Wrentham, Massachusetts
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Wrentham ( ) 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 population was 12,178 at the 2020 census.


History

In 1660, five men from Dedham were sent to explore the lakes near George Indian's wigwam and to report back to the selectmen what they found. The report of those men, Daniel Fisher,
Anthony Fisher Anthony Colin Fisher (born 10 March 1960) is an Australian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and a friar of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). Since 12 November 2014, he has been the ninth Catholic Archbishop of Sydney. He served as the ...
, Sgt. Fuller, Richard Ellis, and Richard Wheeler, was received with such enthusiasm that in March 1661 it was voted to start a new settlement there. The Town then voted to send Ellis and Timothy Dwight to go negotiate with King Phillip to purchase the
title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
to the area known as Wollomonopoag. They purchased 600 acres of land for £24, 6s. The money was paid out of pocket by Captain Willett, who accompanied Ellis and Dwight. The Town voted to assess a tax upon the cow commons to repay him, but some thought the money should be paid by those who would be moving to the new village. The dispute resulted in Willet not being paid back for several years. After the boundaries of the new community were set, the Town voted to give up all rights to the land in return for the proprietors paying Dedham £160 over four years, beginning in 1661. By January 1663, however, little progress had been made towards establishing a new village. A meeting was called, and the 10 men who volunteered to go raised several concerns about their ability to move forward. After much discussion, it was decided not to give the 600 acres to the group of pre-selected men, but rather to lay out lots and then award them by lottery. Those who already began to improve their lots were allowed to keep them, and land for a church, burial ground, training ground, roads, and officer lots were not included. All were free to buy and sell their lots. Not much happened at Wollomonopoag until 1668, at which time a report arrived of native peoples planting corn and cutting down trees on the land that Dedham had purchased.
Eleazer Lusher Major Eleazer Lusher (died 1672) was a politician and military leader from Dedham, Massachusetts. Political career Lusher had unmatched political influence in Dedham and was one of the most powerful men in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He was ...
was charged with sending the illiterate Indians a letter warning them to "depart from that place and trespass no further." Samuel Fisher then took it to them and read it aloud, at which point they replied that they had every intention of remaining on the land. Though they had still not paid him back for the land in question, the Town then asked Willett to speak with King Phillip and ask that he intervene. There is no record of Phillip's response to that entreaty but, in August 1669, the Town Fathers received an odd letter from him offering to negotiate for more land if they would quickly send him a "holland shirt." Dwight and four others were appointed to negotiate with him again, provided Phillip could prove he, and not another
sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...
, had the rights to the land. In November, an agreement was reached to clear the title for £17 0s 8d. There is no record of whether a shirt was traded. Samuel Sheares lived alone at Wollomonopoag for some time before a new attempt at a settlement was undertaken in 1671. Five men, John Thurston, Thomas Thurston, Robert Weare, John Weare, and Joseph Cheeney moved there with him, followed the next year by Rev.
Samuel Man Samuel Man (July 6, 1647 – May 22, 1719) was an early teacher in Dedham, Massachusetts and minister in Wrentham, Massachusetts. Personal life Man was born on July 6, 1647 to William and Mary Man of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Man was an only ...
, a one-time teacher in the
Dedham Public Schools The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK– 12 graded school district in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States. History On January 2, 1643, the Town Meeting set aside land for ...
. Robert Crossman was employed at the same time to construct a corn mill. Those who moved there were drawn from the middle class of Dedham. They were primarily people from outside of Dedham who had purchased land there, and second generation Dedhamites who moved without their parents. Without the outsides, it is questionable whether the new community would have survived. Soon, however, the Wollomonopoag settlers complained that those in the village center were keeping them in a state of colonial dependency. They were upset about absentee landlords whose land values were going up thanks to the labor of the inhabitants and who refused to pay taxes to support the community. They also complained that with the seat of the town government being so far away that they were disenfranchised and best by a lack of capital. Constables refused to travel to Wollomonopoag to make collections, assessments, and social judgement. With the blessing of Dedham's Board of Selectmen, the General Court separated the new town of Wrentham on October 16, 1673. It was burned down 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 ...
1675–1676. In the nineteenth century, Wrentham was the site of
Day's Academy Day's Academy (also known as Wrentham Academy) was a former academy in Wrentham, Massachusetts that existed between 1806 and 1875 when it became the site of Wrentham's High School. The school was chartered in 1806 for religious education through th ...
. For a short time, Wrentham was the residence of the educational reformer
Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...
. It is also known as one of the residences of Helen Keller.


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 is land and (3.14%) is water. Wrentham is bordered by
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 ...
on the north, Foxboro on the east, Plainville and Cumberland, Rhode Island on the south, Bellingham on the southwest, 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 ...
on the west. It has two large lakes towards the center of town, Lake Pearl and Lake Archer, as well as Mirror Lake on the Wrentham/Norfolk border and numerous smaller lakes. Sheldonville, or West Wrentham, is a rural section of Wrentham located on the western leg of town. Sheldonville still maintains a unique identity as the old farming section of Wrentham, has active commercial orchards, and has its own ZIP Code (02070). Wrentham drains into four watersheds. They are 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 ...
to the north, the Taunton River to the east, the
Blackstone River The Blackstone River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It flows approximately 48 mi (80 km) and drains a watershed of approximately 540 sq. mi (1,400 km2). Its long history of industrial use has left ...
to the west, and the Ten Mile River to the south. Wrentham is the only town of that name in the United States. It is named after the village of Wrentham, Suffolk, England. The only other Wrentham is Wrentham,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
. Wrentham, Massachusetts, is by far the most populous of the three.


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 10,554 people, 3,402 households, and 2,653 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 475.5 people per square mile (183.6/km). There were 3,507 housing units at an average density of 158.0 per square mile (61.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.64%
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 o ...
, 0.61%
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 ...
, 0.12% Native American, 0.80%
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 ...
, 0.01%
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 ...
, 0.32% 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 0.50% 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 0.79% of the population. There were 3,402 households, out of which 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.3% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.31. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 31.4% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $78,043.50, and the median income for a family was $89,058.99. Males had a median income of $58,776 versus $37,219 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 $30,792.56. About 1.6% of families and 3.9% 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 4.2% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.


Government

The town is part of the
Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district in the United States is one of 40 legislative districts of the Massachusetts Senate. It covers 8.6% of Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, 2.0% of Middlesex County, Massa ...
. Federally, Wrentham is part of
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district Massachusetts's 4th congressional district is located mostly in southern Massachusetts. It is represented by Democrat Jake Auchincloss. Auchincloss was first elected in 2020. The district covers much of the area included in the before the 1992 ...
, represented by Democrat
Jake Auchincloss Jacob Daniel Auchincloss ( ; born January 29, 1988) is an American politician, businessman, and Marine veteran serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 4th congressional district since 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Part ...
, elected in 2020. One of the state's former members of the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
is Republican
Scott Brown Scott Brown may refer to: Sportsmen *Scott Brown (American football), American college football coach of Kentucky State * Scott Brown (baseball) (born 1956), former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds *Scott Brown (footballer, bor ...
, a resident of Wrentham, who was elected via special election on January 19, 2010, and served until January 2013.


Education

The Wrentham Elementary School consists of three buildings which separate the different grade levels. There is the Delaney Elementary School for the lowest grades, the Vogel Elementary School for a mix of lower grades and unified arts, and the Roderick Elementary School for the highest grades (up to grade 6). All 3 of these buildings are located on one Wrentham Elementary School campus located off of Taunton St & Randall Rd in the center of Wrentham. For secondary education Wrentham is in the King Philip Regional School District, which operates the public middle school and the comprehensive high school for Wrentham.
King Philip Regional High School King Philip Regional High School (KPRHS) is a regional high school in Wrentham, Massachusetts, United States. It is a part of the King Philip Regional School District, drawing students from three towns: Wrentham, Norfolk, and Plainville. Mar ...
, located on Franklin St, is the town's public high school and serves students from Wrentham,
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 Plainville. Students in middle school attend King Philip Regional Middle School in Norfolk. Surrounding high schools, such as Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School in Franklin, and
Norfolk County Agricultural High School Norfolk County Agricultural High School is a public high school in Walpole, Massachusetts, United States. The school offers specialty training to students who are interested in pursuing careers in Animal and Marine Science, Plant and Environment ...
in Walpole, as well as the Catholic Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro, are also available to Wrentham students.


Transportation

Wrentham is a member of the
Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority The Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (GATRA) oversees and coordinates public and medical transportation in the areas of Attleboro and Taunton, Massachusetts and 24 nearby areas. It operates daily (except on Sundays) fixed bus r ...
.


Notable people

*
Dale Arnold Dale Everett Arnold (born March 27, 1956) is a New England sportscaster. He hosts Boston Bruins broadcasts on NESN and co-hosted talk radio shows on WEEI until his retirement from radio on March 12, 2021, announced the day before. He was the ...
, Co-Host of the WEEI-FM Dale & Keefe Afternoon Show from 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM and The Boston Bruins Pre and Post Game shows on NESN lived in Duluth prior to moving back to Maine *
Ayla Brown Ayla Marie Brown (born July 28, 1988) is an American recording artist from Wrentham, Massachusetts and former college basketball, NCAA basketball player. She was a contestant on ''American Idol'' on American Idol (season 5), season 5 in 2006 and ...
, singer and basketball player; daughter of Scott Brown *
Scott Brown Scott Brown may refer to: Sportsmen *Scott Brown (American football), American college football coach of Kentucky State * Scott Brown (baseball) (born 1956), former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds *Scott Brown (footballer, bor ...
, former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa; lived in Wrentham while being a Republican United States Senator from Massachusetts from 2010 to 2013 *
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, professional wrestler and actor (formerly owned a home on Lake Archer) * Cesar Chelor, the earliest documented African-American plane maker in North America *
Chris Doughty The 2022 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Massachusetts. Republican former state representative Geoff Diehl, Democratic state attorney general Maura Healey, and Libertarian Kevin Ree ...
, businessman and politician running in the 2022 Massachusetts Gubernatorial elections as a Republican * Charlotte W. Hawes, composer * Gail Huff, Former News Reporter for
WCVB-TV WCVB-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on TV Place (off Gould Street near the I-95/ MA 128/Highland Avenue ...
and wife of Scott Brown * Helen Keller, Moved to Wrentham in 1905 and resided in the town for over a decade. It was during this time she joined the Socialist Party of Massachusetts, became a suffragist, and published several books *
Jake Layman Jake Douglas Layman (born March 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. Layman was drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic before be ...
, NBA basketball player *
Garth Snow Garth E. Snow (born July 28, 1969) is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender and former general manager, president and alternate governor of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted by the Quebec Nordiqu ...
, former NHL goaltender and former GM of the New York Islanders *
Scott Zolak Scott David Zolak (born December 13, 1967) is an American broadcaster and former professional American football, football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the New England Patrio ...
, former NFL quarterback and current host/color commentator for 98.5 FM The Sports Hub


Explanatory notes


Citations


Works cited

* * *


External links


Wrentham's Home Page

King Philip Regional School District Home Page

Wrentham Public Schools

The Wrentham Times

Wrentham Cable Access

Wrentham Patch
published by
AOL Inc. AOL (stylized as Aol., formerly a company known as AOL Inc. and originally known as America Online) is an American web portal and online service provider based in New York City. It is a brand marketed by the current incarnation of Yahoo! Inc. ...
{{authority control 1660 establishments in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1660 Towns in Massachusetts Towns in Norfolk County, Massachusetts