Boylston, Massachusetts Facts for Kids

Boylston was first settled by Europeans around 1706. The Sawyer family was among the first to live there. This land was originally given by Nashaway leaders Sholan and George Tahanto.

In 1697, the people living here wanted to create their own town. However, the British governor of Massachusetts said no. He wanted to keep the number of towns small.

A meeting house, which was like a church and community center, was built in 1743. Reverend Ebenezer Morse became the first minister that same year.

Boylston was once part of Shrewsbury and Lancaster. From 1742 to 1786, it was known as the North Parish of Shrewsbury. In 1786, it officially became the town of Boylston.

The town was named after Ward Nicholas Boylston (1747–1828). He was a generous person who helped the town a lot. In 1797, he set up a fund that grew to $1,450. This money was used to build the town hall and a school.

Long ago, people in Boylston mostly worked in farming. They also built mills along the Nashua River. These mills stopped working when the Wachusett Reservoir was built.

Geography and Nature

Boylston covers about 19.7 square miles (51.0 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 16.0 square miles (41.5 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 3.6 square miles (9.4 square kilometers), is water.

Boylston is mostly a place where people live. The town has nearly 4,400 residents.

A big part of the town is covered by the Wachusett Reservoir. This huge reservoir helps supply water to the Greater Boston area. It covers about 5,000 acres (20 square kilometers) in the northwestern part of Boylston.

The town has about 45 miles (72 kilometers) of roads and 9 miles (14 kilometers) of sidewalks. Boylston also has its own electric company, water system, and a volunteer fire and ambulance service.

Boylston shares its borders with several other towns. These include Shrewsbury, West Boylston, Sterling, Clinton, Berlin, and Northborough.

Population and People

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1850	918	—
1860	929	+1.2%
1870	800	−13.9%
1880	854	+6.7%
1890	770	−9.8%
1900	1,364	+77.1%
1910	714	−47.7%
1920	794	+11.2%
1930	1,097	+38.2%
1940	1,388	+26.5%
1950	1,700	+22.5%
1960	2,367	+39.2%
1970	2,774	+17.2%
1980	3,470	+25.1%
1990	3,517	+1.4%
2000	4,008	+14.0%
2010	4,355	+8.7%
2020	4,849	+11.3%
2023*	4,972	+2.5%
* = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.

In 2000, there were 4,008 people living in Boylston. They lived in 1,573 households. Many of these households, 1,140, were families.

About 33.2% of the households had children under 18 living with them. Most households, 63.9%, were married couples. About 22.3% of all households were single individuals.

The average age of people in Boylston was 40 years old. About 24.3% of the population was under 18. About 12.3% were 65 years or older.

Public Library

The Boylston Public Library opened in 1880. It is an important part of the community. The town spends money each year to keep the library running. This helps make sure everyone can use its resources.

Education

Boylston shares a junior-senior high school with the nearby town of Berlin. This school is called Tahanto Regional Middle/High School. It is part of the Berlin-Boylston Regional School District.

Boylston is also home to the Tower Hill Botanic Garden. This garden offers classes for adults. You can learn about gardening, cooking, and plants there.

The school's mascot is a stag. The school teams wear white and green as their colors.

Famous People from Boylston

Jeff Fuller (born 1957) - a racing car driver
Kevin Manion (born 1972) - a successful crew chief in NASCAR racing

Images for kids

Boylston Commons, Winter

Boylston, Massachusetts facts for kids

Contents

History of Boylston