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Whitman Park

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57-414: Whitman Park is a historic park near the center of the town of Whitman, Massachusetts . It is bounded by Maple Street and Park, Whitman, and Hayden Avenues. The park was established in 1880 by a gift of land from Augustus Whitman, whose family gave the town its name. The well-known Olmsted Brothers landscape firm was retained to design a public park on this land, which was implemented in 1900. This gave

114-411: A Bachelor's Degree or higher. The median income for a household in the town was $ 128,022. The per capita income for the town was $ 69,609. About 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4% of those under age 18 and 7% of those age 65 or over. On the national level, Hull is a part of Massachusetts's 8th congressional district , and is currently represented by Stephen Lynch . On

171-470: A female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. Of all households 22.4% 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 2.77 and the average family size was 3.30. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.7% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

228-563: A mile south of the intersection of Routes 27 and 18. Route 58 also crosses through the eastern corner of town. There are no interstates or divided highways in town; the nearest highway is Route 24 which passes through Brockton. Whitman is served by the Kingston/Plymouth Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail , the town's station is located off route 27. The line passes through the eastern half of town, east of

285-472: A ride based on the Johnstown Flood . The complex closed in 1984 when the property was sold for condominium development. Today, the only surviving remnants of Paragon Park on the boardwalk are the historic carousel and clock tower. Hull is located at 42°17′10″N 70°52′35″W  /  42.28611°N 70.87639°W  / 42.28611; -70.87639 (42.286347, −70.87663). According to

342-459: A separate parish in the 19th century. It was incorporated as a separate town on March 4, 1875. It was renamed Whitman by town vote on May 3, 1886. The name was in honor of Jared Whitman, a local lawyer who served in the 1839 and 1840 state legislatures . Whitman's early industry included shoemaking. In the late 1930s, Ruth Graves Wakefield invented chocolate chip cookies in Whitman at

399-476: A tourist resort, in 1825 Paul Worrick established the Sportsman Hotel on Nantasket Avenue. More hotels were built, and by 1840, steamboats made three trips a day between the town and Boston. Following the crowds onto the boardwalks were gamblers , pickpockets and confidence men , so Paragon Park was built as a safe place for those seeking amusement. Called a "marvel of fantasy," it once featured

456-557: Is Massasoit Community College in neighboring Brockton. The novel Little Comfort by Edwin Hill ( ISBN   978-1496715906 ) was named for the town. The author's father and grandmother grew up in Whitman. In his introduction to the award-winning essay collection Hobby Games: The 100 Best , editor James Lowder mentions "Playing Dungeons & Dragons in a house behind the now-defunct King's Castle Land kiddie amusement park in Whitman, Massachusetts." Hull, Massachusetts Hull

513-463: Is a town in Plymouth County , Massachusetts , United States. The population was 15,121 at the 2020 census . It is notable as being the place where the chocolate chip cookie was invented. Little Comfort, then part of Bridgewater was first settled by Europeans beginning around 1675. Abington (including Little Comfort) separated from Bridgewater in 1712. South Abington was established as

570-511: 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. Hull is home to the popular resort community of Nantasket Beach and has been

627-573: Is close to the North End and Faneuil Hall . Hull is separated from Cohasset and Hingham by the Weir River estuary, which is state-recognized as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The estuary contains almost 600 acres (2.4 km ) of undeveloped land, including almost 140 acres (.57km2) of undeveloped land in Hull, of which close to 80 percent is protected from development. The estuary

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684-604: Is dammed near the town center at the site of the town's mills. The eastern half of town is also dominated by two meadows, the Hobart Meadow to the north and the Bear Meadow to the south, both along the banks of the river. The center of town is about half a mile to the east of the intersection of Route 18 and Route 27 , the actual center of town being at the intersection of Route 27 and Washington Street. Route 14 also intersects with Route 18, about three-quarters of

741-568: Is important as a nursery for fish and other marine life. Over 100 species of birds also use the Weir River Estuary. The Weir River Estuary Center, owned by the town and being developed by the Weir River Watershed Association, located at the entrance to Hull on George Washington Boulevard, was expected to open by summer 2009. Black Rock Beach connecting to Cohasset is the town's only landed connection to

798-557: Is located further west along Route 27. It has its own ambulance service, and patients needing emergency care are brought to Brockton Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton or South Shore Hospital in South Weymouth . The town's post office is located just east of the town hall. The Whitman Public Library is located a block south of Route 27, having moved into its first stand-alone branch in 1982 after seventy-five years in

855-609: Is located near the center of the peninsula, adjacent to Bayside Park, and serves sixth through eighth grade students. Hull High School is located at the end of the peninsula. All three schools have recently completed major renovations. Hull High's teams are known as the Pirates, and their school colors are blue and gold. The teams compete in the South Shore League , and their chief rival is similarly-sized Cohasset High School . The Hull High School graduating class in 2015

912-618: Is patrolled on a secondary basis by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police . The closest courthouse is the 2nd District Court located in Hingham, right outside of the town of Hull's perimeters on George Washington Boulevard. Hull is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen . The town hall, as well as

969-701: The Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Seventh Plymouth district, which includes the towns of Abington and East Bridgewater and is currently represented by Abington resident Alyson Sullivan . The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Second Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes Brockton, Halifax , Hanover , Hanson and portions of East Bridgewater and Easton and

1026-768: The Plymouth Colony established a trading post in 1621 for trade with the Wampanoags. The town was first settled in 1622 and officially incorporated in 1644, when it was named for Kingston upon Hull, England . Roger Conant was in the area, after leaving the Plymouth Colony and before going to Cape Ann in 1625. Early industries included fishing , trade and salvaging shipwrecks . During the Revolutionary War , General Benjamin Lincoln oversaw

1083-598: The Toll House Inn on Bedford Street. The Toll House burned completely on New Year's Eve 1984, in a fire that originated in the kitchen. The inn was not rebuilt. The site is marked with a historical marker, and that land is now home to a Wendy's restaurant and Walgreens pharmacy, with the Toll House sign still in existence. The former Whitman Savings Bank was the first in the country to offer savings bank life insurance (SBLI). From 1968 to 1994, Whitman

1140-522: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 26.9 square miles (69.6 km ), of which 2.8 square miles (7.3 km ) is land and 24.1 square miles (62.3 km ), or 89.58%, is water. Hull is located on the narrow Nantasket Peninsula, which juts into Massachusetts Bay and is the southern land point at the entrance to Boston Harbor . Hidden in Hull's bay is Hog Island, now known as Spinnaker Island . Hog Island

1197-472: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 7.0 square miles (18 km ), of which 7.0 square miles (18 km ) is land and 0.14% is water. Statistically, the town is the 327th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth by land area, and is the second smallest (above only Hull ) in Plymouth County. Whitman is bordered by Abington to the north, Rockland to the northeast, Hanson to

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1254-542: The census of 2020, there were 10,072 people, 4,504 households, and 2,387 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,648.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,408.8/km ). There were 5,856 housing units at an average density of 2,091.42 per square mile (807.50/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 92.45% White , 0.73% Black or African American , 0.19% Native American , 1.06% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.90% from other races , and 4.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.21% of

1311-441: The poverty line , including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over. Statistically, Whitman is the 133rd largest community by population and 52nd most densely populated in the state. On average, Whitman's population is below the average but above the median, and its population density is well above the state average. On the national level, Whitman is a part of Massachusetts's 8th congressional district (as of

1368-481: The 100th-anniversary game against Abington. Whitman-Hanson leads the series, 61–48–3, through the 2023 season, with Abington winning the most recent the 2023 meeting. In addition to Whitman-Hanson, students may choose to attend South Shore Regional Vocational Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. There are no private schools in the town, but both Hanson and Brockton have private schools. The nearest college

1425-485: The 2013 redistricting), and has been represented since 2001 by Stephen Lynch . The state's senior ( Class I ) senator, elected in 2012, is Elizabeth Warren . The junior ( Class II ) member of the United States Senate is Ed Markey . Markey was elected in 2013 to finish out the remainder of the term vacated by John Kerry when he became Secretary of State . On the state level, Whitman is represented in

1482-644: The Hanson side of the road. Students moved into the new, more technologically advanced school building in 2005 from the previous school, which was closer to the road (the former Whitman-Hanson High School is no longer standing and its old location is now home to athletic fields.) Whitman-Hanson's teams are known as the Panthers, and their colors are red and black. One of their chief rivals is nearby Abington, against whom they have played 112 annual Thanksgiving Day football games through 2023. In 2010, Whitman-Hanson played

1539-743: The Hingham rotary . The avenue continues through the rest of town, to Main Street in Hull Village, which then goes on past the Pt. Allerton Coast Guard station ending at Windmill Point , also known as Pemberton Point, at the high school near the Hull Wind 1 windmill. The MBTA's bus service extends into neighboring Hingham, and the Greenbush Line of the commuter rail recently re-opened, with its closest station being at Nantasket Junction , site of

1596-537: The Museum's Maritime Program housed in the old Coast Guard boathouse at Pemberton Point. The new U.S. Coast Guard Station Point Allerton opened at the edge of Hull Village near Pemberton Point in 1969. Hull features Nantasket Beach , with fine, light gray sand—generally considered one of the finest beaches in New England . At low tide, there are acres of sandy tide pools . Beginning the community's development as

1653-522: The addition of the elementary and middle schools. There are two elementary schools in town; the Duval and Conley Schools (in the east and west parts of town, respectively), which serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The Whitman Middle School, located south of Route 27 in the western part of town, serves students from sixth to eighth grades. Students from both Whitman and Hanson attend Whitman-Hanson Regional High School , located along Route 27 on

1710-558: The central and north parts of town, respectively. The town's public library is located on Main Street in Hull Village in a stone Victorian mansion, built in 1889 as a summer home by John Boyle O'Reilly (1844–1890), a prominent Irish Republican Brotherhood member and literary figure who served as an editor of the Catholic weekly newspaper The Pilot . The home was built on the site of an earlier house, where Susanna Haswell Rowson (1764–1826) and Robert Haswell lived as children during

1767-485: The evacuation of Boston from here in 1778. In 1776 a fort called "Fort Independence" (name transferred to the current fort in 1797) was built on Allerton Point, and in 1901 Fort Revere was built on the same site. In 1927 Fort Duvall was completed on Hog Island (now Spinnaker Island ) armed with 16-inch guns, the largest ever deployed by the United States. Hull was originally part of Suffolk County , and when

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1824-504: The first Keeper of the Pt. Allerton U.S. Life Saving Station, when it opened in 1889. James and his crews, both Humane Society volunteers and U.S. Life-Savers, are estimated to have saved over 1,000 people from shipwrecks. The exact number is not known because Massachusetts Humane Society records were lost in the Great Boston Fire of 1872 . The Hull Lifesaving Museum is now located in the 1889 Pt. Allerton Life Saving Station, with

1881-568: The five points of the star-shaped Fort Independence , which was created during the American Revolution . The lands of Hull also include Peddocks Island , a part of the Boston Harbor Islands State Park . There are no freeways in Hull. Massachusetts Route 228 becomes Nantasket Avenue at the center entrance to Hull. The main entrance is on George Washington Boulevard, which connects to Route 3A at

1938-638: The former Hingham Lumber Company lumber yard, which is where the Hull branch of the railroad once connected. This Hull branch was the first electrified railroad in America in 1895. Commuters to Logan International Airport and Boston (and in the summer to Boston Harbor Islands) can take the MBTA Commuter Boat , which leaves from Pemberton Point, the very tip of Hull. The nearest air service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston. As of

1995-473: The hills are tombolos , or tying sand bars. Telegraph Hill above Stony Beach is the site of Fort Revere Park , located at the site of a former defense installation that was active during the first half of the twentieth century. It is capped with an observation tower, which provides views of the rest of Boston Harbor, as well as much of the northern coast of the South Shore. The tower was sited on one of

2052-447: The mainland, although two bridges link the town to Hingham. Town neighborhoods include (from south to north) Green Hill, Straits Pond, Crescent Beach, Gunrock, Atlantic Hill, West Corner, Rockaway, Rockaway Annex, Nantasket Beach, Sagamore Hill, Hampton Circle, Sunset Point, Kenberma, Strawberry Hill, Waveland, Windermere, Allerton, Spinnaker Island , Stony Beach, Telegraph Hill, Hull Village and Hull Hill, and Pemberton. The areas west of

2109-495: The mill ponds and meadows. There is no air service to the town; the nearest international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston, 26 miles north of Whitman. As of the census of 2000, there were 13,882 people, 4,999 households, and 3,604 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,995.7 inhabitants per square mile (770.5/km ). There were 5,104 housing units at an average density of 733.8 per square mile (283.3/km ). The racial makeup of

2166-506: The northerly two miles of the three-mile-long Nantasket Beach constitute the majority of the town's landed area. The southern hills near the Town Hall are composed of volcanic rock created 600 million years ago. Green Hill near Cohasset and all of the hills out along the peninsula—Sagamore, Hampton, Sunset Point, Strawberry, Allerton, Telegraph, and Hull Hill—are drumlins formed by the last glacier about 14,000 years ago. The lands between

2223-584: The park the basic layout of its paths, as well as its general appearance as a woodland park with open fields for passive recreation. Features that were part of the Olmsted design include a wading pool, concrete tennis court (now used as basketball court), bandstand, and a drinking fountain. The Olmsteds were retained again in 1931 to update the design, accounting for the addition in 1908 of the Civil War monument, and to deal with problematic drainage of water from

2280-579: The park's low-lying areas. The major intrusion on the Olmsted design has been the construction of a Little League ballfield in one corner. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. This article about a National Register of Historic Places listing in Plymouth County Massachusetts is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Whitman, Massachusetts Whitman

2337-647: The police headquarters and the Green Hill Fire station, are all located in the southern portion of town, closest to the mainland. The fire Department Headquarters is in Waveland, and there is a branch firehouse in Hull Village as well, although it has been closed for some time. The fire department provides advanced life support services and brings patients to nearby South Shore Hospital, Quincy Medical Center, or into Boston if deemed necessary by EMS. There are two post offices, at Kenberma and Allerton, which serve

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2394-423: The population. There were 4,504 households, out of which 18.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no spouse/partner present, 12.9% had a male householder with no spouse/partner present, and 8.4% were cohabitating couple households. Of all households, 34.8% were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who

2451-430: The seat is currently held by Michael Brady . The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police . Whitman is governed by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town manager and a board of selectmen . The town's police department is located in a newly constructed building on a site formerly used for a succession of schools. The town's fire department

2508-497: The southeast, East Bridgewater to the south, and the city of Brockton to the west. Whitman's town center is approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of the center of Brockton and approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Boston . The small town today is mostly residential, with a small town forest in the northeastern corner of town. The eastern half of the town is divided by the Shumatuscacant River , which

2565-650: The southern part of the county was set off as Norfolk County in 1793, it included the towns of Hull and Hingham . In 1803 those towns opted out of Norfolk County and became part of Plymouth County . Lifesaving has been an important part of Hull history. The Massachusetts Humane Society placed one of its first Huts of Refuge on Nantasket Beach after the American Revolution. When it expanded its boat houses for lifeboats it placed several in Hull at Stoney Beach, on Nantasket Beach, and near Cohasset. Joshua James (1826–1902), Hull's most famous lifesaver, became

2622-483: The start of the American Revolution. Susanna eventually became America's first bestselling novelist with the publishing of her story, Charlotte Temple . Hull has its own school system for its approximately 1,250 students: Hull Public Schools . Hull has an election-based school board committee with five members. The Lillian M. Jacobs School, located on Telegraphs Hill above Stony Beach, serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The Memorial Middle School

2679-550: The state level, Hull is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Third Plymouth district, which includes Cohasset, Hingham and Scituate. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Senator Patrick O' Connor (R-Weymouth) as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district , which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Marshfield, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth. The town

2736-477: The summer home to several luminaries throughout the years, including Calvin Coolidge and former Boston mayor John F. Fitzgerald (also known as "Honey Fitz"), the father of Rose Kennedy and father-in-law of Joseph Kennedy Sr. The Massachuset tribe called the area Nantasket , meaning "at the strait" or "low-tide place". It is a series of islands connected by sandbars forming Nantasket Peninsula , on which

2793-400: The three-story incinerator did not work up to expectations—only operating a limited number of hours and not always fully destroying the material—and after spending $ 1.2 million to build the unit it was abandoned. It was one time used as a club house by children in the area, and later dismantled. The office section, and some of the warehouse area, still remain in use by new owners. According to

2850-680: The town hall. Between the library and the fire department is a National Guard armory. The town also operates a playground and pool at the Whitman town park (which was designed by the Olmsted Brothers firm), just north of the town hall. Since the mid-1960s, Whitman has been paired with Hanson as a part of what was the Whitman-Hanson Regional High School School District but later joined as Whitman-Hanson Regional School District with

2907-402: The town was 97.15% White , 0.65% African American , 0.16% Native American , 0.43% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.48% from other races , and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.88% of the population. There were 4,999 households, out of which 36.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 11.6% had

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2964-469: The towns of Cohasset and Hingham to the south. Hull is located almost 20 miles (32 km) by land from Boston , although by water it is just 5 miles (8.0 km) from Pemberton Point in Hull to City Point in South Boston . Although it is a forty-five-minute drive into the heart of Boston, it is a twenty-minute boat ride from Pemberton Pier, at the tip of Hull, into Boston's Long Wharf , which

3021-408: Was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males. The median income for a household in the town was $ 55,303, and the median income for a family was $ 63,706. Males had a median income of $ 41,950 versus $ 30,629 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 23,002. About 2.0% of families and 3.3% of the population were below

3078-399: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.96. In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.8% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 19.5% from 25 to 44, 38% from 45 to 64, and 23.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 53.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.4 males. 51.8% of the population attained

3135-519: Was 88 students. The town does not have any private schools (excluding Seaside Montessori, a Pre–K Montessori school) but does have agreements to send students to regional vocational schools. The nearest private schools are located in neighboring Hingham, and the nearest vocational high school is located in Weymouth. Hull is named after Kingston upon Hull , United Kingdom . Hull in Quebec, Canada,

3192-545: Was also home to King's Castle Land , a children's amusement park owned by the Whitney family and located near the intersection of Routes 18 and 14. In the 1970s, Whitman was home to a then-secret National Security Agency classified materials disposal facility built on Essex Street by American Thermogen Inc. It was code named "White Elephant No. 1" and it was to be the prototype for the government's premier "classified waste destructor". Reaching temperatures up to 3,400 degrees,

3249-459: Was home to Hull's first high school, as well as Fort Duvall before WWII, and a Nike missile site during the Cold War . Parts of the island sat very low and fill was brought in to prevent flooding. Spinnaker Island has been developed with condominiums, and is connected to mainland Hull via a low bridge. The town is bordered by Hingham Bay to the west, Massachusetts Bay to the north and east, and

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