Brimfield, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Brimfield, Massachusetts
nickname =
motto =


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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Hampden County in Massachusetts


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Hampden
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1706
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1731
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Open town meeting
leader_title =
leader_name =
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leader_name1 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 91.2
area_total_sq_mi = 35.2
area_land_km2 = 89.9
area_land_sq_mi = 34.7
area_water_km2 = 1.3
area_water_sq_mi = 0.5
population_as_of = 2000
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 3339
population_density_km2 = 37.1
population_density_sq_mi = 96.2
elevation_m = 204
elevation_ft = 668
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 07 |lats = 22 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 12 |longs = 05 |longEW = W
website =
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 01010
area_code = 413
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-08470
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0619384
footnotes =

Brimfield is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,339 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Brimfield was first settled in 1706 and was officially incorporated in 1731.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.2 km²), of which, 34.7 square miles (89.9 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (1.45%) is water. Brimfield is located in Western Massachusetts. Brimfield is bordered by Sturbridge on the east, Holland and Wales on the south, Monson and Palmer on the west, and Warren on the north. U.S. Route 20 and Interstate 90 both run through Brimfield.

Education

Brimfield Elementary School, serving grades K-6, has its own school committee, part of School Union 61. Brimfield students attend Tantasqua Regional Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 3,339 people, 1,250 households, and 886 families residing in the town. The population density was 96.2 people per square mile (37.1/km²). There were 1,396 housing units at an average density of 40.2/sq mi (15.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.51% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.72% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.29% of the population.

There were 1,250 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,181, and the median income for a family was $59,943. Males had a median income of $44,000 versus $26,695 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,711. About 2.2% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

* [http://www.brimfieldshow.com/ Brimfield Antique Show] - Brimfield is the site of the largest outdoor antiques show in New England. It takes place three times each year, for six days in May, July, and September.

* [http://www.brimfieldtrail.org/ Brimfield Trail] The Brimfield Trail is part of a planned trail system running from Palmer to Franklin. Currently a 2 mile section is open for walking and bicycling (fat tire) on the flood control land of the East Brimfield Dam.

Notable residents

*William Eaton (1764-1811) military adventurer who helped capture the city of Derna on the Barbary Coast during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson.
*Erastus Fairbanks (1792 – 1864) Whig Politician and Governor of Vermont
*John Wells Foster (1815-1873) geologist and paleontologist and assisted in organizing Massachusetts Republican Party.
*Erasmus D. Keyes (1810-1895) Military General and led the IV Corps of the Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War.
*Fitz Henry Warren (1816 – 1878) Whig Politician, Served in the civil war in the United States Cavalry, as an Iowa State Senator and as United States Minister to Guatemala.
*Richard Nelson Frye (c. 1920) , Scholar of Iranian and Central Asian Studies, and Aga Khan Professor Emeritus of Iranian Studies at Harvard University.

External links

* [http://www.brimfieldhistoricalcommission.com/ Brimfield Historical Commission Website]
* [http://www.brimfieldtrail.org/ Brimfield Trail website. Trail runs along an old Trolley Line and the Grand Trunk Rail Line