Rutland 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. The population was 9,049 at the 2020 census. Rutland is the geographic center of Massachusetts; a tree, the Central Tree, located on Central Tree Road, marks the general spot.

History

The town was first settled by Europeans in 1666 and was originally called "Naquag," a name which came from

Nipmuc The Nipmuc or Nipmuck people are an Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who historically spoke an Eastern Algonquian languages, Eastern Algonquian language, probably the Loup language. Their historic territory Nippenet, meaning 'the f ...

. Officially incorporated in 1713, the Town of Rutland was made up of Barre, Hubbardston,

Oakham Oakham is a market town and civil parish in Rutland (of which it is the county town) in the East Midlands of England. The town is located east of Leicester, southeast of Nottingham and northwest of Peterborough. It had a population of 12,14 ...

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

, and the northern half of Paxton. In Northern Rutland there are prison camps used during the Revolutionary War used for captured Hessian mercenaries hired by the British. The town's most famous citizen is

Rufus Putnam 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 instrumental in the initial co ...

, who was George Washington's chief engineer in 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 the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. He held various town offices in Rutland and served as Representative to the General Court. Later, he led a group of Revolutionary War veterans west to settle in the

Northwest Territory The Northwest Territory, also known as the Old Northwest and formally known as the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, was formed from part of the unorganized western territory of the United States after the American Revolution. Established ...

and Putnam became known as the "Father of Ohio." The Rufus Putnam House still stands, and is now a B&B. It is depicted on the town seal. RutlandMA RufusPutnamHouse

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 is land and , or 3.16%, is water. Rutland is bordered by

on the northeast,

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 ...

on the east, Paxton on the southeast,

on the southwest, and Barre and Hubbardston on the northwest. Rutland has five villages within its limits: New Boston, West Rutland, Muschopauge, North Rutland, and Turkey Hill. Rutland is approximately northwest of

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 ...

, west of

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 ...

, and northeast of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Rutland is the highest town between

The Berkshires The Berkshires () are highlands located in western Massachusetts and northwestern Connecticut in the United States. Generally, "Berkshires" may refer to the range of hills in Massachusetts that lie between the Housatonic and Connecticut River ...

and the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

. The town common is above sea level. Rutland is the

geographical center In geography, the centroid of the two-dimensional shape of a region of the Earth's surface (projected radially to sea level or onto a geoid surface) is known as its geographic centre or geographical centre or (less commonly) gravitational centre. I ...

Demographics

As of the year 2008, there were approximately 8,257 people, 2,300 households, and 1,721 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,392 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 96.58%

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 ...

, 1.04%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.44% from other races, and 1.34% 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 1.32% of the population. There were 2,253 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. Of all households 19.9% were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.21. In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $62,846, and the median income for a family was $70,689. Males had a median income of $45,824 versus $35,390 for females. 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 $23,311. About 1.5% of families and 3.3% 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 2.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Internally, Rutland uses a town meeting style system of governance. As of 2019, the Board of Selectmen is composed of Lyndon S. Nichols, Jeffrey A. Stillings, Mitchell Ruscitti, Leah M. Whiteman, and Leroy "Skip" Clark. Terms for the board of selectmen are staggered.

Arts and culture

Each year, Rutland holds a four-day-long

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

celebration, beginning on July 1. Events include performances by area musicians, a lip-sync concert, chicken barbecue hosted by the local Fire Brigade, a Historical Society Lemonade Social, and an acclaimed fireworks show. On the Fourth, Rutland holds a parade with floats made by local organizations and special guests including local and regional politicians. August also brings in the Central Tree Chowder Chili Challenge, an event hosted and sponsored by the Rutland Fire Brigade. Area restaurants compete for local bragging rights for having the best area

clam chowder Clam chowder is any of several chowder soups in American cuisine containing clams. In addition to clams, common ingredients include diced potatoes, salt pork, and onions. It is believed that clams were used in chowder because of the relative ...

. With two ways to "win", restaurants compete for both the people's choice as well as the votes of their peers and competitors. While the main draw to the day is the clam chowder, the event has evolved into a family-oriented day. There is no admission fee except for those who wish to sample the chowder. However, there are also pony rides, face painting, "exotic" animal exhibits, inflatable rooms for kids, a free "train ride" (a lawn tractor towing three cars around the local athletic track), as well as miscellaneous vendors, both local and from surrounding towns. Proceeds go to the local Fire Brigade, which uses the money for restoration of the town's original fire station, and also to help supplement the expenses of the Fire Department by purchasing much needed equipment that would otherwise have to wait for town funding.

Education

Rutland is a part of the Wachusett Regional School District. There are two elementary schools; Naquag Elementary, which houses grades K through 2nd. The second elementary school is Glenwood Elementary, which contains grades 3rd through 5th. Naquag Elementary is located on Main Street. As of the 2024-2025 school year, the school has 22 full-time teachers and 344 students. The middle school in the town is Central Tree Middle School. Central Tree contains grades 6 through 8 and houses 365 students and 25 full-time teachers. The average reading and math proficiency in the school is above the state average with a 53% Reading proficiency and 41% Math proficiency. The public high schools are Wachusett Regional High School in

, and

Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School is a secondary school located in Charlton, Massachusetts, United States and sits on top of Old Mugget Hill. The school serves about 1,100 students grades 9 to 12 and some Post-Grad students as ...

in Charlton. Rutland is also home to the residential treatment facility, Devereux School. Devereux provides educational and psychological services to youth aged 6–21.

Library

The Rutland public library was founded . In fiscal year 2008, the town of Rutland spent 1.16% ($159,360) of its budget on its public library—some $20.17 per person, per year ($26.58 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.

References

External links

Massachusetts state community page for Rutland
*
Rutland MA 4th of JulyWachusett Region town page for RutlandRutland, MA Historical Society note: domain expired and now owned by an unrelated advertising Rutland, MA Crop Hunger Walk
* {{Authority control Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts 1666 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony