Marshfield, Massachusetts

Last updated

Marshfield, Massachusetts
Town
Marshfield MA Town Hall.jpg
Marshfield Town Hall
Seal of Marshfield, Massachusetts.png
Seal
Motto: 
"Home of Daniel Webster" [1]
Plymouth County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Marshfield highlighted.svg
Location in Plymouth County in Massachusetts
USA Massachusetts location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marshfield
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Marshfield
Coordinates: 42°05′30″N70°42′22″W / 42.09167°N 70.70611°W / 42.09167; -70.70611
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Plymouth
Settled1632
IncorporatedMarch 1, 1640
Government
 • Type Open town meeting
Area
 • Total
31.7 sq mi (82.2 km2)
 • Land28.5 sq mi (73.7 km2)
 • Water3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2)
Elevation
17 ft (5 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
25,825
 • Density906.1/sq mi (350.4/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code
02050
Area code 339/781
FIPS code 25-38855
GNIS feature ID0619470
Website www.townofmarshfield.org

Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,825 at the 2020 census. [2]

Contents

It includes the census-designated places (CDPs) of Marshfield, Marshfield Hills, Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock, and Cedar Crest, and shares the Green Harbor CDP with the town of Duxbury.

History

Geography

Brant Rock looking south Marshfield Ocean Bluff.jpg
Brant Rock looking south

Marshfield is located on the South Shore, about where Cape Cod Bay meets Massachusetts Bay.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.74 square miles (82.2 km2), of which 28.46 square miles (73.7 km2) is land and 3.28 square miles (8.5 km2) (10.33%) is water. Marshfield is bordered by Massachusetts Bay to the east, Duxbury to the south and southeast, Pembroke to the west, Norwell to the northwest, and Scituate to the north and northeast. Marshfield is 18 miles (29 km) east of Brockton and 29 miles (47 km) southeast of Boston.

Marshfield is named for the many salt marshes which border the salt and brackish borders of the town. There are three rivers: the North (along the northern border of the town), South (which branches at the mouth of the North River and heads south through the town) and the Green Harbor River (which flows just west of Brant Rock and Green Harbor Point at the south of town).

The South River divides a peninsula from the rest of the town, where Rexhame village and the Humarock and Fourth Cliff neighborhoods of the town of Scituate lie. The Scituate neighborhoods can be reached by land by two bridges, by boat, or by foot along Rexhame Beach. The Rexhame-Humarock peninsula is a barrier beach with an 84-foot-high (26 m) moraine, one of only two barrier beach moraines on the east coast of the United States.

Marshfield is the site of several small forests and conservation areas, including the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary along the Green Harbor River and the North River Wildlife Sanctuary along Route 3A.

The town of Marshfield has six separate zip codes: Marshfield (02050), Brant Rock (02020), Ocean Bluff (02065), North Marshfield (02059), Marshfield Hills (02051), and Green Harbor (02041). There are eight villages in the town: Marshfield Center, Fieldston, Ocean Bluff, Rexhame, Brant Rock, Green Harbor, Marshfield Hills, and North Marshfield.

The following beaches comprise Marshfield's 5-mile-long (8 km) public seashore: Rexhame, Fieldston, Sunrise, Ocean Bluff, Brant Rock, Blackman's Point, Blue Fish Cove (along Cove Street between the camp ground and the big rock), and Green Harbor (also known as "Burke's Beach"). Marshfield is a popular summer beach destination. Tourists and vacationers cause the town's population to nearly double from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend. Only full-time residents can vote on public tax matters.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1850 1,837—    
1860 1,870+1.8%
1870 1,659−11.3%
1880 1,781+7.4%
1890 1,713−3.8%
1900 1,810+5.7%
1910 1,738−4.0%
1920 1,379−20.7%
1930 1,625+17.8%
1940 2,419+48.9%
1950 3,267+35.1%
1960 6,748+106.6%
1970 15,223+125.6%
1980 20,916+37.4%
1990 21,531+2.9%
2000 24,324+13.0%
2010 25,132+3.3%
2020 25,825+2.8%
2023*25,765−0.2%
* = population estimate.
Source: United States census records and Population Estimates Program data. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,324 people, 8,905 households, and 6,598 families residing in the town. [14] The population density was 854.8 inhabitants per square mile (330.0/km2). There were 9,954 housing units at an average density of 349.8 per square mile (135.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 92.69% White, 3.54% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.52% from other races, and 0.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.67% of the population.

There were 8,905 households, out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% 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 3.20.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $142,610. and the median income for a family was $172,330. The median home value was $890,000. Males had a median income of $111,992 versus $83,773 for females. The per capita income for the town was $92,012. About 0.6% of families and 0.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

On the national level, Marshfield is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William Keating (D). The state's senior (Class I) senator, elected in 2012, is Elizabeth Warren. The junior (Class II) senator, elected in 2013, is Ed Markey.

On the state level, Marshfield is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Plymouth district, which also includes much of the town of Scituate. The representative for Marshfield and Scituate in the Massachusetts House of Representatives is Patrick Kearney (D). The town is represented by Patrick O'Connor (R) in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth. [15] The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police. [16]

Marshfield is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen. The current board of selectmen includes a direct descendant of Pilgrim Richard Warren. The modern town hall is located at the intersection of Routes 3A and 139, just south of the South River. The town has its own police and fire stations, with firehouses located in Marshfield Hills, Ocean Bluff and near the fairgrounds. The town's Ventress Memorial Library is located a short distance east of the town hall, and is a member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). There is also an independent library, the Clift Rodgers Free Library, in Marshfield Hills. The town has three post offices, in the same neighborhoods as the fire stations.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008 [17]
PartyNumber of VotersPercentage
Democratic 4,84827.31%
Republican 2,50914.13%
Unaffiliated10,33858.24%
Libertarian 570.32%
Total17,752100%

Education

Marshfield operates its own school system for the town's nearly 4,700 students. There are five elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school

Elementary Schools K–5:

Middle School 6–8:

High School 9–12:

Infrastructure

Transportation

Massachusetts Route 3, also known as the Pilgrims Highway, skirts the town along the Pembroke town line, and can be accessed in Marshfield via the Route 139 exit. Route 139 loops through the town, with a long portion passing along the beaches of the Ocean Bluff and Fieldston neighborhoods before heading north and east into Pembroke. Route 3A also passes through the town, entering from the south in Duxbury and exiting over the North River into Scituate.

There is daily bus service connecting with the MBTA station in Braintree and another bus connecting with South Station in Boston. The nearest train station is the Greenbush station in Scituate. There is a commuter ferry to Boston available in Hingham. The nearest major airport is Logan International Airport in Boston. The area is also served by T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island and the town's own municipal airport for general aviation. The nearest freight rail service is in Wareham.

Notable people

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth County, Massachusetts</span> County in Massachusetts, United States

Plymouth County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, south of Boston. As of the 2020 census, the population was 530,819. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton. In 1685, the county was created by the Plymouth General Court, the legislature of Plymouth Colony, predating its annexation by the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cohasset, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Cohasset is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 8,381.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanover, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Hanover is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,833 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwell, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,351 at the 2020 United States census. The town's southeastern border runs along the North River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock, Massachusetts</span> Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States

Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock is a census-designated place (CDP) in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, composed of the neighborhoods of Ocean Bluff, Brant Rock, Fieldston, and Rexhame in the town of Marshfield. The population of the CDP was 4,970 at the 2010 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pembroke, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Pembroke is an historic town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Pembroke is a South Shore suburb of the Boston metropolitan area. The town is located approximately halfway between Boston and Cape Cod. The town is considered rural in character, with pockets of suburban neighborhoods. The population was 18,361 at the 2020 census, with a median household income of $119,827.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hull, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Hull is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, located on a peninsula at the southern edge of Boston Harbor. Its population was 10,072 at the 2020 census. Hull is the smallest town by land area in Plymouth County and the eleventh smallest in the state. However, its population density is nearly four times that of Massachusetts as a whole.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duxbury, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Duxbury is a historic seaside town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb located on the South Shore approximately 35 miles (56 km) to the southeast of Boston, the population was 16,090 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Kingston is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,708 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scituate, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Scituate is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 19,063 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hingham, Massachusetts</span> Town in Massachusetts, United States

Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Part of the Greater Boston region, it is located on the South Shore of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 24,284. Hingham is known for its colonial history and location on Boston Harbor. The town was named after Hingham, Norfolk, England, and was first settled by English colonists in 1633.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Shore (Massachusetts)</span> Region of Massachusetts in the United States

The South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching south and east from Boston toward Cape Cod along the shores of Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay. It is subject to varying descriptions including municipalities in eastern Norfolk and Plymouth counties. The South Shore is an affluent area. The median income of the region as of 2020 is $104,691. The median home value of the region as of 2020 is $574,831.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts's 9th congressional district</span> U.S. House district for Massachusetts

Massachusetts's 9th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It is represented by Democrat William R. Keating. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+6, it is the least Democratic district in Massachusetts, a state with an all-Democratic congressional delegation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts Route 3A</span> State highway in eastern Massachusetts, US

Route 3A is a 97-mile-long (156 km) state highway in eastern Massachusetts, which parallels Route 3 and U.S. Route 3 from Cedarville in southern Plymouth to Tyngsborough at the New Hampshire state line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portland Gale</span>

The Portland Gale was a storm that struck the coast of New England on November 26 and 27, 1898. The storm formed when two low pressure areas merged off the coast of Virginia and travelled up the coast; at its peak, it produced a storm surge of about ten feet in Cohasset harbor and hurricane-force winds in Nantucket. The storm killed more than 400 people and sank more than 150 boats and ships. It also changed the course of the North River, separating the Humarock portion of Scituate, Massachusetts, from the rest of Scituate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North River (Massachusetts Bay)</span>

The North River is a river, approximately 12 miles (19 km) long, in eastern Massachusetts, the United States. It is primarily a tidal river, formed by the confluence of the Indian Head River and Herring Brook. The North River forms the boundary between the towns of Norwell, Pembroke, Massachusetts, Hanover, Massachusetts and downstream, the boundary between Scituate and Marshfield. The river flows into Massachusetts Bay at New Inlet, where it also converges with the mouth of the South River. The North River area is also known as the "Irish Riviera" due to the large Irish American population that migrated during the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern Massachusetts</span> Region of Massachusetts in the United States

Southeastern Massachusetts is a region of Massachusetts located south of Boston and east of Rhode Island. It is commonly used to describe areas with cultural ties to both Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, and includes the cities of New Bedford and Fall River and their respective suburbs. Despite the location of Cape Cod and the islands to its south, which are the southeasternmost parts of the state, they are not often grouped in this designation. At its broadest definition, it includes all of Massachusetts south of Boston, southeast of Worcester, and east of Providence, Rhode Island, while at its narrowest definition, it is Bristol County and the Western portion of Plymouth County. The region including Cape Cod roughly corresponds with the location of the historic Plymouth Colony, which became part of Massachusetts in 1691.

Inly School is a private, independent pre K–8 Montessori school in Scituate, Massachusetts, 25 miles (40 km) south of Boston for students in toddler and preschool through 8th grade. It serves students from 20 towns on the South Shore of Boston and beyond, including Cohasset, Hingham, Norwell, Hull, Marshfield, Hanover, Pembroke, and Plymouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Harbor, Massachusetts</span> Census-designated place in Massachusetts, United States

Green Harbor is a census-designated place (CDP) in the towns of Marshfield and Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. It was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. At the 2010 census the community was included with neighboring Cedar Crest in a single CDP.

References

  1. ↑ "City of Marshfield Massachusetts". City of Marshfield Massachusetts. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Census - Geography Profile: Marshfield town, Plymouth County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 6, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Total Population (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1". American FactFinder, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts. United States Census Bureau. 2010.
  4. ↑ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  5. ↑ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts" (PDF). US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  7. ↑ "1950 Census of Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  8. ↑ "1920 Census of Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  9. ↑ "1890 Census of the Population" (PDF). 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. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  10. ↑ "1870 Census of the Population" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  11. ↑ "1860 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  12. ↑ "1850 Census" (PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  13. ↑ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2022". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Marshfield town, Plymouth County, Massachusetts – Fact Sheet – American FactFinder". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Massachusetts Legislators :: By City and Town" . Retrieved December 6, 2009.
  16. ↑ "Station D-1, SP Norwell" . Retrieved December 6, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of October 15, 2008" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Sean Morris | Staff | Sean Morris Lacrosse Academy". Seanmorrislacrosse.com. August 1, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.