Whitinsville is an unincorporated village within the town of Northbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Whitinsville is a census-designated place (CDP) and its population was 6,750 at the 2020 census. Whitinsville is pronounced as if it were spelled "White-ins-ville". It was founded by the Whitin family, after whom it is also named.[2] It is a post office jurisdiction, with a ZIP Code of 01588. It is located on the Mumford River, a tributary of the Blackstone River.
Whitinsville has been designated as a mill village of national historic significance to America's earliest industrialization, and is one of only four villages selected by the John H. Chaffee Blackstone River Valley National Historic Corridor Commission to receive this designation. Hopedale is the only other Massachusetts mill village to achieve this designation by the corridor commission.
History
A Mill Village
The Brick Mill, 1826
Whitinsville Cotton Mill, 1846
Whitin Machine Works
This village was originally Nipmuc native lands, and was first settled as part of Mendon in 1662. From 1662 to 1727 it was part of Mendon, then later it became part of Uxbridge from 1727 to 1772. In 1772 Northbridge finally became a separate town. The village's early name was "South Northbridge", before the Whitin family's rise to prominence. Col. John Spring led a militia training company from Uxbridge which fought in the American Revolution. Col. Spring was from the section that became South Northbridge.
Today a visitor can see much of the original village, including the housing for workers and their families, churches, and the Whitin Community Center. The textile machine company and industrial village were written up as one of the Harvard studies of history in business.[3] Whitin Machine, founded in 1831, became the largest manufacturer of textile machinery in the world before its closing in 1964.
A 1936 Berlin Olympics champion backstroke swimmer, Alice Bridges, then of Uxbridge, trained in the local gym pool (Whitin Community Center) in Whitinsville. The Whitinsville Savings Bank was involved in a precedent-setting case in the U.S., involving tort and contract law, known as "Swinton vs. Whitinsville Savings Bank (1942)". A real estate transaction two years earlier had failed to disclose termites in a building.[4]
The Whitin Community Center, operated by a non-profit organization and commonly called "The Gym", is located at 60 Main Street on what used to be the 11-acre (45,000m2) John C. Whitin estate. In 1922, four Whitin daughters: Elsa, Katharine, Lois, and Elizabeth, gave the funds to build a gym and pool for the enjoyment of local citizens in memory of their father, George Marston Whitin. This recreation center, known affectionately in earlier days as "The Gym," was one of the finest facilities in the state. Famous for its swim program, it sent swimmers to the 1932 and 1936 Olympics. Devastated by fire in 1959, the Gym was rebuilt with the support of trustees, business and civic leaders, and friends.
The decade of the 1990s was dedicated to expanding and modernizing the Whitin Community Center to prepare it for the 21st century. In 1993 new space was added to strengthen the center's commitment to child care and adult health and fitness. A new lobby, elevator, and racquetball courts completed this expansion phase, and most of the original 1922 building received a comprehensive face lift. In 1995, the center's three outdoor tennis courts were completely refurbished. Ground was broken in September 1996 for a new state-of-the-art competition-sized swimming pool. This new facility opened briefly as an outdoor pool (summer 1998) and then was enclosed for year-round use, reopening in March 1999. A comprehensive project to restore the historic appearance of the Main Street facade was undertaken in 1998–99, funded by individuals, local companies, and the Massachusetts Historical Commission. Also in 1999, the center's parking facilities were expanded to accommodate the increased business. An ambitious plan to restore and beautify historic Whitin Park (the 7.5 acres behind the Whitin Community Center) was unveiled in early 2000. The nearly 1 mile of stone perimeter walls were rebuilt, repointed and recapped. New walking trails were surfaced, and beautiful park lights and bollards have been installed. In the location of an original Whitin estate building – the rustic teahouse – the Gerry Gaudette pavilion has been built. This open air shelter is used by the center's child care and summer camp program, along with use by the community at large.
The Whitin Community Center today is a vibrant organization with 4,500 members. The center also, through its mission, services at least as many non-members. It is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing child care and family recreational services. With over 200 families currently served, it is the largest Child Care Center in the Blackstone Valley with a pre-kindergarten school, full day care for pre-schoolers, and a large school-age program that provides supervision before and after school, and all day long on school vacation periods.
The center launched a new Outreach program in 1995, funded entirely by donations, with the goal of bringing together all the children of the community, regardless of neighborhoods, economic status, or whether or not they were Center members. Organized Saturday afternoon activities, open swimming, day trips to museums and baseball games, youth theater, teen dances, and concerts are just some of the many activities. In January 2002 a new facility opened – the Rockdale Youth Center – providing free after school programs and supervision for youngsters ages 8–13. In the fall of 2005, the Center purchased the building housing the program (2219 Providence Road, Northbridge).
St. Camillus Health Center
The St. Camillus Health Center, originally St. Camillus Hospital for Incurable Diseases, is located at 447 Hill Street on the historic E. Kent Swift Estate named for the husband of one of George Marston Whitin's daughters. The historic mansion on the rear of the estate was restored in 1999 and is now known as Father Turci Manor.
Pine Grove Cemetery
Endowed in 1878 by members of the Whitin family, the 35-acre historic cemetery is located on 241 Linwood Ave. The cemetery was put up for sale by the Pine Grove Cemetery Association in 2011,[5] and is currently owned by the Town of Northbridge.[6]
According to the 2010 United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 3.64 square miles with 1,840.2 persons per square mile. Whitinsville is a "village" within the incorporated town of Northbridge, Massachusetts. It is located in Worcester County.
Climate
In a typical year, Whitinsville, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50°F (10°C) for 195 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 46.3 inches per year (high in the US) and snow covers the ground 60 days per year or 16.4% of the year (high in the US). It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining 9 straight days of moderate rain per year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 25.4 days or 7% of the year.[8]
As of the census[10] of 2010, there were 6,704. The population density was 1,840.2/mi. Females comprise 52.1% of the population. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.1% Asian, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.8% of the population. 4.6% of households speak a language other than English.
There were 2,613 housing units with 44.4% of these in multi-unit structures. The homeownership rate is 58.9% with 85.9% of persons residing in the same housing unit for 1 year or more. The median value of owner-occupied housing unit was $341,000.
There were 2,452 households. The average household size was 2.87. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 7.4% under the age of 5, 28.1% under the age of 18, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. 85.9% of persons over the age of 25 are high school graduates with 27.2% having a bachelor's degree or higher. The average commute to work is 29.2 minutes.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $55,950. The median income for individuals was $27,531. 6.5% of the population were below the poverty line.
Ethnic groups
The 19th-century expansion of the Whitin mills attracted many Irish immigrant workers, and Irish currently make up 21.4% of the town's population. Other nationalities represented in Whitinsville include Armenians, English, Italians, French-Canadians, and Dutch.[11]
Whitinsville is a village within the town of Northbridge. New England towns, like Northbridge, administer the entire geography within their boundaries and function like a city and a county government rolled into one. The county government is weak or non-existent in the southern New England states. Worcester County exists today only as a historical area, with an elected County Sheriff, an elected county registrar of deeds, and a correctional and court system, which are now administered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and its Office of Public Safety. County commissioners were last elected in 1999, and local roads are now administered either by the towns or the state.
The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville, the largest village in the town. It was built in 1876,[12] and from 1876 to 1913 it served as the public library.[13] The Town Hall was extensively renovated in 2013.[14]
Northbridge is organized and administered as a town under Massachusetts law. The Board of Selectmen exercises executive functions, while the annual Town Meeting functions like a city council. Police, public works, the board of health, fire department and schools are part of the town government.
Worcester County is a county in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts. It is also the largest county in Massachusetts by geographic area. The largest city and traditional shire town is Worcester. Worcester County is part of the Worcester, MA–CT metropolitan statistical area and the Boston-Worcester-Providence combined statistical area.
Douglas is a town in southern Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,983 at the 2020 census. It includes the Douglas State Forest, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
Mendon is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,228 at the 2020 census. Mendon is part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, an early center of the industrial revolution in the United States. Mendon celebrated its 350th anniversary on May 15, 2017.
Northbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 16,335 at the 2020 census. The Northbridge Town Hall is located at 7 Main Street in Whitinsville. The town is now a part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, of the National Park Service. Northbridge claims to history include: Native American Nipmuc lands, Colonel John Spring, who led the Uxbridge militia training company in the American Revolution, Samuel Spring, Revolutionary War Chaplain, the Residence of Ezra T. Benson 1830–1832, the birthplace of President Millard Fillmore's mother, Phoebe, and home to the Whitin Machine Works from 1831 to 1964.
Sutton, officially the Town of Sutton, is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,357 in the 2020 United States Census. Located in the Blackstone Valley, the town was designated as a Preserve America community in 2004.
Upton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It was first settled in 1728. The population was given as exactly 8,000 at the 2020 census.
Uxbridge is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States, first colonized in 1662 and incorporated in 1727. It was originally part of the town of Mendon, and named for the Earl of Uxbridge. The town is located 36 mi (58 km) southwest of Boston and 15 mi (24 km) south-southeast of Worcester, at the midpoint of the Blackstone Valley National Historic Park. The historical society notes that Uxbridge is the "Heart of The Blackstone Valley" and is also known as "the Cradle of the Industrial Revolution". Uxbridge was a prominent Textile center in the American Industrial Revolution. Two Quakers served as national leaders in the American anti-slavery movement. Uxbridge "weaves a tapestry of early America".
The Mumford River is an 18.3-mile-long (29.5 km) river in south-central Massachusetts. It is a tributary of the Blackstone River.
Robert Rogerson was an early American industrialist. He was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, and died in the United States.
Linwood is a village with its own post office in the towns of Northbridge and Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Col. Paul Whitin, (1767–1831) was an American blacksmith and pioneering industrialist who in 1826 in Northbridge, Massachusetts established P Whitin and Sons, a new cotton mill with his sons. This company would grow and acquire other mills in the area. In 1831 his son John C Whitin obtained a patent for a mechanized Cotton Picker. Textile machinery would become a larger percentage of their business over time. would later become the largest maker of specialty textile machinery in the world.
North Uxbridge is a village and a post office in the town (township) of Uxbridge in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The postal zip code is 01538. It is classified as a community or populated place located at latitude 42.088 and longitude -71.641 and the elevation is 266 feet (81 m). North Uxbridge appears on the Uxbridge U.S. Geological Survey Map. Worcester County is in the Eastern time zone and observes DST. North Uxbridge is located approximately 36 miles west-southwest of Boston, and 15 miles southeast of Worcester. The town meeting in 1885 set aside North Uxbridge as a "special district", since its population had exceeded 1000 people. North Uxbridge appeared as a separate Census tract in the 1960 census, with a population of 1882. In 2013, an Uxbridge DIY show, The Garage, with Steve Butler, went worldwide from Steve's garage in North Uxbridge.
Rogersons Village Historic District is a historic mill village in Uxbridge, Massachusetts, United States.
The Linwood Historic District is an industrial historic district in the Linwood village of Northbridge, Massachusetts. It is the site of the Linwood Cotton Mill and is roughly bounded by Linwood Avenue, Maple Court, and Pine Court. On June 16, 1989, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Whitin Machine Works (WMW) was founded by Paul Whitin and his sons in 1831 on the banks of the Mumford River in Northbridge, Massachusetts. The village in this section of Northbridge became known as Whitinsville in 1835, in honor of its founder.
The Rockdale Common Housing District is a historic district at 4–20 McBride, 46–58 Plantation, and 37–42 Taft Sts. in Northbridge, Massachusetts, United States. The district is composed of a collection of tenement houses built from c. 1880 to 1920. They were built by members of the Whitin family, who owned most of the textile production capacity in Northbridge. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
The Whitinsville Historic District is a historic district on Church, East, Fletcher, Hill, Woodland, Lake, and Water Sts., Castle Hill Rs., and Linwood Avenue in Northbridge, Massachusetts. The district encompasses the historic 19th century mill village of Whitinsville, which grew up around an 1826 brick mill building erected by Paul Whitin. The Whitin family came to dominate the textile trade in Northbridge, with numerous mill complexes.
The history of Uxbridge, Massachusetts, founded in 1727, may be divided into its prehistory, its colonial history and its modern industrial history. Uxbridge is located on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island state line, and became a center of the earliest industrialized region in the United States.
↑ Navin, Thomas R. (1969). The Whitin Machine Works since 1831: A textile machinery company in an industrial village; Harvard case studies in business history. Russel and Russel.
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