Winthrop, Massachusetts

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Winthrop, Massachusetts
—  Town  —
Nickname(s): Winthrop-by-the-Sea
Location in Suffolk County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°22′30″N 70°59′00″W / 42.375°N 70.9833333°W / 42.375; -70.9833333Coordinates: 42°22′30″N 70°59′00″W / 42.375°N 70.9833333°W / 42.375; -70.9833333
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Suffolk
Settled 1630
Incorporated 1852
Government
 • Type Council-manager
 • Council President Peter Gill
 • Town Manager James McKenna
Area
 • Total 8.3 sq mi (21.5 km2)
 • Land 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)
 • Water 6.3 sq mi (16.3 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 17,497
 • Density 10,077/sq mi (3,875.8/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02152
Area code(s) 617 / 857
FIPS code 25-80930
GNIS feature ID 0618335
Website http://www.town.winthrop.ma.us/

The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International Airport. The town is a peninsula, 1.6 square miles (4.2 km2) in area, connected to Revere by a narrow isthmus and to East Boston by a bridge over the harbor inlet to the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. Settled in 1630, Winthrop is one of the oldest communities in the United States. It is also one of the smallest and most densely populated municipalities in Massachusetts.

The town is named after John Winthrop (1587–1649), second governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and an important English Puritan leader. On 8 April 1630, Winthrop departed from the Isle of Wight, England on the ship Arbella and arrrived in Salem in June where he was met by John Endecott, the first governor of the colony. He served as governor for 12 of the colony's first 20 years of existence. It was Winthrop who decided to base the colony at the Shawmut Peninsula, where he and the colonists founded what is now the city of Boston.

Contents

[edit] History

The town was settled in 1630 by English Puritan colonists as Pullen Poynt.[1] In 1775, residents of what is now Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea played a key role in the Battle of Chelsea Creek of the American Revolutionary War.[2] It was officially incorporated in 1852. It is one of the four municipalities in Suffolk County (the others are the cities of Boston, Revere, and Chelsea). It is located on a peninsula, at the beginning of the North Shore, with seven miles (11 km) of shoreline that provides views of the ocean to the east and of the Boston skyline to the west.

Originally part of an area called Winnisimmet by the Native Massachusett tribe,[3] the peninsula was annexed by Boston in 1632 and within five years became the grazing area for farm animals of the rapidly growing Boston colony. In 1637 it was divided into 15 parcels of land that were given by Governor John Winthrop to prominent men in Boston with the stipulation that each must erect a building on his land within two years. Few, if any, of these men ever lived here, but their farms prospered. One of these early houses, built initially during the first half of the 17th century, and rebuilt in 1675, was the home of Governor Winthrop’s youngest son, Deane Winthrop, who lived there until his death in 1703. This house is still standing and is maintained, for public viewing, by the Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association.[4]

In 1739, what is now Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop withdrew from Boston due to governmental control disputes and became the Town of Chelsea. Again the desire for more local control resulted in Revere and Winthrop seceding from Chelsea in 1846 to become North Chelsea. Shortly thereafter, in 1852, Winthrop was incorporated as a town in its own right with a Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting form of government. In 1920, Winthrop was the second town in the Commonwealth to apply for and receive a Charter for a Representative Town Meeting, which continued to 2006.

Winthrop adopted a home rule charter in 2005 with a council-manager form of government[5][6] and is no longer governed by a representative town meeting. It is now classified as a town with a city form of government.[7][8] The new Town Charter, which took effect in 2006, was passed in a special election. The Board of Selectmen and Town Meeting were abolished, and legislative powers were vested in an elected Town Council. Executive power, largely ceremonial, resides in the Council President, who is popularly elected. An appointed Town Manager serves as the head of administrative services. On July 26, 2007, the Winthrop Sun Transcript reported that a movement was beginning to abolish the Town Council and return to a Representative Town Meeting. The multi-step process to reverse the changes made by the 2006 charter is quite complex, so it remains to be seen what form of government Winthrop will have going forward. As of 2011, no changes have been made to Winthrop's form of government.

Deer Island, though within the city limits of Boston, is located in Winthrop Bay. It ceased to be an island in the 1930s when Shirley Gut, which separated it from Winthrop, was filled in. The island has a sordid past as an internment camp for Native Americans during King Philip's War, a quarantine station where many immigrants died, and the site of a county jail. Today the island is home to the mammoth Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant, which provides sewage treatment for the Boston area.[9]

Winthrop has a weekly newspaper, the Winthrop Sun Transcript, which reports local news, current events, happenings, and concerns.

[edit] Geography and transportation

View of Boston from Winthrop's Point Shirley (photo taken in August 2003)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 8.3 square miles (21.5 km²), of which, 2.0 square miles (5.2 km²) of it is land and 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²) of it (76.02%) is water. However, according to the Town Government, Winthrop has a land area of just 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2).

Winthrop is connected by land skirting the Belle Isle Marsh Reservation, which is shared across the Belle Isle Inlet with Boston. Winthrop was originally separate from Deer Island, but the land between the two was filled in, with the northern end belonging to Winthrop and the southern end belonging to Boston.[citation needed] The town is considered the northern dividing line between Boston Harbor to its west and Massachusetts Bay to its east. There are several beaches, three yacht clubs and a golf course within the town, as well as several small parks. The town has one island, Snake Island, which lies northwest of Point Shirley and is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

Winthrop is one of four municipalities within Suffolk County. The town is divided into several neighborhoods around the downtown area, including Court Park and Cottage Park along the Boston Harbor side of town, Point Shirley and Cottage Hill on either side of what was Shirley Gut, and Winthrop Beach, Ocean Spray and Winthrop Heights on the Massachusetts Bay side. The town is bordered by Revere to the north, and Boston on the northwest, west, and southeast. The water rights of the town extend to the edge of the county, and border those of Nahant in Essex County. As a result of the expansion of Logan International Airport, part of four of the runways (4L/22R, 4R/22L, 15R/33L and most of 15L/33R) lies within what was once the water rights of the town. By land, Winthrop is 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from Beacon Hill, the measuring point for all road signs in Massachusetts.

Route 145 passes through the town as its only state route. It enters from the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston along a bridge over the Belle Isle Inlet, then passes in a loop around the main body of the town (bypassing Cottage Hill and Point Shirley) before leaving the town to the north, turning into the Winthrop Parkway in Revere. Two bus routes are provided by Paul Revere Transportation, which run from Point Shirley through the highlands and center of the town and terminate at Orient Heights. Paul Revere Transportation has operated the bus service in town since 1991. The service, which is subsidized by the MBTA, operates as Route 712 Point Shirley or Winthrop Beach to Orient Heights Station via Winthrop Highlands and Route 713 Point Shirley or Winthrop Beach to Orient Heights via Winthrop Center.[10] This service does not accept MBTA Charlie Cards or Charlie Tickets. Prior to this, the service was operated by Rapid Transit, Inc., which began bus service in Winthrop on January 28, 1940, the day immediately following the abandonment of the former Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn "Narrow Gauge" Railroad. The Blue Line of the MBTA subway system crosses near the town, with stops at Orient Heights (MBTA station), Suffolk Downs (MBTA station), and Beachmont (MBTA station), all of which are just a half mile from the city limits. A water transportation dock is located at the public landing and provides ferry service across Boston Harbor. Currently, Boston Harbor Cruises operates the service seasonally (May-October) between Winthrop and Rowes Wharf.[11] Business leaders hope that the ferry will help spur economic growth and tourism in the town.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[22] of 2000, there were 18,303 people, 7,843 households, and 4,580 families residing in the town. The population density was 9,208.3 people per square mile (3,551.2/km²). There were 8,067 housing units at an average density of 4,058.5 per square mile (1,565.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.44% White, 1.68% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 7,843 households out of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.98.

Winthrop's Yirrell Beach, looking north from Deer Island (photo taken in August 2003)

In the town the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 88.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,122, and the median income for a family was $65,696. Males had a median income of $42,135 versus $36,298 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,374. About 3.3% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Economy

Winthrop has a town center with a number of businesses, including CVS/pharmacy, Michael's Mall, Samuel's Pharmacy and The Pizza Center. The town center has always had a modestly vibrant business community. However, by the mid-1990s, large shopping malls in the nearby North Shore region of Massachusetts, especially Square One Mall in Saugus, began to drain away measurable amounts of business. A small business community still survives.

The town is divided into four unique business areas: the Shirley Street Business District, the Highlands District, the Center, and Magee's Corner District.

[edit] Education

Winthrop currently has four schools:

  • Winthrop Senior High School, Grades 9-12, which is located on Main Street.
  • Winthrop Middle School, Grades 6-8, which is located on Pauline Street.
  • Arthur T. Cummings Elementary School, Grades 3-5, which is located on Hermon Street.
  • William P. Gorman/Ft. Banks Elementary School, Grades PK-2, which is located on Kennedy Drive.

The town also has numerous pre-schools and day cares for parents seeking early education options.

[edit] Worship

Winthrop has many places of worship. They include:

  • Temple Tifereth Israel[23]
  • Congregation Tifereth Abraham[24]
  • St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church[25]
  • Holy Rosary Catholic Church[26]
  • St. John's Episcopal Parish[27]
  • First Church, United Methodist[28]
  • Community Christian Center[29]

The majority of Winthrop residents are adherents of various Christian denominations, such as Roman Catholicism, Methodism, and Episcopalianism. Adherents of Judaism make up a small, but historically significant, minority. Over the past four decades, the once large Jewish community has dwindled due to frequent migration to other parts of Massachusetts.

[edit] Ecosystem

Winthrop, although highly developed, has a diverse ecosystem with many various flora and fauna. The climate of Winthrop is a temperate, humid continental climate, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Some of the flora and fauna that can be seen in Winthrop are as follows:

[edit] Flora

[edit] Fauna

[edit] Points of interest

  • Deane Winthrop House: one of the longest constantly lived-in houses in the U.S. (on Shirley Street)
  • Deer Island
  • Fort Banks: Built to help protect the Boston Harbor from attack during the World Wars. An underground bunker is all that remains of this fort (off Revere and Almont Streets). It was once used as a Halloween haunted house called the 'Haunted Dungeon'.
  • Fort Heath: Built to help protect the Boston Harbor from attack during the World Wars. It is now replaced with the Fort Heath Apartment building, Seal Harbor condominiums (two large buildings), and a small park on the bluff overlooking the ocean and Revere Beach.
  • Larsen Rink: an indoor ice skating rink.
  • Lewis Lake Park
  • Winthrop Water Tower: located on Great Head (Water Tower Hill), it is a red, white, and blue striped water tower. Capable of holding 1 million US gallons (3,800 m3) of water, it is maintained by Winthrop's water department.[4]
  • Winthrop Golf Course: a private 9-hole, par 35 golf course.
  • Winthrop Graveyard: includes graves from the 18th century.
  • Winthrop Playmakers: a non-profit community theater group that features up to six performances a year.
  • Winthrop Shore Drive

[edit] Belle Isle Marsh Reservation

Winthrop abuts the largest salt marsh in Boston Harbor, the 350-acre (1.4 km2) Belle Isle Marsh Reservation. This marsh also borders East Boston and Revere. It used to be a Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) reservation, and is now run by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR.) This marsh is a reserve for a variety of wildlife and plants. It is maintained in part by the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, a grassroots environmental organization.

[edit] Beaches

[edit] Annual events in Winthrop

[edit] June

  • Strawberry Festival - located at the Deane Winthrop House

[edit] July

  • 3 July Bonfire which is held at Yirrell Beach (cancelled permanently after 2008 due to Public Safety concerns)
  • 4 July Fireworks & "Horribles Parade" - Parade starts at the Public Landing and ends at Coughlin Park. A fireworks display follows at nightfall.
  • Annual Sandcastle Contest at Yirrell Beach
  • Summer Concert Series - Wednesday nights at the Ingleside Park gazebo.

[edit] September

  • A Taste of Winthrop - event showcasing various Winthrop restaurants.

[edit] October

  • Fall Fair and Craft Show at Ingleside Park which includes a train ride around the park.
  • Halloween Haunt at Winthrop Center. Consists of dressing up in costume and trick-or-treating at the businesses there.

[edit] November

  • Holiday Tree Lighting Festival - held on the Friday eve after Thanksgiving and features fun and games that culminate with the lighting of the trees in French Square by Santa Claus.

[edit] December

[edit] Notable natives

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ Winthrop Improvement and Historical Association
  5. ^ Town of Winthrop - Town Charter
  6. ^ Town of Winthrop - Winthrop's form of government
  7. ^ MassGIS Towns Data Layer
  8. ^ Massachusetts Municipal Association
  9. ^ "Deer Island Factsheet". Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20060629061118/http://www.bostonislands.org/factsheet_template.asp?rsIslands__MMColParam=deer. Retrieved August 21, 2006. 
  10. ^ http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/private_bus/?loc=Winthrop
  11. ^ http://www.bostonharborcruises.com/boston-commuter-boat-services/winthrop-to-boston.aspx
  12. ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
  13. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  14. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  15. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  16. ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  17. ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  18. ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  19. ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  20. ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  21. ^ "1850 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
  22. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  23. ^ http://www.jewishwinthrop.org/
  24. ^ http://www.jewishboston.com/resources/207-congregation-tifereth-abraham/
  25. ^ http://www.stjohnswinthrop.org/
  26. ^ http://www.holyrosaryparish.net/
  27. ^ http://www.stjohnsepiscopal-winthropma.org/
  28. ^ http://www.gbgm-umc.org/winthrop/
  29. ^ http://www.kingdomspirit.tv/

[edit] External links

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