Townsend, Massachusetts Facts for Kids

Townsend is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. In 2020, about 9,127 people lived there. It's a great place to learn about history and nature.

A Look at Townsend's History
- How Townsend Got Its Name
Exploring Townsend's Geography
People in Townsend
Education in Townsend
- Local Schools
Gallery
Notable People from Townsend
See also

A Look at Townsend's History

Townsend was first settled by European people in 1676. Before that, local Native American groups knew the area as Wistequassuck. The town officially became a town in 1732.

How Townsend Got Its Name

The town was named after Charles Townshend. He was an important English government official. He was known for being against the Tories, a political group at the time.

Later, the town changed its name slightly. The original spelling was "Townshend," just like the person it was named after. But in 1767, the British government passed some unpopular laws called the Townshend Acts. These laws made many people in America upset. Because of this, the people of Townsend decided to drop the "h" from their town's name. This was a way to show their strong feelings against the British laws. By 1780, the spelling "Townsend" became official.

Exploring Townsend's Geography

Townsend covers about 33.1 square miles (85.8 square kilometers) of land and water. Most of this area, about 32.9 square miles (85.1 square kilometers), is land. The rest is water.

Rivers and Hills

The Squannacook River begins in the western hills of Townsend. This town actually has the largest land area of any town in Middlesex County.

Neighboring Towns

Townsend shares its borders with several other towns:

To the north: Mason, New Hampshire and Brookline, New Hampshire
To the east: Pepperell
To the southeast: Groton and Shirley
To the south: Lunenburg
To the west: Ashby

Main Roads

Two important roads run through Townsend:

Route 119 goes from east to west.
Route 13 goes from north to south.

People in Townsend

In 2010, there were 8,926 people living in Townsend. There were about 3,240 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. Most households, about 62.7%, were married couples. About 34% of households had children under 18 living with them.

The average household had about 2.75 people. The average family had about 3.14 people.

Education in Townsend

Townsend is part of the North Middlesex Regional School District. This school district also includes the towns of Ashby and Pepperell.

Local Schools

Elementary School: Young students in Townsend attend the Spaulding Memorial Elementary School.
Middle School: Hawthorne Brook Middle School serves students from both Townsend and neighboring Ashby.
High School: After middle school, students go to North Middlesex Regional High School. Some students can also choose to attend Nashoba Valley Technical High School in Westford.

Gallery

United Methodist Church (built in 1770)
Reed Homestead, a historic home with special paintings inside.

Notable People from Townsend

Many interesting people have connections to Townsend:

Daniel Adams: A doctor who wrote textbooks and served in the state government.
Christiana Bennett: A talented ballet dancer who was a main performer for Ballet West.
John Kerin: A professional baseball umpire.
Dave Miller: A professional darts player.
Huntley N. Spaulding: A former Governor of New Hampshire.
Rolland H. Spaulding: Also a former Governor of New Hampshire.
Mary Walcott: A person who was involved as a witness in the famous Salem witch trials.

Townsend, Massachusetts facts for kids

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