Concord, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia : C : CO : CON : Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2000 Census, the town population was about 17,000. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.
History
Concord was first settled in 1635 and was officially incorporated in that same year. Concord was a site of the initial conflict in the American Revolutionary War, the Battle of Lexington and Concord.Concord also has a remarkably rich literary history, including Louisa May Alcott whose houses, The Orchard House and The Wayside, are now museums; philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson who lived at several sites in town; Nathaniel Hawthorne who lived at The Old Manse and The Wayside; and Henry David Thoreau, who lived in a small cabin on Walden Pond in Concord (where he wrote his famous book Walden). Many notables are buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord.
Ephraim Bull developed the now-ubiquitous Concord grape at his home on Lexington St., where the original vine still grows. Welch's, the first company to sell grape juice, maintains a small headquarters in Concord.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 67.1 km² (25.9 mi²). 64.5 km² (24.9 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it (3.75%) is water.Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 16,993 people, 5,948 households, and 4,437 families residing in the town. The population density was 263.3/km² (682.0/mi²). There were 6,153 housing units at an average density of 95.3/km² (246.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.64% White, 2.24% African American, 0.09% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.12% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.80% of the population.
There were 13,090 households out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 100.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $95,897, and the median income for a family was $115,839. Males had a median income of $82,374 versus $47,739 for females. The per capita income for the town was $51,477. About 2.1% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.
Pronunciation
A great number of people mispronounce the name of Concord, including tourists and the children on the Welch's Fruit Juice commercials. The most common mispronunciation is "kon-kord," with the second syllable pronounced like the word "chord." The correct pronunciation would be saying the name of the town as if it were the word "conquered," with the "ord" in the name of the town pronounced as if it were "erd" as in "nerd."Massachusetts natives with Boston accent often pronounce Concord "konk-id.".
Famous citizens
- John Parker
- Bronson Alcott
- Louisa May Alcott
- Rev. William Emerson
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Henry David Thoreau
Points of interest
- Old North Bridge
- The Old Manse, home of Emerson and Hawthorne
- The Wayside, home of Louisa May Alcott, Hawthorne, and Margaret Sidney
- Minute Man National Historical Park
- Walden Pond State Park
Schools
- Concord Carlisle Regional High School, the local Public High School which the neighboring town Carlisle shares with Concord
- Concord Middle School (consisting of Sanborn and Peabody buildings, the local Public Middle School
- Alcott, Willard, Thoreau and formerly Ripley, the local Public Elementary Schools
- Concord Academy and Middlesex School, private preparatory schools.
- The Fenn School and The Nashoba Brooks School, private day schools, the former being all-boys, grades 4-9, and the latter being gender integrated through 3rd grade and all-girls for grades 4-8.
External links
- [Concord official website]
- [Walden Pond State Reservation]
- [Concord Academy] (an independent college preparatory school)
- [Concord's Colonial Inn]
- [Public School System Site]
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