Gardner, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gardner, Massachusetts
City
From top, left to right: Dunn State Park; St. Joseph Parish; Blue Moon Diner; the Biggest Chair; Central Street at Heywood Place; First Baptist Church.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The Chair City
Location in Worcester County and Massachusetts.
Gardner, Massachusetts Location in the United States
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1764
Incorporated (town)	1785
Incorporated (city)	1923
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
Area
• Total	23.02 sq mi (59.61 km2)
• Land	22.07 sq mi (57.15 km2)
• Water	0.95 sq mi (2.45 km2)
Elevation	1,100 ft (324 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	21,287
• Density	964.65/sq mi (372.46/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	01440
Area code(s)	978 351
FIPS code	25-25485
GNIS feature ID	0610059
Website	gardner-ma.gov

Gardner is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the United States. In 2020, about 21,287 people lived there. Gardner is known for places like the Blue Moon Diner, Dunn State Park, and Mount Wachusett Community College. It's also called "The Chair City" because of its long history of making furniture.

History of Gardner

Gardner was named after Thomas Gardner. The first Europeans settled here in 1764. It became an official town in 1785. Land for the town came from nearby places like Ashburnham, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon.

Around 1805, Gardner became a big center for making lumber and furniture. This is why it's known as "The Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England." By 1910, there were twenty chair factories in Gardner. They made four million chairs every year! The city was also known for making silver items.

City Seal and Incorporation

In 1922, an artist named Harrison Cady, who was born in Gardner, designed the city's official seal. The seal shows Thomas Gardner standing in front of Crystal Lake. In the distance, you can see Mount Monadnock.

The seal also has five smaller circles. One circle shows a chair, which stands for the important furniture industry. The other circles have the letters W, W, A, and T. These letters represent the towns that gave land to Gardner when it was founded: Westminster, Winchendon, Ashburnham, and Templeton. Gardner officially became a city in 1923.

Furniture Making in Gardner

Gardner is the birthplace of the Heywood-Wakefield Company. This company started in 1826. Five brothers named Walter, Levi, Seth, Benjamin, and William Heywood began making wooden chairs and furniture. They worked in a barn near their family farm.

At first, Walter made chairs by hand. Soon, Levi and Benjamin helped him part-time. In 1831, Levi opened a store in Boston to sell the chairs. Benjamin and William stayed in Gardner to make them. Another furniture company, Conant Ball Company, was also in Gardner. Nichols and Stone Chair Company, which started in 1762, moved to Gardner later.

The First Time Clock

Gardner is also where the first useful time clock was invented. In 1894, Edward G. Watkins invented it. He was an engineer at Heywood-Wakefield. He was asked to create a better way to track when employees started and finished work.

Watkins realized many businesses needed a better time clock. So, he opened Simplex Time Recorder. In 1958, Simplex bought the time recorder part of IBM. This helped Simplex become a leader in fire alarms and business systems. The Watkins family owned Simplex for over a century until it was sold in 2000.

Fun Events in Gardner

Since 2009, Gardner has held the Annual Chair Luge. This event happens on the last Saturday in September in downtown Gardner. Teams of two race down the streets in homemade chairs on wheels! The city also hosts the largest American Cancer Society Relay For Life event in New England. This event raises money for cancer research.

Geography

Gardner covers about 23.0 square miles (59.6 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 22.2 square miles (57.1 square kilometers), is land. The rest is water, including Crystal Lake. The highest point in Gardner is Reservoir Hill. It is over 1,280 feet (390 meters) above sea level.

Gardner is surrounded by other towns in Massachusetts. To the north are Winchendon and Ashburnham. Westminster is to the east. Hubbardston is to the south, and Templeton is to the west.

• 

  Downtown Gardner in 2005.

• 

  A view of the West Gardner Square Historic District in 2021.

Population Changes

In 2000, there were 20,770 people living in Gardner. About 23.7% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age was 38 years.

Economy

Gardner has always been known for its furniture industry, which is why it's called "The Chair City." Even though some factories have closed, a few furniture makers are still in Gardner. These include Standard Chair of Gardner and Saloom Furniture Company. Gardner is also home to Seaman Paper, a company that makes paper and packaging.

Education

Gardner has several schools for students.

• Gardner Elementary School serves students from kindergarten to 4th grade.
• Gardner Middle School is for grades 5-7.
• Gardner High School is the city's high school for grades 8-12.
• There is also Gardner Academy, which is an alternative school.

The Gardner Public Library first opened in 1885. The old library building is now a museum about the city's history.

Transportation

Public transportation in Gardner is mainly provided by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART). MART offers local bus services and shuttle services. It also has special services for people who need extra help getting around.

Train service to Gardner started in 1871 with the Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad. From 1980 to 1986, Gardner Station was the end of the MBTA's Fitchburg Line. In 2016, MART began van service from Gardner to the new Wachusett station on the Fitchburg line.

Notable people

• Ollie Manninen, Olympic long-distance runner

See also

In Spanish: Gardner (Massachusetts) para niños