Sharon, Massachusetts
Sharon, Massachusetts | |
---|---|
Motto(s): A nice place to live, because it’s naturally beautiful. | |
Country | United States |
State | Massachusetts |
County | Norfolk |
Settled | 1650 |
Incorporated | 1775 |
Government | |
• Type | Open town meeting |
• Town Manager | Benjamin E. Puritz |
• Board of Selectmen | Walter "Joe" Roach Richard Powell William A. Heitin |
Area | |
• Total | 24.2 sq mi (62.6 km2) |
• Land | 23.3 sq mi (60.4 km2) |
• Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2) 3.56% |
Elevation | 249 ft (76 m) |
Population (2007) | |
• Total | 17,033 |
• Density | 731.0/sq mi (282.0/km2) |
Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
ZIP code | 02067 |
Area code | 339 / 781 |
FIPS code | 25-60785 |
GNIS feature ID | 0618329 |
Website | http://www.townofsharon.net/ |
Sharon is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,408 at the 2000 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Sharon, please see the article Sharon (CDP), Massachusetts.
History
Sharon, first settled as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637, was deemed the 2nd Precinct of Stoughton in 1740. It was established as the district of Stoughtonham on June 21, 1765, incorporated as the Town of Stoughtonham on August 23, 1775 and named Sharon on February 25, 1783 after Israel's Sharon plain, due to its high level of forestation. Several towns in New England were given this name. Part of Stoughtonham went to the new town of Foxborough on June 10, 1776. During the American Revolution the townspeople of Sharon made cannonballs for the Continental Army.
In front of the Sharon Public Library stands a statue of Deborah Sampson, Sharon's town heroine. Sampson disguised herself as a man to fight in the Revolutionary War. She married Benjamin Gannett, a farmer, after she fought in the war and lived in Sharon until the end of her life. She is buried in the local Rockridge Cemetery. A street in Sharon is named "Deborah Sampson Street" in her honor.
The Unitarian and Congregational Churches in Sharon Center both have a church bell manufactured by Paul Revere.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.2 square miles (62.6 km²), of which, 23.3 square miles (60.4 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) (3.56%) is water. This includes Lake Massapoag, which is one of the town's most prominent features and a popular recreational site for swimming and boating. It was largely responsible for the town's early development as a summer resort location.
Adjacent towns
Sharon is located in eastern Massachusetts, bordered by the following towns:
- Canton to the northeast
- Norwood to the north
- Walpole to the northwest
- Foxborough to the west
- Stoughton to the east
- Easton to the southeast
- Mansfield to the south
Nature Trails
Sharon has a large number of scenic trails due to the high percentage of conservation land within the town's borders. Trails found in Sharon include the Massapoag Trail, the Warner Trail, the Bay Circuit Trail(otherwise known as the Beaver Brook Trail), and the King Philip's Rock Trail. There are a number of trails at Borderland State Park and at Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sharon Public Library
The Sharon Public Library is the only library in Sharon.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 17,408 people, 5,934 households and 4,931 families residing in the town. The population density was 747.0 people per square mile (288.3/km²). There were 6,026 housing units at an average density of 258.6/sq mi (99.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 89.95% White, 3.39% African American, 0.13% Native American, 4.86% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.
Of the 5,934 households 45.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 16.9% were non-families. 14.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.92 people and the average family size was 3.25 people.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64 and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $89,256 and the median income for a family was $127,473[1]. Males had a median income of $70,563 versus $46,774 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,323. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Sharon currently has an Open Town Meeting form of government, with three Selectmen. In early 2008 a commission was elected to prepare a charter document specifying the executive, legislative, and administrative structure of town government. It will consider whether the town should retain its current government form or change to a representative, more centralized form. There is debate whether the town has outgrown Open Town Meeting, where decisions are made only by those attending (they must be present to vote) or whether direct-vote government works well because residents who choose to attend are particularly interested in and informed on the issues.
Education
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008) |
The Sharon Public Schools system has five schools. Grades K-5 attend one of the three elementary schools: East, Cottage or Heights. Grades 6-8 attend Sharon Middle School and grades 9-12 attend Sharon High School. The Sharon High School team is the Eagles, and its colors are maroon and gold. The school system is noted for its outstanding academic performance and learning curriculum. Most schools are relatively small due to the somewhat low population. The two bigger schools, Sharon Middle School(SMS), and Sharon High School(SHS) both have athletic fields including baseball, tennis, and football areas.
Sports teams and leagues
Baseball in Sharon is played Deborah Sampson Park for grades 1st-6th. From 7th-12th they are on the travel team (eagles). They also have Football at the Sharon Middle school and the Sharon high school. Softball is played at the Walter A Griffin Park and Tennis. In high school sports, Sharon is part of the Hockomock league. They are noted for consistent success in sailing, tennis, and ultimate disc. The Sharon High School football team is rapidly improving but has lost 36 consecutive Hockomock League games discounting Mansfield's forfeit in 2009 for a violation unrelated to the game between the two teams.
Transportation
Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Sharon on its Providence/Stoughton Line. There are no public bus or subway lines in Sharon.
Exit 8 of Interstate 95 in Massachusetts is on the Sharon/Foxborough border, with access to both the northbound and southbound directions of the highway. Exit 10 of Interstate 95 in Massachusetts is on the Sharon/Walpole, with access to the northbound direction of the highway and from the southbound direction.
In addition, Massachusetts Route 27 runs through the center of the town.
Notable natives and residents
- Tennessee Volunteers head basketball coach, Bruce Pearl, graduated from Sharon High School.
- Patriots Hall of famer Andre Tippett resides in Sharon. He married his high school sweetheart, and is a Jewish convert and is a member of Temple Sinai.
- Roland James, former defensive back for the New England Patriots.
- Matt Cassel, former New England Patriots quarterback resided in Sharon.
- Pete Seibert, founder of the Vail Ski Resort in Colorado, was born in Sharon in 1924.
- Deborah Sampson
- Nick Zinner, guitarist for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, was born in Sharon.
- Ty Law, used to live here when he was on the New England Patriots.
- Terrence Wheatley, current cornerback for the New England Patriots
- Tommy Harper, a former Major League Baseball player, lives in Sharon.
- Composer Leonard Bernstein spent his summers in Sharon, MA, where his family had a vacation home.
In popular culture
In Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth, Hema's family in the story "Once in a Lifetime" lives in Sharon.