Plainville, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Plainville, Massachusetts
Town
South Street
Seal
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Norfolk
Settled	1661
Incorporated	1905
Government
• Type	Open Town Meeting
Area
• Total	29.9 km2 (11.5 sq mi)
• Land	28.6 km2 (11.0 sq mi)
• Water	1.3 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Elevation	76 m (250 ft)
Population  (2020)
• Total	9,945
• Density	347.7/km2 (901/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	02762
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-54100
GNIS feature ID	0618327
Website	www.plainville.ma.us

Plainville is a town located in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States. In 2020, about 9,945 people lived there. Plainville is part of the larger Boston and Providence regions.

History of Plainville

Plainville was first part of a large land grant given to Dedham, Massachusetts in 1635. This area was known as the Plantation of Wollomonuppoag. Later, it became part of Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Plainville officially became its own town on April 4, 1905. This makes it one of the newest towns in Massachusetts. Only Millville (1916) and East Brookfield (1920) are younger.

Early Settlers and Names

One of the first records of settlement in Plainville dates back to 1674. A Wampanoag man named Matchinamook was given land near the Ten Mile River. Matchinamook was a warrior who fought under the Wampanoag chieftain Metacomet, also known as King Philip. He likely took part in King Philip's War.

In its early days, Plainville was called Slackville. This nickname came from Benjamin Slack, who owned a lot of land there. After a post office opened in 1856, the name changed to Plainville. This new name came from the many flat, open areas, or "plains," in the region. In 1905, Plainville officially separated from Wrentham to become its own town.

Plainville shares a special historic marker with North Attleboro, Massachusetts. This marker is called the Angle Tree Stone. It marks the old boundary between the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Plymouth Bay Colony. You can even see the Angle Tree Stone on the official town seal!

Many important people have lived in Plainville. One was George Robert Twelves Hewes. He was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War. He also participated in the famous Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Rhode Island.

Plainville's Municipal Complex

In 2019, Plainville opened a new Municipal Complex. This large project cost $34 million. It includes new buildings for the Town Hall, Fire Department, and Police Department. These new buildings are next to the public library on South Street. The new Town Hall replaced an older one that was built in 1938 as a fire station. The money for this new complex came from taxes collected from a local casino.

Geography of Plainville

Telford Park

Plainville covers about 11.6 square miles (29.9 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 11.1 square miles (28.6 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.5 square miles (1.3 square kilometers), is water.

Plainville shares its borders with several other towns. These include Wrentham, Foxboro, Mansfield, North Attleboro, and Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Plainville's Population

According to the 2000 census, 7,683 people lived in Plainville. There were 3,009 households and 2,040 families. The town had about 694.6 people per square mile.

Most of the people living in Plainville in 2000 were White (96.77%). There were also smaller percentages of African American (0.70%) and Asian (1.63%) residents. About 0.95% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2000, about 33.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 2.53 people. The average family had 3.11 people.

The population was spread out by age. About 25.5% were under 18 years old. About 33.1% were between 25 and 44 years old. The median age was 37 years. This means half the people were younger than 37 and half were older.

The median income for a household in Plainville was $57,155. For families, it was $68,640. About 4.0% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 3.6% of those under 18.

Education in Plainville

Children and teens in Plainville attend public schools within the town and in nearby communities.

Elementary Schools

• Anna Ware Jackson School (Kindergarten to 3rd grade)
• Beatrice H. Wood School (4th to 6th grade)

Middle and High Schools

For middle and high school, Plainville is part of the King Philip Regional School District.

• King Philip Middle School (7th to 8th grade) is located in Norfolk.
• King Philip Regional High School (9th to 12th grade) is located in Wrentham.

Students also have other high school choices. These include the Foxborough Regional Charter School, Norfolk Aggie, and Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School. These schools are in neighboring towns. Plainville is also a member of the Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School district.

Notable People from Plainville

Plainville has been home to several well-known individuals:

• Michelle Carter, known for a legal case that received national attention.
• Thomas John, a psychic medium.
• Jeff Kinney, the author of the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series.
• Malia Jusczyk, a young advocate for childhood cancer research.
• Jim Renner, a professional PGA golfer.
• Emory Rounds, a retired US Navy Commander who served as the Director of Ethics for the United States White House under both the Trump and Biden administrations.
• Lofa Tatupu, a former linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks football team.

See also

In Spanish: Plainville (Massachusetts) para niños