Topsfield, Massachusetts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Topsfield, Massachusetts
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Topsfield's Town Hall
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Location in Essex County and the state of Massachusetts.
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Massachusetts | |
| County | Essex | |
| Settled | 1635 | |
| Incorporated | 1650 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Open town meeting | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 12.8 sq mi (33.2 km2) | |
| • Land | 11.9 sq mi (30.9 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2) | |
| Elevation | 63 ft (19 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 6,569 | |
| • Density | 512.5/sq mi (197.86/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) | |
| ZIP code |
01983
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| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 | |
| FIPS code | 25-70150 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618312 | |
Topsfield is a small town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. In 2020, about 6,569 people lived there. Topsfield is part of the North Shore area of Massachusetts. A part of the town is also known as the census-designated place of Topsfield.
Contents
Discover Topsfield's Past
Early Native American Life
Before European settlers arrived, the Agawam tribe lived in the Topsfield area. They were part of the Algonquian peoples. Sadly, a disease called smallpox brought by early European explorers greatly reduced their population in the early 1600s.
Chief Masconomet was the leader, or sagamore, of the Agawam tribe. Masconomet Regional High School is named after him. He welcomed Governor John Winthrop in 1630. In 1638, Masconomet sold the Agawam's land to Winthrop for twenty pounds.
How Topsfield Got Its Name
English settlers arrived in the area by 1643. They first called their settlement New Meadows. Some people believe the Agawam called the place Shenewemedy, meaning "the pleasant place by the flowing waters." However, more recent historians think Shenewemedy was just how the Agawam pronounced "New Meadows."
In 1648, the General Court of Massachusetts changed the name to Topsfield. This name likely came from Toppesfield, a small town in England. Topsfield officially became a town in 1650.
The Salem Witch Trials Connection
The famous Salem Witch Trials of 1692 directly affected Topsfield. During this time, many people were accused of witchcraft. In July 1692, Rebecca Nurse from Salem Village was hanged. She was the daughter of William Towne from Topsfield.
Rebecca's sisters, Sarah Cloyce and Mary Eastey, also from Topsfield, were accused. Sarah was later freed, but Mary was hanged in September. Two other Topsfield residents, Sarah Wildes and Elizabeth Howe, were also hanged. The trials ended in May 1693 when the governor pardoned everyone accused.
Religion and Early Settlers
Religion was very important in early Topsfield. The town was partly settled because of fears about French Catholic settlers nearby. Governor Winthrop and the Puritans wanted to establish a Protestant community.
In 1684, the town hired Reverend Joseph Capen. His house, the Parson Capen House, is still a famous landmark in Topsfield. The current Congregational Church building on the town common is a successor to Capen's original church.
A family with a big connection to religious history lived in Topsfield. Robert Smith settled there in 1638. His great-great-grandson, Joseph Smith, Sr., was born in Topsfield in 1771. Joseph Smith Sr.'s son, Joseph Smith, Jr., later founded the Latter Day Saint movement.
Revolution and New Beginnings
Topsfield grew slowly in the 1700s. By 1776, only 773 people lived there. The town was mostly farms and seemed more traditional than other towns in Essex County.
However, as tensions grew with Britain, Topsfield joined other towns to protect their rights. On April 19, 1775, 110 "Minutemen" from Topsfield quickly responded to the Lexington Alarm. They left their farms to fight for independence. Topsfield men also fought in the Battle of Bunker Hill and served in George Washington's army.
The Newburyport Turnpike
In 1803, a company started building the Newburyport Turnpike. This was a toll road meant to connect Newburyport to Boston through Topsfield. It was supposed to cut travel time from six hours to four.
The Newburyport Turnpike opened in 1805. It had tollhouses in Newbury, Topsfield, and Chelsea. Stagecoaches used the road to carry people, mail, and goods. However, the turnpike was not very profitable and closed around 1847.
The "Gerrymander" and the Fair
Topsfield was part of the original "Gerrymander" in 1812. This was when Governor Elbridge Gerry drew strange-shaped voting districts to help his political party.
But Topsfield gained more fame on June 12, 1818. On this day, the state created the Essex Agricultural Society. This group still runs the famous Topsfield Fair today.
Railroads and the Civil War
In the mid-1800s, railroads started to appear. The Danvers and Georgetown Railroad opened in Topsfield on October 23, 1854. This new "steam horse" connected Topsfield to other towns and to Boston. The Topsfield station was first on Main Street, then moved to Park Street in 1897.
When the American Civil War began in 1861, Topsfield sent 113 soldiers to fight. The town also raised money and supplies for them. Topsfield soldiers fought and died in battles far from home, like Bull Run and Gettysburg. Some even died in the terrible Andersonville Prison.
Shoe Making and New Arrivals
For a long time, Topsfield was mainly a farming town. However, the shoe manufacturing industry grew for a while, especially during the Civil War. Many companies in Essex County supplied shoes to the Union army.
The Herrick family owned the largest shoe factory in Topsfield, started in 1837. At its peak, Topsfield shipped 200,000 pairs of shoes each year. After the Civil War, the shoe business declined, and the last factory closed in the early 1900s.
New groups of people also came to Topsfield. In the 1850s, Irish immigrants arrived to help build the railroad. They were the first known Catholic families in town. Later, from 1890 to 1920, Italian immigrants came. Many worked as stonemasons building large estates in Essex County, like the "Rockery" at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.
Modern Topsfield: Cars and Suburbia
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, new technologies changed Topsfield. The electric light bulb, telephone, and electricity became available. These inventions connected the town more closely to the outside world.
The automobile had the biggest impact. Cars allowed people to live in Topsfield but work in other towns. Roads improved, and Massachusetts Route 128 became very important. This highway, built in the 1920s, connected many high-tech companies around Boston.
Many people who worked for these companies on Route 128 chose to live in Topsfield. This turned Topsfield from a small farm town into a suburban community within the greater Boston area.
Geography and Getting Around
Topsfield is located in the middle of Essex County, Massachusetts. It covers about 33.2 square kilometers (12.8 square miles). Most of this is land, with about 2.3 square kilometers (0.9 square miles) of water.
The highest point in Topsfield is Great Hill, which is at least 245 feet high. Hood's Pond is the largest body of water, covering 68 acres. Topsfield also includes parts of the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary, Bradley Palmer State Park, and Willowdale State Forest.
Topsfield is surrounded by other towns: Ipswich, Hamilton, Wenham, Danvers, Middleton, and Boxford. It is about 10 miles north of Salem and 22 miles north of Boston.
Interstate 95 passes through a small part of Topsfield. U.S. Route 1, also known as the "Newburyport Turnpike," goes through the town. Massachusetts Route 97 also crosses Topsfield. The closest airport is the Beverly Municipal Airport. For national and international flights, people use Boston's Logan International Airport.
Who Lives in Topsfield?
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 1,170 | — |
| 1860 | 1,292 | +10.4% |
| 1870 | 1,213 | −6.1% |
| 1880 | 1,165 | −4.0% |
| 1890 | 1,022 | −12.3% |
| 1900 | 1,030 | +0.8% |
| 1910 | 1,174 | +14.0% |
| 1920 | 900 | −23.3% |
| 1930 | 986 | +9.6% |
| 1940 | 1,150 | +16.6% |
| 1950 | 1,412 | +22.8% |
| 1960 | 3,351 | +137.3% |
| 1970 | 5,225 | +55.9% |
| 1980 | 5,709 | +9.3% |
| 1990 | 5,754 | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 6,141 | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 6,085 | −0.9% |
| 2020 | 6,569 | +8.0% |
| 2022* | 6,504 | −1.0% |
| * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data. |
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In 2000, there were 6,141 people living in Topsfield. Most residents were White (97.8%). About 0.83% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
About 40.2% of households had children under 18. Most households (73.7%) were married couples. The average household had 2.87 people.
The median age in Topsfield was 41 years old. About 28.2% of the population was under 18. The median household income was $96,430.
Learning in Topsfield
Topsfield has two public elementary schools. Steward School teaches preschool through third grade. Proctor Elementary School is for fourth through sixth grade.
Students in seventh and eighth grade go to Masconomet Regional Middle School. High school students (ninth through twelfth grade) attend Masconomet Regional High School. Both the middle and high schools are located in Boxford. They also serve students from Boxford and Middleton.
Fun Things to Do in Topsfield
The Famous Topsfield Fair
Topsfield is home to the Topsfield Fair, which attracts almost 500,000 visitors each year. It is one of the oldest fairs in the United States, starting in 1818. The first fair was a cattle show.
Today, the fair has carnival rides, games, and concerts. It also features traditional attractions like livestock shows, crafts, and produce exhibits. The fair hosts the All New England Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off. In 2016, the record-holding pumpkin weighed 2,075.5 pounds!
The fairgrounds are used for other events throughout the year, such as horse shows and concerts. The Topsfield Fair always runs for 11 days, from the last weekend in September until Columbus Day.
Smith Family Homestead
About 2 miles from downtown Topsfield is the Smith Family Homestead. This was home to five generations of the Smith family. They are ancestors of Prophet Joseph Smith, an important leader in the Latter-day Saint movement.
The first Smith family member to live in Topsfield was Robert Smith, who bought land there in 1693. The house that stands today was built in 1875. In 2005, a marker was placed there to honor the Smith family. The house is privately owned and not open for tours. However, many groups visit the property to learn about its history.
Yearly Events in Topsfield
Topsfield residents celebrate Memorial Day with a parade. This honors veterans who served the country. Topsfield residents have served in many wars, from the Revolutionary War to modern conflicts. A memorial to veterans stands on the town common.
Summer in Topsfield begins with the Topsfield Historical Society's Strawberry Festival in early June. Volunteers serve fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and shortcakes. It's a great way for new residents to learn about local groups and for everyone to enjoy live music and crafts.
Famous People from Topsfield
- Abbey D'Agostino, Olympic athlete
- Donna Murphy, stage and film actress
- Bradley Palmer, lawyer and businessman
- Ryan Serhant, realtor and actor
- Ollie Silva, racing driver
- Joseph Smith Sr., father of LDS Church founder Joseph Smith
Places to Visit
- Coolidge Estate
- Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary
- Parson Capen House
Images for kids
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The Topsfield Tollhouse along the Newburyport Turnpike.
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This political cartoon from 1812 shows the "Gerrymander," a strange-shaped voting district that included Topsfield.
See also
In Spanish: Topsfield (Massachusetts) para niños
