Medway, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Medway, Massachusetts
Town
Sanford Mills on the Charles River
Seal
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Norfolk
Settled	1657
Incorporated	1713
Founder	Henry Garnsey
Medway 300	January 1, 2013
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	29.9 km2 (11.5 sq mi)
• Land	29.7 km2 (11.5 sq mi)
• Water	0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi)
Elevation	61 m (200 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	13,115
• Density	441.6/km2 (1,140.4/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Medwanian
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	02053
Area code(s)	508/774
FIPS code	25-39975
GNIS feature ID	0619458

Medway is a town located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States. In 2020, about 13,115 people lived there.

History of Medway

Medway was first settled in 1657. It was officially made a town in 1713. Back then, Medway was a small farming community with 233 people. The Charles River and Chicken Brook provided water power. This helped cotton and paper mills, straw and boot factories, and other small businesses grow. The Charles River was very important to the town's growth. Today, the old one-room schoolhouses are gone. Country stores have moved to bigger shopping areas. But the town still holds its traditional open town meetings.

How Medway Became a Town

After the nearby town of Medfield was started in 1651, more people moved west of the Charles River. By 1712, this settlement was big enough. The people asked the Massachusetts General Court to create a new town. Their request was approved. Medway officially became a town on October 25, 1713. Henry Garnsey founded the town. For 170 years, Medway included the land that is now Millis.

Later, in 1885, the eastern part of Medway, called East Medway, became its own town, Millis. This is how Medway got its current shape.

The Great Black Swamp

Millis separated from Medway mainly because of a large area of land called the Great Black Swamp. This swamp was in the middle of Medway and East Medway. It was impossible to build on this land. Because of this, people in Medway and East Medway had to create separate communities. They built their own meeting houses and churches. Even with this natural barrier, the town stayed together for over 170 years.

Old Roads and New Names

The oldest road in Medway was built in 1670. It was known as Old Mendon Road for many years. Over time, this road had many names. These included The Road to the Wilderness, The Old County Road, and The Middle Post Road. Today, it is called Village Street. Village Street starts at the Millis border in the east. It winds along the Charles River. Then it joins Main Street near the Bellingham border in the west. The original center of Medway was along this road. The main activity area was Medway Village, where Holliston Street meets Village Street.

In 1869, all of Medway's streets were officially named. Many streets lost their old names. They were renamed after important people from the town's past and present. For example, Pine Hill Road became Winthrop Street. Vine Lane became Kelley Street. Candlewood Island Road was named Oakland Street. The Old Hartford Turnpike became Main Street. Other roads named after past residents include Lovering Street, Adams Street, Partridge Street, Ellis Street,, Clark Street, Coffee Street, and Barber Street.

Geography of Medway

Medway covers about 11.5 square miles (29.9 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small amount of water. Medway is located in the middle of three major cities: Boston, Worcester, and Providence. Some people think this is why the town was named Medway. However, like many towns in New England, its name likely comes from a place in England. It might be named after the Medway region or the River Medway in England. It's possible both its location and a nod to England influenced the name choice.

Population and People

In 2000, there were 12,448 people living in Medway. There were 4,182 households, with 3,337 being families. The population density was about 1,087 people per square mile. Most people in Medway were White (97.5%). A small number were African American, Native American, or Asian. About 0.84% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

Many households (97.7%) had children under 18 living with them. Most households (69%) were married couples. The average household had 2.95 people. The average family had 3.36 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 31.9% were under 18. About 33.4% were between 25 and 44 years old. The median age was 36 years.

Sports in Medway

Football Teams

Medway has been home to a few football teams.

• In 2006, the New England Intensity team started playing their home games at Medway's Hanlon Field. They were part of the Independent Women's Football League.
• In 2008, the Bay State Renegades from the New England Football League also began playing at Hanlon Field. They won four out of five games there.
• In 2007, the Worcester Wildcats, another team from the NEFL, played one season at Hanlon Field. This was while their home field in Worcester was being fixed up.

Education in Medway

Medway Public Schools are part of the Medway Public Schools district. There are four schools in the district:

• The McGovern School teaches preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade.
• The Burke-Memorial School teaches 2nd to 4th grade.
• Medway Middle School teaches 5th to 8th grade.
• Medway High School is the newest school. It was finished in 2003. The first class graduated from the new high school in 2005. In 2004, the high school had 771 students and 52 teachers. This meant there was about one teacher for every 15 students. The Middle School was fully updated in 2012.

In 2008, about 217 10th-grade students took the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam. For both Math and English Language, 96.3% of students passed. For the Science section, 87.9% passed. In 2007, 193 Medway High School students took the SAT test. The average score was 1,614. About 85.8% of these students chose to go to a four-year college.

Transportation in Medway

Two main roads, Route 109 and Route 126, go through Medway. Interstate 495 briefly passes through the southwest part of town. However, it does not have any exits in Medway. The closest exits are in nearby Bellingham and Milford.

The closest train service is the MBTA Commuter Rail. You can find stations at [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]], [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]], and [[{{{station}}} (MBTA station)|{{{station}}}]]. These are all on the Franklin/Foxboro Line. Before 1966, the Millis Branch train line had stations in Medway and West Medway.

Places to Worship

Medway has four churches:

• St. Joseph's Catholic Church on Village Street.
• Medway Community Church, which has roots in Congregational and Baptist traditions. It is part of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC).
• Medway Village Church on Village Street, also a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference (CCCC).
• Christ Episcopal Church on School Street.

Notable People from Medway

Many interesting people have come from Medway:

• James "Grizzly" Adams (1812–1860): A famous mountain man and bear trainer. He was born in Medway.
• William Taylor Adams (1822–1897): An author who wrote under the name "Oliver Optic." He was also born in Medway.
• Austin Aviza (born 1997): A professional soccer player.
• Pete Carmichael Jr. (born 1971): The offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints football team.
• Dennis Crowley (born 1976): He created the mobile app "Foursquare." Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in 2010.
• Alphonso Van Marsh: An American journalist and war correspondent for CNN.

See also

In Spanish: Medway (Massachusetts) para niños