
community website
''Annals of Lancaster'': The Massacre of February 10, 1676

Information about early education in Lancaster

Lancaster 2007 Master Plan maps and tables
* {{Authority control 1653 establishments in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1653 Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts