town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an o ...
2020 United States Census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
Preserve America
Preserve America is a United States government program, established under President George W. Bush, intended to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy the country's cultural and natural heritage.
As of 2017, more than 900 ...
community in 2004.
History
A
Nipmuc
The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian language. Their historic territory Nippenet, "the freshwater pond place," is in central Massachusetts and nearby part ...
, John Wampas, visited
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
in the 1600s and deeded land in the Sutton area to Edward Pratt, who later sold interests to others. Competing claims involving the Nipmucs led to a
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, ...
case in 1704, which granted Pratt and fellow proprietors an eight-mile-square section of land, which is now Sutton.
Three families were the first to settle in Sutton, namely those of Elisha Johnson, Nathaniel Johnson, and
Benjamin Marsh
Benjamin Marsh I (1687 – c. 1775) was one of the founders of Sutton, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the first Baptist Church
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers o ...
, who is credited as a founder of the town and the
First Baptist Church of Sutton
First Baptist Church of Sutton is a Baptist church in the town of Sutton, Massachusetts and was founded on September 9, 1735, by the Reverend Benjamin Marsh one of the founding fathers of the town and Thomas Green. It is the fourth oldest Bapt ...
. In 1717, The Great Snow completely buried structures their home cabins. According to accounts, a local Indigenous person rescued the Johnson family by noticing
smoke
Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-produc ...
from their
chimney
A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typ ...
through the snow. Marsh served in several capacities for the town including as a selectman and moderator. He also served as
elder
An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority.
Elder or elders may refer to:
Positions Administrative
* Elder (administrative title), a position of authority
Cultural
* North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and ...
and
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
from 1737 until his death in 1775.
By 1735, area inhabited by Hassanamisco Nipmuc and a small portion of the northeastern Sutton had incorporated as the town of Grafton. In 1813, the northern part of Sutton became Millbury.
In 1737, the Edward Putnam House, one of the oldest homes in Sutton, was built by its namesake and cousin of the military officer
Rufus Putnam
Brigadier-General Rufus Putnam (April 9, 1738 – May 4, 1824) was an American military officer who fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. As an organizer of the Ohio Company of Associates, he was instrumenta ...
. The house is featured on the town seal.
On September 26, 1777,
Holman's Regiment of Militia
Holman's Regiment of Militia also known as the 5th Worcester County Militia Regiment was called up at Sutton, Massachusetts on September 26, 1777, as reinforcements for the Continental Army during the Saratoga campaign. The regiment marched quick ...
was called up in Sutton during the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
Professional Golfers' Association of America
The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America) is an American organization of golf professionals that was founded in 1916. Consisting of nearly 29,000 men and women members, the PGA of America's undertaking is to establish ...
Lady Carling Eastern Open The Lady Carling Eastern Open was a golf tournament on the LPGA Tour from 1962 to 1966 played at the Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Massachusetts, United States.New England Classic. The 1968-67 and 1970-74
Women's PGA Championship
The Women's PGA Championship (branded as the KPMG Women's PGA Championship for sponsorship reasons) is a women's professional golf tournament. First held in 1955, it is one of five majors on the LPGA Tour. It is not recognized as a major by th ...
took place at Pleasant Valley. From 1965 to 1973, golfer
Paul Harney
Paul Harney (July 11, 1929 – August 24, 2011) was an American professional golfer and golf course owner who spent part of his career as a full-time PGA Tour player, but mostly was a club professional, part-time Tour player, and owner-operator of ...
worked there.
In 1984,
Vaillancourt Folk Art
Vaillancourt Folk Art (VFA) is a family owned and operated wholesale and retailing business based in Sutton, Massachusetts that hand paints chalkware trinkets. Judi Vaillancourt is credited with having developed the process used to create the fi ...
, noted makers of
chalkware
Chalkware is an American term for popular figurines either made of moulded plaster of Paris (usually) or sculpted gypsum, and painted, typically with oils or watercolors. They were primarily created during one of three periods: from the late 18th ...
, was established in Sutton.
In 2004, Sutton was designated as a
Preserve America
Preserve America is a United States government program, established under President George W. Bush, intended to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy the country's cultural and natural heritage.
As of 2017, more than 900 ...
community.
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 4.57%, is water.
The town contains five villages, known as Manchaug, South Sutton, Sutton Center, West Sutton, and Wilkinsonville. Located in the Blackstone Valley, Sutton shares its borders with the towns of
Douglas
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
* Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, and
Uxbridge
Uxbridge () is a suburban town in west London and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Hillingdon. Situated west-northwest of Charing Cross, it is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Uxb ...
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 ...
First Baptist Church of Sutton
First Baptist Church of Sutton is a Baptist church in the town of Sutton, Massachusetts and was founded on September 9, 1735, by the Reverend Benjamin Marsh one of the founding fathers of the town and Thomas Green. It is the fourth oldest Bapt ...
Manchaug Village Historic District
The Manchaug Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the 19th century industrial village center of Manchaug in Sutton, Massachusetts. Developed in the 1820s around textile mills on the Mumford River, it was the largest ind ...
(2018)
File:Sutton Common.jpg,
Sutton Center Historic District
The Sutton Center Historic District is a historic district encompassing the center of the village of Sutton, Massachusetts. The district, which covers , is centered on the junction of Boston Road, Singletary Avenue, and Uxbridge Road. Boston ...
As of the 2010 U.S. Census there were 8,963 people residing in Sutton. 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 8,250 people, 2,811 households, and 2,282 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 . There were 2,950 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.18%
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 ...
, 0.68%
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 ...
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 of any race were 0.70% of the population.
There were 2,811 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.3% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.8% were non-families. Of all households, 15.0% were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $75,141, and the median income for a family was $81,000. Males had a median income of $53,482 versus $37,463 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 $27,490. About 3.4% 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 ...
, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Sutton has an open town meeting type government. The current Town Moderator is Ken Stuart, who served as a Selectman prior to his election in 2015.
The town government in Sutton consists of the Town Manager and the Board of Selectmen. The current Town Manager is James A. Smith, and the current members of the Board of Selectmen are David Hall (since Oct 2012), Jesse Limanek (since May 2015), Wendy Mead (since May 2018), Jonathan Anderson (since Oct 2018), and Jeff Bannon (since May 2019).
The public services in Sutton include the police, fire, and highway departments. The Police Department is located at 489 Central Turnpike. The Fire Department has three stations, one in the center of town, one in the Wilkinsonville village, and one in the Manchaug village. The Sutton Highway Department is located at 25 Pleasant Valley Road.
Education
Public schools in Sutton fall under the jurisdiction of Sutton Public School District. Sutton public schools consist of the Simonian Center for Early Learning, Sutton Elementary School, Sutton Middle School, and Sutton High School.
The Sutton Free Library was established in 1876. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Sutton spent 0.7% ($165,982) of its budget on its public library—approximately $18 per person, per year ($23.72 adjusted for inflation to 2022).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
Benjamin Marsh
Benjamin Marsh I (1687 – c. 1775) was one of the founders of Sutton, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the first Baptist Church
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers o ...
Rufus Putnam
Brigadier-General Rufus Putnam (April 9, 1738 – May 4, 1824) was an American military officer who fought during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. As an organizer of the Ohio Company of Associates, he was instrumenta ...
, military officer
*
Jonas Sibley
Jonas Sibley (March 7, 1762 – February 5, 1834) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts.
He was born in Sutton in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and completed preparatory studies there. He married Lydia Rice of Sutton. He was Selec ...
Amos Singletary
Amos Singletary (September 1721 – October 30, 1806) was an American gristmill operator and justice of the peace from Sutton, Massachusetts, who served in both houses of the Massachusetts General Court (state legislature). An Anti-Federalist, ...
List of Preserve America Communities
This is a list of United States municipalities, counties, neighborhoods, and tribal communities that have been designated as "Preserve America Communities" under the federal government's Preserve America program. As of 2017, more than 900 comm ...