Orange is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

in Franklin 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 7,569 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts

Metropolitan Statistical Area In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...

. Part of the town is included in the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower * Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum ...

History

Orange was first settled by Europeans in 1746, created from lands in the towns of Royalston,

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined with Leamington Spa and W ...

and Athol. The lands were not fully settled until the latter parts of the century, becoming the District of Orange in 1783, and finally being incorporated as a town in 1810. It was named for William, Prince of Orange. In 1790, the Millers River was dammed within town, and industry began in the former farming community. Small industry grew within the town, with the town being considered more of a mill town by 1840. By the late nineteenth century the New Home

Sewing Machine A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with Thread (yarn), thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. ...

Company was the largest industry in town, putting out 1.2 million machines at its peak in 1892. In 1900, it was home to the pioneer

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded ...

company

Grout Grout is a dense fluid which hardens to fill gaps or used as reinforcement in existing structures. Grout is generally a mixture of water, cement and sand, and is employed in pressure grouting, embedding rebar in masonry walls, connecting sec ...

, considered the first automobile built in a factory in the United States. Image:052-residence of mr. levi kilburn, esq.jpg, Palatial home of Mr. Levi Kilburn, Esq. Image:The Square, Orange, MA.jpg, The Square in 1906 Image:Central School, Orange, MA.jpg, Central School in 1908 Image:Mansion House, Orange, MA.jpg, Mansion House in 1906

Massachusetts Peace Statue

The

Massachusetts Peace Statue The ''Massachusetts Peace Statue'' — ''It Shall Not Be Again'', is a war memorial statue built in the town of Orange, Massachusetts in recognition of veterans who served in World War I. On February 25, 2000 the legislature designated it the offi ...

—''It Shall Not Be Again''—a bronze war memorial statue was erected in Memorial Park in 1934 to recognize veterans who served in World War I. On February 25, 2000 the legislature designated it the official peace statue of the Commonwealth of

. Image:Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 01.jpg, Peace Statue (1934) Image:Orange Massachusetts Peace Statue 04.jpg, Peace Statue Plaque

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 An economy is an area of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 2.58%, is water. Orange is drained by the Millers River, which flows through the center of the modern town. There are also several brooks within town, as well as several ponds and lakes, including Tully Pond, Lake Mattawa and part of Lake Rohunta. Only a small portion of the town is protected area, most of which is part of the Orange State Forest, with a small portion being part of the Warwick State Forest. Much of the northern half of town is spotted with swamps, and the town is home to three large hills, Temple Hill and Tully Mountain in the north and Chestnut Hill, the town's highest point, in the south. Orange is the easternmost town within Franklin County along its border with Worcester County. The town center lies east of

Greenfield Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to: Engineering and Business * Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation * Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist * Greenf ...

, northwest of Worcester, northeast of Springfield and west-northwest of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

. It is bordered by Royalston to the northeast, Athol to the southeast, New Salem to the south, Wendell to the southwest, a small portion of

Erving Erving may refer to: People * Cameron Erving (born 1992), American college football player * George W. Erving (1769–1850), American diplomat * Julius Erving (born 1950), American basketball player, also known as "Dr. J" * Erving Goffman (1922–1 ...

to the west, and

to the northwest.

Climate

Like most of Massachusetts, Orange falls into a humid continental climate type, or Koppen Dfa/Dfb. Hot, humid summers are common, along with cold, snowy winters. Spring and fall are typically mild, with notable fall foliage.

Transportation

The town lies along

Massachusetts Route 2 Route 2 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with Route 9 and U.S. Route 20 to the south, these highways are the main alternatives to the Massachusetts Turnpike/I-90 toll highway. Route 2 runs the entire ...

, the major east-west route across the northern part of the state. Except for the westernmost tenth of a mile, the entire road is a limited access highway through town. The highway portion ends at the junction of Route 2A, which passes just north of the Millers River near the town center, heading east into Athol and following Route 2's former right of way. Orange is also home to the southern terminus of

Route 78 The following highways are numbered 78: International * Asian Highway 78 * European route E78 Australia * Waterfall Way- New South Wales State Route B78 China * G78 Expressway Iran * Road 78 Korea, South *Gukjido 78 New Zealand * New Z ...

and the northern terminus of Route 122. Additionally, the western end of the concurrency between Route 2 and U.S. Route 202 is just within town. The Springfield Terminal railway passes through town, crossing the Millers River several times in the western side of town. The

Fitchburg Railroad The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900. The main li ...

and later Boston and Maine once provided passenger rail service to Orange; however, these trains have long ceased operating and today only freight passes through the town. Two local bus routes, the Orange/Greenfield Route of the

Franklin Regional Transit Authority The Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) is a regional transit authority which provides public transportation principally to Franklin County and the North Quabbin region, both in Massachusetts. The FRTA is based in the county seat of Gre ...

, and the Gardner/Orange Route of Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, provide service along Route 2A. The Town of Orange owns and operates

Orange Municipal Airport Orange Municipal Airport, in Orange, Massachusetts, is a public airport owned by Town of Orange. It has two runways, averages 137 flights per day, and has approximately 52 aircraft based on its field.

, a small air service airstrip which also serves as a flight training center and parachuting center. The nearest national air service can be reached either at Bradley International Airport to the south or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to the northeast.

Education

Elementary Schools: *Fisher Hill School (K–2) *Dexter Park School (3–6) High School: * Ralph C. Mahar Regional High School (7–12)

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 in ...

of 2000, there were 7,518 people, 3,045 households, and 1,979 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: 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 geographical ...

was 212.6 people per square mile (82.1/km). There were 3,303 housing units at an average density of 93.4 per square mile (36.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 96.29%

White White is the lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.06%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 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 Ocea ...

, 0.59% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races.

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 1.65% of the population. There were 3,045 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% 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, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the town was $36,849, and the median income for a family was $44,128. Males had a median income of $34,367 versus $23,967 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 $17,361. About 5.8% of families and 7.8% 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 7.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.

Events

*North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival * Annual Athol to Orange River Rat Race

Notable people

Myrtle Bachelder Myrtle Claire Bachelder (March 13, 1908 – May 22, 1997) was an American chemist and Women's Army Corps officer, who is noted for her secret work on the Manhattan Project atomic bomb program, and for the development of techniques in the c ...

, chemist and Women's Army Corps officer who worked on the

Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

Charles Chapin Charles E. Chapin (October 19, 1858 – December 13, 1930) was a New York editor of Joseph Pulitzer’s Evening World. He was convicted of the murder of his wife and sentenced to a 20-year-to-life term in Sing Sing prison. Career Chapin was ...

, U.S. Marshal for Vermont * Robert Dexter Conrad, naval captain * Walter William Spencer Cook (1888–1962), art historian and professor, specialized in Spanish Medieval art history; born in Orange *

Genevieve Gaignard Genevieve Gaignard, born in Orange, Massachusetts in 1981, is best known for work exploring issues of race, class, and gender. As a self-identified mixed-race woman, Gaignard utilizes photography, videography, and installation to explore the over ...

, artist * Whitey Witt, former Baseball player and member of the New York Yankees first World Series championship team 1923

References

External links

Town of Orange official website

Wheeler Memorial Library
{{authority control Towns in Franklin County, Massachusetts Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts