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Dracut, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Dracut, Massachusetts | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Middlesex | ||
| Settled | 1653 | ||
| Incorporated | 1701 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Open Town Meeting | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 21.4 sq mi (55.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 20.9 sq mi (54.1 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.5 sq mi (1.2 km²) | ||
| Elevation | ~156 ft (~48 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 28,562 | ||
| - Density | 1,366.7/sq mi (527.7/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 01826 | ||
| Area code(s) | 978 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-17475 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618221 | ||
| Website: http://www.dracut-ma.us/ | |||
Dracut (Pronounced "Dray-Kit", with the emphasis on the first syllable) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 28,562.
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The Town of Dracut is a suburban community of Greater Lowell, bordering southern New Hampshire. It is in the northern portion of the Greater Boston. Originally, in 1653, the community was part of the Wamiset Praying Town, one of the preserves set aside by the colonists for Christianized Indians. The town has several large ponds, bogs and swamps, and numerous brooks. Dracut's early economy relied on fishing, lumbering and milling, which led in turn to the 19th century industries of paper making and cotton textile manufacturing. These mills attracted Irish and French-Canadian immigrants. Dracut was officially incorporated as a town on February 26, 1701.
There has been intense modern development in Dracut with suburban residential pressures from Lowell. Some rural landscapes remain intact, as do some handsome historic houses. One of the better known is the 290 year old Colburn/Cutter House, with its massive beams, huge center chimney and fireplaces. The building, dating back from about 1717, has served as the site of the annual Dracut Craft Fair.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.4 square miles (55.3 km²), of which, 20.9 square miles (54.1 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (2.15%) is water.
Dracut is located in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts, and is approximately 25-30 miles northwest of the state capital, Boston.
The southeastern end of Dracut is on the Merrimack River, and the town is bisected by Beaver Brook.
Dracut is sometimes referred to by its sections. They are:
- Collinsville
- East Dracut
- Dracut Center
- Kenwood
- Navy Yard
Dracut is bordered by the city of Lowell to the south, Tyngsboro to the west, Methuen to the east, and Pelham, New Hampshire to the north. Tewksbury and Andover border the town to the southeast, but are unreachable across the Merrimack.
As of the census² of 2000, there were 28,562 people, 10,451 households, and 7,733 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,366.7 people per square mile (527.6/km²). There were 10,643 housing units at an average density of 509.3/sq mi (196.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.13% White, 0.78% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.58% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population.
There were 10,451 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.19.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,676, and the median income for a family was $65,633. Males had a median income of $41,873 versus $31,396 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,750. About 2.7% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
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The Dracut School Department consists of 7 public schools: one high school, one junior high (grades 7+8), one intermediate school (grades 5+6), and 4 elementary schools (grades K-4) They are1:
- Dracut High School (1,182 students)
- Lakeview Junior High School (733 students)
- Englesby Intermediate School (666 students)
- Brookside Elementary School (617 students)
- Campbell Elementary School (583 students)
- Greenmont Elementary School (267 students)
- Parker Elementary School (163 students)
Dracut is in proximity to many major area highways. I-93, I-495, and US Route 3 are among the largest. Route 128 (which is concurrent with part of I-95) is not far from Dracut either (roughly 15-20 miles to the south), and the Massachusetts Turnpike is only about 30-35 miles to the south in Boston. Massachusetts state highways Route 38, Route 110, and Route 113 actually run directly through the town.
In 1884, Michael Collins (where Collinsville gets its name), the owner of the mill on Lakeview Avenue (though himself an Episcopalian), decided to build a chapel for the Irish Catholic workers who were walking all the way to Lowell to St. Patrick's for Mass. This chapel, built on Lakeview Ave. was architecturally a replica of Mr. Collins' mothers church back in Ireland. St. Patrick's in Lowell was affiliated in administering the new church and it was named St. Mary of the Assumption, with services beginning there on August 17, 1884 with Rev. William O'Brien. Father Thomas Walsh was the first permanent pastor, beginning his tenure in 1901. He doubled the size of the church.
The church added a hall (known by many as Harmony hall, but originally called St. Mary's Hall), built with donations by the mill workers themselves, at the corner of Lakeview and Mammoth Rd. This hall was used for recreational church functions for some time but later abandoned because of financial restraints. The hall was finally uprooted from its location and moved down Lakeview Ave to its current location near the Dracut Historical Society and the Dracut Police station, on August 30, 1994. The event drew large crowds that lined Lakeview Ave, while the trucks rumbled the hall down the road, with Fr. Lucien Loiselle (Pastor of St. Mary's) looking on from St. Mary's rectory.
The church was later merged (September 1, 2001) with [1]St. Therese's (further down the road on Lakeview Ave, heading into Lowell) to form St. Margareuite D'Youville Parish, under the parish reconfiguration plan of the Archdiocese of Boston. St. Louis was later added to the St. Margeurite D'Youville merger, which financially strained the parish. The Rev. Paul Clifford, the pastor of St. Margeurite D'Youville, formed a committee to review the parish structure and it was decided, and approved by Rev. Clifford, to close St. Mary's of the Assumption, given its limited number of active parishioners.
The final mass was on September 19th, 2004, celebrated by Fr. Lucien Loiselle, who served as pastor of St. Mary's for the past 20 years.
On the east side of Dracut there is Peter's Pond which has quite the community living on its edges. A great place to do some fishing, its residents hold yearly ice fishing derbies in winter. This event usually includes a barbecue, small prizes, and great laughs as people bring their vehicle(s) on the ice. In the summer, Peter's Pond is a great place to launch the canoe and relax in a calm setting. Children, accompanied by adults, may enjoy seeing wildlife around the pond such as turtles and blue heron. A quiet, quaint area that a lot of people do not know about Dracut.
Veteran's Memorial Park on the eastern side of Dracut behind the Post Office has several fields for soccer, frisbee, a baseball field, football field with field goals, and a paved walking path. A common place for the town's soccer games, families can also enjoy the playground area for younger children as well as a small water fountain play area (also known as a splash park). Some high school children often go to the football field where they play touch-tag football, extreme frisbee, and other active sports. A great place to spend an afternoon with friends and family.
- Wendell Corey, actor
- Scott Grimes, actor
- John Ogonowski, airline pilot
- Jim Ogonowski, politician
- James Mitchell Varnum, lawyer
- Joseph Bradley Varnum, politician
- Dracut official website
- Dracut Public Library (Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library)
- Dracut Fire Department
- Dracut Police Department
- Dracut Public Schools
- The Valley Dispatch (Dracut's Newspaper, which serves Dracut, Methuen, and Pelham)
- Dracut High School Alumni Website
- Saint Francis Parish
- Ste. Marguerite d'Youville Parish
- Jorge D'Ascensao Soccer Hall of Fame
- Dracut, Massachusetts is at coordinates Coordinates:
