Princeton is a town in Worcester County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States. It is bordered on the east by

Sterling Sterling may refer to: Currency * The English penny, historically known as the ''sterling'' * Pound sterling, the currency of the United Kingdom * Sterling silver, a grade of silver Places United Kingdom * Stirling, a Scottish city whose al ...

and

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located 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 almos ...

, on the north by

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by

Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and west, Lincolnshire to the north-east, and Northamptonshire to the south-west. Oakham is the largest town and county town. Rutland has a ...

, and on the southeast by

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. Founded in Adelaide, it was an automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter that sold cars under its own marque in Australia. It was ...

. The preeminent landmark within Princeton is

Mount Wachusett Mount Wachusett is a mountain in Massachusetts. It straddles towns of Princeton and Westminster, in Worcester County. It is the highest point in Massachusetts east of the Connecticut River. The mountain is named after a Native American term m ...

, 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 Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip's War and held for 11 weeks before being ...

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 led ...

, now within the town of Princeton, by

King Philip King Philip may refer to * Philip I of Macedon (fl. c. 593 BC) * Philip II of Macedon (380–336 BC), Greek conqueror and father of Alexander the Great * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960) * Ee-mat-la (died 1839) war leader of the Seminole in the Seco ...

. 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 suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and rela ...

, 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, Engl ...

Gardner Gardner may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gardner (given name) *Gardner (surname) Places United States * Gardner, Colorado *Gardner, Illinois *Gardner, Kansas *Gardner, Massachusetts * Gardner, North Dakota * Gardner, Tennessee * Ga ...

, and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

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 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

: * 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 The Russell Corner Historic District of Princeton, Massachusetts encompasses a small 19th century commercial center that developed into a summer resort area by the early 20th century. Centered at the intersection of Merriam Road and Gregory H ...

: 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 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 in winter, Princeton MA.jpg, Bagg Hall, the town hall of Princeton

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, 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 (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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 (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.30%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.33% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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, Mas ...

. The

Thomas Prince School Wachusett Regional School District was founded in 1955 and comprises the Massachusetts towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland Rutland is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Leicestershire to the north and ...

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, the school educates students from Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and St ...

(traditional public high school) in Holden, MA and Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (vocational/technical high school) in Fitchburg, MA 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 college, 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 ...

, whose main campus is located in

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

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 *

*Princeton Historical Society * Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary * Wachusett Mountain Ski Area * Wachusett Mountain State Reservation *

*Hubbard farm

Notable people

Colin Bennie Colin Bennie is an American distance runner who specializes in the marathon. He was an All-American runner at Syracuse University before shifting to longer races after college. Bennie placed in the top 10 at the 2020 and 2024 United States Olympi ...

, distance runner *

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. Biography Boylston was born in Boston, Province of ...

(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 *

Daniel Davis Jr. Daniel Davis Jr. (1813–1887) was an American photographer, daguerreotypist and ambrotypist. In 1842 Daniel Davis Jr. patented a method for colouring daguerreotypes through electroplating Electroplating, also known as electrochemical deposit ...

(1813–1887) - inventor *

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 is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...

* Ruth Ellen Grout (1901–1998), health education professor at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

Ezra Heywood Ezra Hervey Heywood (; September 29, 1829 – May 22, 1893), known as Ezra Hervey Hoar before 1848, was an American individualist anarchist, slavery abolitionist, and advocate of equal rights for women. Activism Heywood co-founded the New Engl ...

(1829–1893), anarchist, slavery abolitionist, and feminist * Vanessa Marcotte (1989–2016), murder victim, whose case attracted national media attention * Aurelius Dwight Parker (1802–1875), lawyer and politician * 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 directed by the Farrelly brothers, Farrelly Brothers. The film stars Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black, with Jason Alexander, Joe Viterelli, and Susan Ward in supporting roles. Filming took pla ...

'' had scenes shot in Princeton at Wachusett Mountain. * The 2006 film '' The Legend of Lucy Keyes'' 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 the Province of Massachusetts Bay Populated places established in 1759 Towns in Massachusetts