Free computer recycling Abington was first settled by European settlers in 1668. The lands included the current towns of Bridgewater, Rockland, Whitman and parts of Hanover. The town was officially incorporated in 1712, having been named six years earlier by Governor Joseph Dudley, as a tribute to Anne Venables Bertie, Countess of Abington, England, who helped him secure the governorship of the Colony from Queen Anne.
During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, the manufacture of boots and shoes was its primary industry, with nearly half of the footwear provided for the Union Army during the Civil War being provided by Abington factories. In 1874 and 1875, the towns of Rockland and Whitman, respectively, separated and incorporated as towns. In 1893, the town was the site of a riot between town constables and workers from the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, over the town's rights to build a streetcar line that crossed the railroad's tracks. The town eventually built the line, and as a "peace offering," the railroad built the North Abington Depot building, which was built in the style of H. H. Richardson.[1]
Abington is located at 42°7'10?N 70°56'52?W? / ?42.11944°N 70.94778°W (42.119534, -70.947876).[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.2 square miles (26.3 km²), of which, 9.9 square miles (25.7 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (2.16%) is water.
Abington ranks 308th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth, and is the fourth-smallest town (behind Hull, Whitman and Rockland) in Plymouth County. Abington is bordered by Holbrook to the northwest, Weymouth to the northeast, Rockland to the east, Whitman to the south, and Brockton to the west. Abington is considered to be an inland town of the South Shore, and is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Boston.
Abington has two major waterways; the Shumatuscacant River to the west provides the town's border with Brockton, and the Beaver Brook runs through the eastern part of town, and was the source of much of the water power used by the shoe factories. In the northwestern corner of town lies Ames Nowell State Park, a large forested area around Cleveland Pond. Much of the town's population is centered on the eastern side of town, closer to the former town geographic center. The northeast corner of town is also the site of portions of the runways of the South Weymouth Naval Air Station, which was closed in 1996 as a part of the fourth round of BRAC base closures.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 14,605 people, 5,263 households, and 3,747 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,469.1 people per square mile (567.3/km²). There were 5,348 housing units at an average density of 538.0/sq mi (207.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.48% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.71% of the population.
There were 5,263 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.0% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,100, and the median income for a family was $68,826. Males had a median income of $44,151 versus $30,923 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,380. About 2.1% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.
Statistically speaking, Abington is the 125th largest community by population in the Commonwealth, and ranks 71st by population density. Its population is lower than the population average but above the median; the population density is above the average.
On the national level, Abington is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and has been represented since 1997 by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown.
On the state level, Abington is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Seventh Plymouth district, which includes the towns of East Bridgewater and Whitman. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Norfolk and Plymouth District, which includes Holbrook, Quincy, Rockland and part of Braintree.[4] The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.[5]
Abington is governed by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen. The town operates its own police and fire department, with firehouses located in the north and south of town along Route 18. There are two post offices in town, on Route 123 east of Route 18 and on Route 58 north of Route 139. The Abington Public Library, a member of the Old Colony Library Network, is located adjacent to the town hall, both of which opened in 1997 across from the high school. The town operates a park, Island Grove Park, located in the southeast of town.
Current Board of Selectmen (April 2009): Thomas Corbett (Chair), Richard Cunningham (Vice-Chair), Gerald Corcoran, Christopher Aiello, R. Andrew Burbine
Abington has its own school department for the town's approximately 2,300 students. The Abington Early Childhood Center, located near the center of town, serves students from pre-kindergarten through second grade. There is one elementary school (Woodsdale Elementary near the Ames Nowell State Forest), which serves students from third through sixth grades. The Charles M. Frolio Junior High School is located near the center of town, and serves seventh and eighth grade students. Abington High School is located just west of Route 18, across the street from the Town Hall and library. Abington's colors are green, gold, and white, and their teams are known as the Green Wave. The school's chief rival is Whitman-Hanson Regional High, whom they play in an annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
High school students may also choose to attend South Shore Vocational-Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. Abington is also home to Saint Bridget School, a Catholic parochial school along Route 58, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade. There are other private schools nearby, located in the neighboring towns of Brockton and Weymouth.
There are two main north-south routes through town, Route 18 and Route 58, the latter terminating at the former just a 0.5 miles (800 m) north of the town line. Route 123 and Route 139 run east to west through the town, with Route 139 being the more northern route. There is no freeway access to town; the town is located between Route 24 and Route 3.
The former Old Colony Railroad line runs through the eastern part of town, and is currently used as a part of the Plymouth-Kingston route of the MBTA's commuter rail line. There is a stop in Abington, just southwest of the intersection of Routes 123 and 58. A spur off the line formerly went into the town of Rockland; that spur is now abandoned. There is no air service in the town; the nearest national and international air service can be found at Logan International Airport in Boston.
| Abington, Massachusetts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Town — | |||
| Abington Town Offices | |||
|
|||
| Nickname(s): Bingtown[citation needed] | |||
| Motto: †Land of many Beavers†[citation needed] | |||
| Location in Plymouth County in Massachusetts | |||
| Coordinates: 42°06'17?N 70°56'45?W? / ?42.10472°N 70.94583°WCoordinates: 42°06'17?N 70°56'45?W? / ?42.10472°N 70.94583°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Plymouth | ||
| Settled | 1668 | ||
| Incorporated | 1712 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Open town meeting | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 10.2 sq mi (26.3 km2) | ||
| - Land | 9.9 sq mi (25.7 km2) | ||
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 108 ft (33 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 14,605 | ||
| - Density | 1,469.1/sq mi (567.2/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 02351 | ||
| Area code(s) | 339 / 781 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-00170 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618336 | ||
| Website | www.abingtonmass.com | ||
Abington - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Acton - Town Transfer Station
Acushnet - Recycling in Acushnet
Adams - Department of Public Works
Agawam - Solid Waste Information
Alford - Town Transfer Station
Amesbury - Department of Public Works
Amherst - Recycling & Solid Waste
Andover - Town Recycling Program
Aquinnah (Gay Head) - Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal District
Arlington - Trash & Recycling
Ashburnham - Department of Public Works
Ashby - Recycling Center & Transfer Station
Ashfield - Earth 911
Ashland - Trash & Recycling
Athol - North Central Regional Solid Waste Cooperative
Attleboro - City Recycling Program
Auburn - DPW Solid Waste Division
Avon - Board of Health
Ayer - Town Transfer Station
Barnstable - DPW Solid Waste Division
Barre - Landfill & Recycling Center
Becket - Earth 911
Bedford - Recycling Information
Belchertown - Department of Public Works
Bellingham - Department of Public Works
Belmont - Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste Information
Berkley - Earth 911
Berlin - Town Transfer Station
Bernardston - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Beverly - Recycling Information
Billerica - Public Works Services
Blackstone - Blackstone Valley Regional Recycling Center
Blandford - Earth 911
Bolton - Transfer Station & Recycling Center
Boston - City Recycling Program
Bourne - Town Recycling Center
Boxborough - Town Transfer Station
Boxford - Trash Collection & Recycling Information
Boylston - Earth 911
Braintree - Trash & Recycling
Brewster - Town Transfer Station
Bridgewater - Town Transfer Station
Brimfield - Earth 911
Brockton - Department of Public Works
Brookfield - Board of Health
Brookline - Recycling Information
Buckland - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Burlington - Trash & Recycling Schedule & Information
Cambridge - Recycling Information
Canton - Recycling Department
Carlisle - Town Transfer Station
Carver - Rochester Convenience Facility
Charlemont - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Charlton - Town Recycling Committee
Chatham - ChathamRecycles.org
Chelmsford - Recycling Department
Chelsea - Rubbish, Recycling & Yard Waste
Cheshire - Earth 911
Chester - Board of Health
Chesterfield - Earth 911
Chicopee - Department of Public Works
Chilmark - Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal District
Clarksburg - Earth 911
Clinton - Trash Pickup & Recycling
Cohasset - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Colrain - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Concord - Recycling Information
Conway - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Cummington - Board of Health
Dalton - Town Transfer Station
Danvers - Recycling & Refuse Collection
Dartmouth - Department of Public Works
Dedham - Recycling & Solid Waste Services
Deerfield - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Dennis - Transfer Station & Recycling Center
Devens - Community Services: Recycling Drop-Off
Dighton - Health Department
Douglas - Earth 911
Dover - Recycling Home Page
Dracut - Trash & Large Item Disposal
Dudley - Earth 911
Dunstable - Town Transfer Station
Duxbury - Town Transfer Station
East Bridgewater - Solid Waste & Recycling Information
East Brookfield - Solid Waste Department
Eastham - Department of Public Works
Easthampton - Trash Removal
East Longmeadow - Trash & Recycling Contacts
Easton - Board of Health
Edgartown - Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal District
Egremont - Town Contact List
Erving - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Essex - Town Transfer Station
Everett - Recycling Information
Fairhaven - Board of Health
Fall River - Department of Public Works
Falmouth - DPW Waste Management Facility
Fitchburg - Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste
Florida - Earth 911
Foxborough - Trash & Recycling
Framingham - Department of Public Works
Franklin - Town Recycling Committee
Freetown - Waste Management & Transfer Station
Gardner - Health Department
Gay Head (Aquinnah) - Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal District
Georgetown - Trash & recycling Contacts
Gill - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Gloucester - Recycling & Trash Information
Goshen - Refuse Disposal & Recycling Center
Gosnold - Earth 911
Grafton - Department of Public Works
Granby - Earth 911
Granville - Earth 911
Great Barrington - Town Recycling Center
Greenfield - DPW Solid Waste Division
Groton - Town Transfer Station
Groveland - Board of Health
Hadley - Transfer Station
Halifax - Recycling & Solid Waste Department
Hamilton - Recycling & Refuse Information
Hampden - Board of Health
Hancock - Earth 911
Hanover - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Hanson - Town Recycling Program
Hardwick - Town Recycling Center
Harvard - Transfer Station & Recycling Guidelines
Harwich - Town Tansfer Station
Hatfield - Earth 911
Haverhill - Rubbish & Curbside Collection
Hawley - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Heath - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Hingham - Department of Public Works
Hinsdale - Earth 911
Holbrook - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Holden - Recycling & Trash
Holland - Waste Removal
Holliston - Recycling & Solid Waste
Holyoke - Department of Public Works
Hopedale - Recycling Information
Hopkinton - Town Recycling Committee
Hubbardson - Town Recycling Center
Hudson - BP Trucking Transfer Station
Hull - Recycling Information
Huntington - Transfer Station
Hyannis (Barnstable) - DPW Solid Waste Division
Ipswich - Town Recycling Committee
Kingston - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Lakeville - Town Transfer Station
Lancaster - Town Recycling Center
Lanesborough - Frequently Asked Questions
Lawrence - Recycling & Trash Information
Lee - Earth 911
Leicester - Board of Health
Lenox - Earth 911
Leominster - Rubbish & Recycling
Leverett - Town Transfer Station
Lexington - Trash & Hazardous Waste
Leyden - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Lincoln - Town Transfer Station
Littleton - Highway Department
Longmeadow - Town Recycling Center
Lowell - DPW Recycling Program
Ludlow - Department of Public Works
Lunenburg - North Central Regional Solid Waste Cooperative
Lynn - Department of Public Works
Lynnfield - Recycling Committee
Malden - Department of Public Works
Manchester-by-the-Sea - Trash Disposal, Recycling & Composting
Mansfield - Recycling Information
Marblehead - Board of Health
Marion - Recycling & Rubbish
Marlborough - Rubbish & Recycling
Marshfield - Trash & Recycling
Mashpee - Town Transfer Station
Mattapoisett - Board of Health
Maynard - Recycling & Solid Waste
Medfield - Town Transfer Station
Medford - Recycling Information
Medway - Board of Health
Melrose - Recycling Information
Mendon - Board of Health Trash Program
Merrimac - Curbside Recycling Program
Methuen - Department of Public Works
Middleborough - Trash & Recyclables
Middlefield - Earth 911
Middleton - Department of Public Works
Milford - Board of Health
Millbury - Town transfer Station
Millis - Department of Public Works
Milton - Trash, Recycling & Yard Waste Information
Millville - Town Home Page
Monroe - Earth 911
Monson - Board of Health
Montague - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Monterey - Town Transfer Station
Montgomery - Earth 911
Mount Washington - Earth 911
Nahant - Trash & Recycling
Nantucket - Department of Public Works
Natick - Recycling Center
Needham - Recycling & Transfer Station
New Ashford - Earth 911
New Bedford - DPW Solid Waste Division
New Braintree - Trash & Recycling
Newbury - Town Transfer Station
Newburyport - Recycling & Trash
New Marlborough - Town Transfer Station
New Salem - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Newton - Solid Waste & Recycling
Norfolk - DPW Solid Waste Division & Transfer Station
North Adams - City Transfer Station
North Andover - Solid Waste & Recycling
North Attleborough - Solid Waste Collection & Recycling Information
Northborough - Town Engineering Department
Northbridge - Solid Waste & Recycling
North Brookfield - Town Recycling Center
Northfield - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Northhampton - Recycling Information
North Reading - Recycling Information
Norton - Trash & Recycling Information
Norwell - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Norwood - Recycling Information
Oak Bluffs - Martha's Vineyard Refuse Disposal District
Oakham - Earth 911
Orange - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Orleans - Town Transfer Station
Otis - Center for Ecological Technology
Oxford - Earth 911
Palmer - Earth 911
Paxton - Earth 911
Peabody - City Home Page
Pelham - Earth 911
Pembroke - Trash & Recycling Information
Pepperell - Town Transfer Station
Peru - Earth 911
Petersham - North Central Regional Solid Waste Cooperative
Phillipston - Town Transfer Station
Pittsfield - Department of Public Works & Utilities
Plainfield - Earth 911
Plainville - Trash & Recycling
Plymouth - Solid Waste Division Recycling Program
Plympton - Town Transfer Station
Princeton - Earth 911
Provincetown - Department of Public Works
Quincy - Public Works Department
Randolph - Recycling Information
Raynham - Transfer & Recycling Facility
Reading - Recycling Information
Rehoboth - Town Handbook
Revere - Trash & Recycling Information
Richmond - Town Home Page
Rochester - Transfer Station (Mattapoisett) & Trash Pick-Up
Rockland - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Rockport - DPW Transfer Station
Rowe - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Rowley - Recycling Information
Royalston - North Central Regional Solid Waste Cooperative
Russell - Earth 911
Rutland - Earth 911
Salem - Recycling Department
Salisbury - Department of Public Works
Sandisfield - Center for Ecological Technology
Sandwich - DPW Transfer Station
Saugus - Department of Public Works
Savoy - Earth 911
Scituate - DPW Transfer Station Division
Seekonk - Department of Public Works
Sharon - DPW Operations Division
Sheffield - Town Transfer Station
Shelburne - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Sherborn - Recycling Information
Shirley - Board of Health
Shrewsbury - Rubbish Disposal & Recycling
Shutesbury - Recycling & Solid Waste
Somerset - Earth 911
Somerville - Trash & Recycling Information
Southborough - Town Recycling Committee
Southbridge - Curbside Rubbish Removal
South Hadley - Department of Public Works
Southampton - Town Transfer Station
Southwick - DPW Solid Waste Division
Spencer - Town Transfer Station
Springfield - Department of Public Works
Sterling - Department of Public Works
Stockbridge - Town Web Site
Stoneham - Recycling & Solid Waste Program
Stoughton - Department of Public Works
Stow - Earth 911
Sturbridge - Board of Health
Sudbury - Transfer Station & Recycling Center
Sunderland - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Sutton - Town Transfer Station
Swampscott - Board of Health
Swansea - Town Recycling Program
Taunton - Solid Waste & Recycling Information
Templeton - Board of Health
Tewksbury - Recycling Committee
Tisbury - Trash & Recycling Services
Tolland - Transfer Station & Recycling
Topsfield - Trash Collection & Recycling Information
Townsend - Recycling Information
Truro - Town Transfer Station
Turners Falls (Montague) - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Tyngsboro - Recycling Committee
Tyringham - Earth 911
Upton - Board of Health
Uxbridge - Earth 911
Wakefield - Department of Public Works
Wales - Earth 911
Walpole - Recycling Information
Waltham - Recycling Department
Ware - Earth 911
Wareham - Recycling Information
Warren - Earth 911
Warwick - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Washington - Earth 911
Watertown - Department of Public Works
Wayland - Board of Health
Webster - Earth 911
Wellesley - Recycling & Disposal Facility
Wellfleet - Recycling Information
Wendell - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Wenham - Town Recycling Program
Westborough - Recycling & Trash Disposal
West Boylston - Trash & Recycling Information
West Bridgewater - Town Transfer Station
West Brookfield - Highway Department
Westfield - Refuse & Recycling Collection
Westford - WestfordRecycles.org
Westhampton - Earth 911
Westminster - Town Web Site
West Newbury - Town Web Site
Weston - Department of Public Works
Westport - Landfill, Transfer Station & Recycling
West Springfield - Curbside Trash & Recycling Collection
West Stockbridge - Town Transfer Station
West Tisbury - Town Transfer Station
Westwood - Trash & Recycling Information
Weymouth - Town Trash & Recycling Program
Whately - Franklin County Solid Waste Management District
Whitman - South Shore Recycling Cooperative
Wilbraham - Disposal & Recycling Center
Williamsburg - Earth 911
Williamstown - Town Transfer Station
Wilmington - Recycling Information
Winchendon - Town Transfer Station
Winchester - Town Transfer Station
Windsor - Earth 911
Winthrop - Trash & Curbside Recycling
Woburn - Recycling Information
Worcester - Department of Public Works & Parks
Worthington - Town Information
Wrentham - Town Recycling Committee
Yarmouth - Solid Waste Disposal & Recycling Center