:Ashburnham, Massachusetts

File:Ashburnham, Mass. (2673623539).jpg with list of landmarks]]

Ashburnham was first settled by Europeans in 1736, and was officially incorporated in 1765. The name is of British origin, possibly drawn from the Earl of Ashburnham, in Pembrey, or the Sussex community of Ashburnham.

Ashburnham was originally made up of the lands granted to officers and soldiers of a 1690 expedition to Canada. It was called the Plantation of Dorchester-Canada until it was incorporated.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|41.0|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|38.7|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|2.3|sqmi|km2}} (5.68%) is water.

Though it is over fifteen miles west of the easternmost portions of Worcester County, it nonetheless is the northeastern corner of the county.

{{Weather box

|location = Ashburnham North, Massachusetts, 1991–2020 normals: 1146ft (349m)

|single line = Yes

| Jan record high F = 65

| Feb record high F = 72

| Mar record high F = 78

| Apr record high F = 89

| May record high F = 92

| Jun record high F = 93

| Jul record high F = 95

| Aug record high F = 92

| Sep record high F = 91

| Oct record high F = 81

| Nov record high F = 73

| Dec record high F = 64

| year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 54.5

|Feb avg record high F = 53.9

|Mar avg record high F = 61.4

|Apr avg record high F = 76.9

|May avg record high F = 85.1

|Jun avg record high F = 87.3

|Jul avg record high F = 89.2

|Aug avg record high F = 86.8

|Sep avg record high F = 84.3

|Oct avg record high F = 74.4

|Nov avg record high F = 66.3

|Dec avg record high F = 56.9

|year avg record high F = 89.9

|Jan high F = 31.0

|Feb high F = 33.3

|Mar high F = 41.1

|Apr high F = 54.4

|May high F = 65.5

|Jun high F = 74.2

|Jul high F = 79.3

|Aug high F = 78.1

|Sep high F = 70.5

|Oct high F = 57.8

|Nov high F = 46.2

|Dec high F = 35.9

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 21.1

|Feb mean F = 22.9

|Mar mean F = 30.8

|Apr mean F = 43.3

|May mean F = 54.5

|Jun mean F = 63.6

|Jul mean F = 68.7

|Aug mean F = 67.3

|Sep mean F = 59.9

|Oct mean F = 47.6

|Nov mean F = 37.6

|Dec mean F = 27.2

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 11.3

|Feb low F = 12.5

|Mar low F = 20.5

|Apr low F = 32.3

|May low F = 43.5

|Jun low F = 53.0

|Jul low F = 58.1

|Aug low F = 56.6

|Sep low F = 49.2

|Oct low F = 37.5

|Nov low F = 29.0

|Dec low F = 18.5

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -8.3

|Feb avg record low F = -5.7

|Mar avg record low F = 1.1

|Apr avg record low F = 20.5

|May avg record low F = 29.7

|Jun avg record low F = 40.1

|Jul avg record low F = 48.5

|Aug avg record low F = 45.5

|Sep avg record low F = 33.9

|Oct avg record low F = 23.9

|Nov avg record low F = 14.3

|Dec avg record low F = 0.6

|year avg record low F = -9.1

| Jan record low F = -21

| Feb record low F = -18

| Mar record low F = -10

| Apr record low F = 10

| May record low F = 17

| Jun record low F = 33

| Jul record low F = 45

| Aug record low F = 43

| Sep record low F = 29

| Oct record low F = 13

| Nov record low F = -1

| Dec record low F = -11

| year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.23

|Feb precipitation inch = 3.27

|Mar precipitation inch = 4.17

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.02

|May precipitation inch = 4.10

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.17

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.89

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.37

|Sep precipitation inch = 4.27

|Oct precipitation inch = 5.09

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.82

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.29

|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 13.3

|Feb snow inch = 19.9

|Mar snow inch = 9.8

|Apr snow inch = 2.1

|May snow inch = trace

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 1.6

|Nov snow inch = 2.0

|Dec snow inch = 14.8

|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00190192&format=pdf

|title = Ashburnham North, Massachusetts 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = December 13, 2023

}}

|source 2 = XMACIS (2006–2020 snowfall, temp records & monthly max/mins)

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS

|access-date = December 13, 2023

}}

}}

{{Historical populations | type=USA

| 1850|1875

| 1860|2108

| 1870|2172

| 1880|1666

| 1890|2074

| 1900|1882

| 1910|2107

| 1920|2012

| 1930|2079

| 1940|2255

| 1950|2603

| 1960|2758

| 1970|3484

| 1980|4075

| 1990|5433

| 2000|5546

| 2010|6081

| 2020|6315

| 2023*|6415

| footnote=* = population estimate. {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2023| publisher=United States Census Bureau | access-date=May 19, 2024 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}

}}

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }} of 2000, there were 5,546 people, 1,929 households, and 1,541 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|143.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,204 housing units at an average density of {{convert|57.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.66% White, 0.22% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.31% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.66% of the population. 19.5% were of Irish, 15.9% French, 13.7% French Canadian, 9.4% Italian, 7.0% English, 6.6% Finnish and 5.6% American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 1,929 households, out of which 42.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% 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 3.20.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 29.0% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

According to the 2010 census, the median household income was $76,250 and the average household income was $81,324. The per capita household income was $29,044. About 4.8% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. The median house cost was $266,347.

• Ashburnham is the starting point for the Wapack Trail and Massachusetts Midstate Trail.
• Cambridge Grant Historic District
• Mount Watatic was named as one of the 1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts by the Great Places in Massachusetts Commission.{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/12/1000_places_to_visit/ |title=1,000 places to visit in Massachusetts |publisher=Boston.com |date=July 26, 2010 |access-date=January 27, 2014}}
• Frederick historic piano collection{{Cite web |title=The Frederick Collection of Historical Pianos |url=https://www.frederickcollection.org/ |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=www.frederickcollection.org}}
• Camp Winnekeag{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Camp Winnekeag |url=https://campwnkg.org/ |access-date=April 10, 2023 |website=Camp Winnekeag |language=en-US}}

The Town is governed by a Board of Selectmen who are elected to three-year terms. As of January 2020, the Board is served by Rosemarie Meissner (Chair), John Mulhall (member), Leo Janssens (member), and Mary Calandrella (Executive Assistant to Town Administrator).{{Cite web|url=http://www.ashburnham-ma.gov/board-selectmen|title=Board of Selectmen {{!}} Ashburnham MA|website=www.ashburnham-ma.gov|access-date=January 15, 2020}}

The Ashburnham & Winchendon Joint Water Authority provides municipal water. The water source is the spring-fed Upper Naukeag Lake in Ashburnham.{{cite web |title=Ashburnham Dept of Public Works |url=https://ashburnhamdpw.com/ |publisher=Town of Ashburnham |access-date=January 3, 2022}}

Ashburnham is part of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional High School district, along with neighboring Westminster. The town has one elementary school, the John R. Briggs Elementary School serving K–5. Middle school students attend Overlook Middle School, and high school students attend Oakmont Regional High School. There is one private school in the town: Cushing Academy.

Highways include Route 12, Route 101, and Route 119.

An abandoned section of the Springfield Terminal Railroad passes through Ashburnham. A line of the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) serves Ashburnham, and also operates fixed-route bus services, shuttle services, as well as para-transit services for Ashburnham and the Montachusett Region.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mrta.us/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011044850/http://www.mrta.us/|url-status=dead|title=MART – Montachusett Regional Transit Authority|archivedate=October 11, 2012}}

There are two general aviation airports nearby, Fitchburg Municipal Airport and Gardner Municipal Airport, with the nearest national air service being at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire.

• Ivers Whitney Adams, founder and president of the Boston Red Stockings, Boston's first baseball team, as well as the Boston Base Ball Club, the first professional baseball franchise in Boston. He also gave to the town its own water supply as well as commissioned Bela Pratt to design the Schoolboy Statue of 1850, now on the corner of Main and School streets
• Melvin O. Adams, lawyer for Lizzie Borden, was born in Ashburnham
• Nate Berkus, designer and TV personality; graduated from Cushing Academy
• Bette Davis, legendary actress of film, television and theater. She lived in Ashburnham while attending Cushing Academy, graduating in 1927
• Isaac Hill (1788–1851), New Hampshire state representative, New Hampshire state senator, Comptroller of the United States Treasury in the Andrew Jackson administration, U.S. senator from New Hampshire, and governor of New Hampshire
• Harrison Carroll Hobart, Wisconsin politician
• Amos Pollard, surgeon at The Battle of the Alamo
• Hans Rickheit, cartoonist, grew up in Ashburnham{{cite news|title=Hans Rickheit | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321122144/http://reglarwiglar.com/comicartists/HansRickheit.html |archive-date=Mar 21, 2012 |url=https://reglarwiglar.com/han-rickheit-interview/|work=Reglar Wiglar | interviewer=Chris Auman | volume= 1 |number=4 |date=2010}}
• Cassius Clement Stearns (1838–1910), composer of church music
• Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, King of the Kingdom of Bhutan; graduated from Cushing Academy

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Ashburnham, Massachusetts}}

• [http://www.ashburnham-ma.gov/ Town of Ashburnham official website]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Ashburnham

| North =

| Northeast = New Ipswich, New Hampshire

| East = Ashby

| Southeast = Fitchburg

| South = Westminster

| Southwest = Gardner

| West = Winchendon

| Northwest = Rindge, New Hampshire

}}

{{Worcester County, Massachusetts}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1765 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay

Category:Populated places established in 1765

Category:Towns in Massachusetts

Category:Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts