Danvers, Massachusetts#Public schools

The area was long settled by indigenous cultures of Native Americans. In the historic period, the Massachusett, a tribe of the Pequot language family, dominated the area.

The land that is now Danvers was once owned by the Naumkeag branch of the Massachusett tribe.

File:Danvers victims memorial, historical marker.jpg

Around 1630, English colonists improved an existing Naumkeag trail as the Old Spanish Road, creating a connection to the main cities of Salem and Boston.Hanson, J. W. (John Wesley). History of the Town of Danvers: From its Early Settlement to the Year 1848. 1848. Salem, Mass.: Higginson Book, 1987. Danvers was permanently settled in 1636 as Salem Village. The historical event for which Danvers is best-known is the Salem witch trials of 1692, which began in the home of Rev. Samuel Parris, and spread throughout the region. Resident Rebecca Nurse was convicted in a trial for witchcraft and executed, along with 19 other innocent victims. The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is still standing in Danvers, and can be visited as a historical landmark.

The residents of Salem Village petitioned the Massachusetts General Court several times over the following decades to become a town separate from Salem. In 1752, the General Court finally separated Danvers from Salem, but established Danvers as an independent self-governing "district" instead of incorporating it as a town, because of a royal prohibition against creating new towns in Massachusetts. A district had all the rights and powers of a town except the ability to send representatives to the legislature. Danvers was likely named for Danvers Osborn, and 1752 is the date locally commemorated on major anniversaries as the creation of Danvers, despite it not being incorporated yet at that time, because that is when it received its name.{{cite web| url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2919| title=Profile for Danvers, Massachusetts| publisher=ePodunk| access-date=May 18, 2010}}{{cite web| url=http://www.danverslibrary.org/archive/?page_id=211| title=The Creation of Danvers, by Richard B. Trask| date=November 5, 2012| publisher=Danvers Archival Center| access-date=January 24, 2013}}{{Cite book |title=Official Program: Danvers' 150th Anniversary, June 15, 16, 17, 1902. |publisher=Danvers Mirror |year=1902 |location=Danvers, Mass.}}

On June 9, 1757, Massachusetts incorporated Danvers as a town regardless of the royal prohibition and, according to legend, King George II later vetoed this act of incorporation and returned it with the message "The King Unwilling." Massachusetts simply ignored this royal veto, which was later included on the town's seal.{{cite web|url=http://www.danverslibrary.org/archive/?page_id=211|title=History|date=November 5, 2012|website=Danverslibrary.org|access-date=August 22, 2018}}

From the Battle of Lexington onward, Danvers residents have participated in the armed forces. Noteworthy Revolutionary figures who stayed in Danvers include Royal Governor General Thomas Gage and Benedict Arnold. Arnold Plaque is found at 1 Conant Street.

In 1847, the railroad came to Danvers. A street railway was installed in 1884, originally consisting of 69 horse-drawn trolleys. This system was later converted to electricity.

File:Danvers Town Hall.jpg

The Town Hall was built in 1855. It has been modified and renovated and is still in use. Also in 1855, the southern portion of Danvers broke away to become the town of South Danvers, later renamed Peabody.

In 1878, the Danvers State Hospital opened its doors. This was an institution to provide asylum and treatment for the mentally ill.

Originally an agricultural town, Danvers farmers developed two breeds of vegetables: the Danvers Onion (origin of the "Oniontown" nickname) and the Danvers Half-Long Carrot.[http://etext.virginia.edu/salem/witchcraft/Danvers.html "Historical Sites of Danvers"] Etext.virginia.edu, Retrieved on November 16, 2009 This carrot was introduced by "market gardeners"[http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history3.html Carrots History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112015436/http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history3.html |date=November 12, 2020 }} Carrotmuseum.co.uk, Retrieved on February 26, 2009 in 1871.

Shoe manufacturing was a prominent industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Successful manufacturing companies included Ideal Baby Shoe. Local shoe companies were undercut in price by factories in other areas, and shoe manufacturing moved out.

Movies filmed in Danvers, Massachusetts include:

• Hubie Halloween (2019)
• Ted 2 (2015)
• Crooked Arrows (2012)
• Session 9 (2001)
• Home Before Dark (1958)

{{main|2006 Danvers Chemical Fire}}

On November 22, 2006, around 2:46 a.m., a major chemical explosion occurred at a facility housing Arnel Company (a manufacturer of industrial-use paint products) and CAI Inc. (a manufacturer of solvents and inks). The blast shook several North Shore towns, knocking homes off foundations and damaging buildings up to half a mile away. Glass windows shattered at least {{convert|3|mi|0}} away, in neighboring Peabody and even in downtown Salem. The explosion was heard and felt up to {{convert|45|mi|km}} away; the concussion was intense.

No one was killed, and none of the injuries were life-threatening, according to Fire Chief Jim Tutko. Approximately 90 homes were damaged. Residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the blast were taken to Danvers High School, where the Red Cross established a relief shelter. The blast occurred next to a marina, a bakery/pizza shop, and a gas station, and across the street from Eastern Propane Gas.

A May 13, 2008, report from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board attributed the explosion to unintentional overnight heating of an ink-mixing tank containing flammable solvents.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Danvers has a total area of {{convert|14.1|sqmi|km2}}, of which {{convert|13.3|sqmi|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.8|sqmi|km2}}, or 5.75%, is water. The tidal Danvers River begins near the southeast corner of town, and is formed by the confluence of the Porter River, Crane River and Waters River. These rivers, in turn, are fed by several brooks. The Ipswich River also flows along the town's western border. The Putnamville Reservoir lies in the north end of the town, which supplies drinking water to the towns of Salem and Beverly.

Though being at sea level in the Danversport area, the town has numerous hills reaching around 130 to 180 feet in elevation, including Dales Hill (located at St. John's Preparatory School), Ferncroft Hill, Folly Hill, Hathorne Hill, Lindall Hill, Nichols Hill, Putnam Hill, Rocky Hill and Whipple Hill (part of Endicott Park).

Danvers has numerous villages dating back to the late 1800s, when the town had a bustling railroad. These include Burley's Corner, Danvers Center, Danversport, Downtown, Ferncroft, Hathorne (which still has its own post office and ZIP code of 01937), Putnamville and Tapleyville.

In a typical year, Danvers, Massachusetts temperatures fall below {{convert|50|F}} for 184 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 44.1 inches per year (high for the US). It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining nine straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 34.4 days, or 9.4% of the year.{{cite web | title=Climate in Danvers, Massachusetts| url=https://dwellics.com/massachusetts/climate-in-danvers | access-date=August 18, 2022 }}

Danvers is located approximately {{convert|17|mi|km}} north of Downtown Boston,"[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/23/massachusetts-student-murder-teacher Massachusetts student, 14, charged with murder of high school teacher]." Associated Press. Wednesday, October 23, 2013. Retrieved on October 23, 2013. nearly halfway between Boston and the New Hampshire state border. It is bordered by Topsfield to the north, Wenham to the northeast, Beverly to the east, a small portion of Salem to the southeast, Peabody to the south and southwest, and Middleton to the northwest. The town center lies {{convert|4|mi|0}} north of Salem, {{convert|16|mi}} west of Gloucester, {{convert|17|mi}} northeast of Boston, and {{convert|19|mi}} southeast of Salem, New Hampshire. Interstate 95 and Massachusetts Route 128 both pass through the town, just east of their junction in Peabody. U.S. Route 1 also passes through town, with a large junction with Interstate 95 in the northwestern end of town. The main highways are also crossed by Route 35, Route 62 and Route 114, with Routes 35 and 62 intersecting just north of the town center. The northern terminus of Route 35 is just over the Topsfield town line, where it meets Route 97.

Several MBTA bus routes pass through the town, between Peabody and Beverly. There is no commuter rail service within town; the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail passes through neighboring Salem and Beverly. Two lines of the Springfield Terminal railroad, running through Springfield, Massachusetts, also cross through town, merging near the town center to head north.

Two runways of the Beverly Municipal Airport cross through the town. In the early 1950s, Earle F. Robbins constructed Robbins Airport, a private airfield, on his property on Collins Street extending to Prince Street.{{cite news |title=Private Airfield Cause of Suit by Town of Danvers |work=The Boston Globe |date=September 11, 1952}} The airport closed in the 1980s and was demolished in the 1990s.{{cite web|title=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: Northern Boston area|url=https://www.airfieldsfreeman.com/MA/Airfields_MA_Boston_N.htm#robbins|publisher=Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields|access-date=December 28, 2013|date=May 29, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214175543/http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MA/Airfields_MA_Boston_N.html#robbins|archive-date=December 14, 2013}} The nearest regularly scheduled commercial flights are located at Boston's Logan International Airport.

{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}

{{Historical populations | type=USA |width=17em

| 1850|8109

| 1860|5110

| 1870|5600

| 1880|6598

| 1890|7454

| 1900|8542

| 1910|9407

| 1920|11108

| 1930|12957

| 1940|14179

| 1950|15720

| 1960|21926

| 1970|26151

| 1980|24100

| 1990|24174

| 2000|25212

| 2010|26493

| 2020|28087

| 2022|27781

| footnote={{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022| publisher=United States Census Bureau | access-date=November 24, 2023 | 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 25,212 people, 9,555 households, and 6,564 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|1898.5|PD/sqmi|/km2}}. There were 9,762 housing units at an average density of {{convert|735.1|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.72% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 0.10% Native American, 1.11% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 9,555 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.3% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,779, and the median income for a family was $70,565. Males had a median income of $48,058 versus $33,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,852. About 1.7% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 4.4% of those age 65 or over.

Danvers has a Plan E form of government, which is a combination of a representative town meeting and town manager. It also has an elected board of selectmen.

According to the town's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{cite web|url=https://www.danversma.gov/documents/fiscal-year-2018-cafr/|title=Town of Danvers CAFR|website=Danvers.govoffice.com|access-date=May 27, 2019|archive-date=November 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105043702/https://www.danversma.gov/documents/fiscal-year-2018-cafr/|url-status=dead}} the top ten employers in the town are:

Danvers has seen major growth in the food truck revolution: and this has led to some of the food truck{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2017/06/04/food-trucks-that-were-temporarily-closed/A2sSac0DqajXOU4VNyIafN/story.html|title=Food trucks that were temporarily closed |newspaper=The Boston Globe|access-date=August 22, 2018}} owners moving toward more permanent cafes.{{cite web|url=http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/food-truck-evolution-some-food-truck-owners-moving-toward-more/article_65adfe87-5f82-5112-8122-0f7d261d2bbd.html|title=Food truck evolution: Some food truck owners moving toward more permanent cafes.|author=Ethan Forman |website=Salemnews.com|date=June 4, 2017 |access-date=August 22, 2018}}

Danvers has full-time police and fire departments. Emergency medical services are provided by Atlantic Ambulance (a Division of Cataldo Ambulance), a large private ambulance company based in Somerville. The Town was previously served by Lyons Ambulance Service, a small private ambulance company which had served the town since 1904 before being bought by Cataldo Ambulance in 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://danvers.wickedlocal.com/news/20170906/danvers-thanks-lyons-ambulance-for-113-years-of-service|title = Danvers thanks Lyons Ambulance for 113 years of service}} The Danvers Police Department was accredited in 1986. Danvers was the first municipal agency within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to become nationally accredited.

On April 2, 1990, the natural gas lines serving homes were accidentally over-pressurized by a Boston Gas worker, resulting in fires and explosions along Lafayette St., Maple St., Venice St. and Beaver Park Av. which injured six people.{{Cite news|url=http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/merrimack-valley-gas-disaster-similar-to-danvers-emergency/article_f4f14759-17bd-5d7a-9810-d3548ade6918.html|title=Merrimack Valley gas disaster similar to 1990 Danvers emergency|last=Writer|first=Kelsey Bode Staff|work=Salem News|access-date=September 15, 2018|language=en}}

The town of Danvers comprises its own school district, Danvers Public Schools. The district has five elementary schools (Highlands Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Great Oak Elementary, Thorpe Elementary, and Smith Elementary), each serving kindergarten through fifth grade (Riverside, Thorpe, and Great Oak also includes pre-kindergarten.) Grades six through eight attend the Holten-Richmond Middle School. Grades nine through twelve attend Danvers High School.

Danvers competes in Little League Baseball as part of two local leagues; the Danvers National Little League (DNLL) on the south and west side of town, and the Danvers American Little League (DALL) on the north and east side of town. Kids in the DNLL primarily go to Highlands and Great Oak Elementary Schools, while kids in DALL primarily go to Smith and Thorpe Elementary Schools. Riverside Elementary is split between the two.

Danvers is home to three private schools. St. Mary of the Annunciation School serves pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Plumfield Academy is a small school for grades one through eight, with a philosophy of education based on that of Charlotte Mason. St. John's Preparatory School is a school for young men, serving grades six through twelve. St. Mary's and St. John's are religiously affiliated. St. Mary's is part of the Archdiocese of Boston and Saint John's or commonly known as "the Prep" is a Xaverian Brothers-sponsored school.

In addition to the public and private schools, Danvers once hosted Essex Agricultural High School, an independent, state-funded day school serving grades 9 through 12. Essex Agricultural High School has merged with North Shore Tech, which was located in Middleton, which has resulted in a larger, unified campus located in Danvers.

Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School opened in September 2014. The school offers 24 technical and agricultural programs to students from in-district towns, and offers the seven agricultural programs to out-of-district students.{{Cite web|title=Career Technical and Agricultural Education – Essex North Shore|date=August 30, 2018 |url=https://essexnorthshore.org/cte/|access-date=November 10, 2021|language=en-US}}

File:RebeccaNurseHouse2006.jpg

• Danvers State Hospital
• Derby Summer House, on the grounds of the Glen Magna Farms
• Endicott Park{{cite web|url=http://www.endicottpark.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050606082353/http://www.endicottpark.com/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=June 6, 2005 |title=Home - Endicott Park, Danvers MA 01923 |publisher=Endicottpark.com |access-date=October 23, 2013}}
• Endicott Pear Tree, perhaps the oldest living fruit tree in North AmericaPostman, Joseph. 2003. "The Endicott Pear Tree—Oldest Living Fruit Tree in North America". Pomona. 35:13–15.
• Glen Magna Farms
• Judge Samuel Holten House
• Rebecca Nurse Homestead
• General Israel Putnam House
• Salem Village Historic District
• Ingersoll's Ordinary, former colonial tavern and site of many events during the Salem Village Witchcraft Delusion{{Cite web|url=http://mass.historicbuildingsct.com/?p=2457|title=Ingersoll's Ordinary (1670) – Historic Buildings of Massachusetts|website=Mass.historicbuildingsct.com|date=January 15, 2011 |language=en-US|access-date=April 9, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://spectersofsalemvillage.com/2019/01/05/ingersolls-tavern-anything-but-ordinary/|title=Ingersoll's Tavern, Anything But "Ordinary"|last=Gagnon|first=Dan|date=January 6, 2019|website=Specters of Salem Village|language=en|access-date=March 4, 2019}}

• David Bavaro, NFL linebacker
• Mark Bavaro, NFL tight end
• Maggie Connor, Olympian, skiing
• Meghan Duggan, Olympian, hockey
• Shane Smith, MLB pitcher Chicago White Sox
• Sally Pechinsky, Olympian, fencer, born in Danvers
• Jenny Thompson, Olympian, swimming
• Steve Lombardozzi, MLB second baseman for the Minnesota Twins and Houston Astros

• Brad Delp, lead singer of the band Boston
• Matt Farley, musician, creator of Motern Media
• Christine Giordano, BMI songwriter
• Francis Sumner Merritt (1913–2000), painter, co-founder and first director of Haystack Mountain School of Crafts
• Nick Di Paolo, comedian, actor, podcaster

• Harriet Putnam Fowler (1842–1901), writer
• Eliza Putnam Heaton, journalist, writer, editor

File:Putnam House, Danvers, Massachusetts - side view.JPG]]

• Grenville M. Dodge
• Israel Putnam

• Quan Barry, author, poet
• Samuel Holten, president of the Continental Congress
• John Marsh, early California pioneer and businessman
• Rebecca Nurse, executed as part of the Salem Witch Trials
• Samuel Parris, minister of the Salem Village Church during the Salem Witch Trials

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{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{wikivoyage inline|Danvers}}
• [https://www.danversma.gov Town of Danvers official website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140114185804/http://www.danvershistory.org/buildings/putnam.html Danvers Historical Society webpage] – owner of the General Israel Putnam House
• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Danvers|short=x}}

{{Essex County, Massachusetts}}

{{Greater_Boston}}

{{Massachusetts}}

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Category:Towns in Essex County, Massachusetts

Category:Towns in Massachusetts

Category:Salem witch trials

Category:Populated places established in 1636