Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. At the 2020 census, its population was 10,450 in 3,542 households.[1]
As of 2021, 43% of land use was residential, with 35% open space, including one-tenth of the town's area that is flooded by the Sudbury Reservoir.[2] Light industrial land use is concentrated along main roads, primarily Massachusetts Route 9, and there are several small business districts in the villages and along Route 9.[3]
History
Southborough was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in July 1727. Southborough was primarily a farming community until mills began to tap the small rivers that ran through the town. By the end of the 19th century, Southborough was home to the manufacture of plasters, straw bonnets, boots, and shoes, among other things.
In 1727, Southborough split off as the "south borough" of Marlborough, much as Westborough had split off from Marlborough in 1717, ten years before.[4]
In 1898, the Fayville Dam was constructed to produce several reservoirs to supply a growing Boston with water. As a result, manufacturing vanished, and Southborough did not see substantial growth until the high-tech boom of the 1970s.
The Fay, Burnett, and Choate families had major impacts on the development of the town as it is today. St. Mark's Church, St. Mark's School, the Southborough Library, the Community House, and the Fay School were all built at least in part through the efforts of these families.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.7 square miles (41 km2), of which 14.1 square miles (37 km2) is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km2), or 9.64%, is water.
By the census[16] of 2010, the population had reached 9,767.
As of the census[16] of 2000, there were 8,781 people, 2,952 households, and 2,426 families residing in the town. The population density was 620.7 inhabitants per square mile (239.7/km2). There were 2,997 housing units at an average density of 211.8 per square mile (81.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 94.47% White, 0.54% African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.52% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.50% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.
There were 2,952 households, out of which 47.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.9% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97, and the average family size was 3.30.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.1% under the age of 18, 3.7% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $132,986, and the median income for a family was $129,454, although according to CNN, median family income had risen to $148,297 by 2009.[17] Males had a median income of $80,961 versus $50,537 for females. The per capita income for the town was $64,310. About 0.4% of families and 0.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.7% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
Information technology services company Virtusa is based in Southborough.
The funeral scene from the movie Grown Ups was filmed at the Pilgrim Congregational Church.[18]
Annual events
Southborough celebrates Heritage Day on Columbus Day. Events include a parade with the Algonquin High School marching band. Events in the week prior include a run/walk event and pumpkin-carving.
Library
The public library in Southborough was established in 1852.[19][20] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Southborough spent 0.95% ($370,390) of its budget on its public library—approximately $38 per person, per year ($50.07 adjusted for inflation to 2022).[21]
Government
The form of town government is open town meeting, in which the voters of the town assemble as the legislature. Each Town Meeting is managed by the elected Moderator, who also appoints most of the membership of the unelected boards.
The five members of the Select Board are elected to act as the executive body of the government. The Select Board delegates day-to-day operations to the Town Administrator.
Southborough has three school committees:
Southborough K–8 School Committee
Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee
Assabet Valley Regional Vocational-Technical School Committee
Southborough's town elections are non-partisan.
Almost 60% of current[when?] voters registered without enrolling in any political party. Democrats slightly outnumber Republicans in the remaining forty percent. Minor party enrollments are negligible.
Public and private educational campuses frame Southborough's downtown.
Public schools
Southborough has six public schools. The four elementary and middle schools are inside town limits; the two high schools are regional schools in adjoining towns.
Mary E. Finn School – Preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade
Southborough is home to a private secondary school, St. Mark's, which was founded in 1865 by Joseph Burnett. The oldest junior boarding school in the nation, the Fay School, was founded a year later in 1866 by Joseph Burnett's first cousin Harriet Burnett Fay.
Interstate 495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) both pass through Southborough, although neither have interchanges within town limits. Routes 9 and 30 are east–west routes passing through Southborough, while Route 85 serves the town as a north–south route.
Notable people
Acting and music
Storm Large (born 1969), singer, songwriter, actress and author[26]
Warner Oland (1879–1938), actor who appeared in 16 Charlie Chan movies from 1931 to 1937
Sports
Doug Brown (born 1964), professional ice hockey player
Ryan Gallant (born 1982), professional skateboarder
Ben Johnson (born 1977), professional soccer player and coach
Fred J. Murphy (1886–1956), collegiate athlete, coach, and athletic director
Henry Thrun (born 2001), professional ice hockey player
Luis Tiant (born 1940), professional baseball player
Politics
Francis B. Fay (1793–1876), merchant, politician, and philanthropist
Frank B. Fay (1821–1904), businessman and politician; son of Francis B. Fay
Winfield Scott Hammond (1863–1915), U.S. Representative from Minnesota (1907–1915) and Governor of Minnesota (1915)
Harold F. Smiddy (1900–1978), engineer, business manager, and management consultant
E. C. Spykman (1896–1965), children's novelist and journalist
Robert H. Thayer (1901–1984), lawyer, naval officer, and diplomat
Sigourney Thayer (1896–1944), theatrical producer, World War I aviator, and poet; brother of Robert H. Thayer
Michael Weishan, author, designer, popular historian and former television personality
John Garabedian, radio personality and DJ, known for creating and formerly hosting Open House Party and Party Liveline, as well as his work at Television and Radio Stations throughout New England
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"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.
^"1850 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^C.B. Tillinghast. The free public libraries of Massachusetts. 1st Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter, 1891. Google books
^July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: Municipal Pie ReportsArchived January 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 4, 2010
