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Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
First Parish Meeting House
First Parish Meeting House
Official seal of Tyngsborough, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Middlesex
Settled 1661
Incorporated 1809
Government
 • Type Open town meeting
Area
 • Total 18.1 sq mi (46.7 km2)
 • Land 16.9 sq mi (43.7 km2)
 • Water 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
Elevation
154 ft (47 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 12,380
 • Density 684.0/sq mi (265.1/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
01879
Area code(s) 351 / 978
FIPS code 25-71025
GNIS feature ID 0618240
Website http://www.tyngsboroughma.gov/

Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is 28 miles (45 km) from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town population was 12,380. By its location, the town serves as a suburb of neighboring cities such as Nashua, New Hampshire and Lowell, Massachusetts.

History

Map of old Dunstable 1846
Map of the region of "Old Dunstable" Township, which was later subdivided to form many of the current towns along the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border, including Tyngsborough

Tyngsborough was settled in 1661, as part of the massive Dunstable Township. The town of Dunstable, incorporated in 1673, was named after the hometown of pioneer Edward Tyng. However, a relative of his, and the source of the town of Tyngsborough's name, was Colonel Jonathan Tyng, whose home, the Tyng Mansion House, was one of the oldest north of Boston. He settled near the Merrimack in what is now Tyngsborough in 1675. The house stood until the 1970s, when it was destroyed by arson. Early on Tyngsborough residents fought a series of small and bloody skirmishes with local Native American tribes. Evidence of this can be found in several old colonial homes in town that still have emergency passages that were used during these attacks. In 1789, Tyngsborough's parish split from the rest of Dunstable, making Tyngsborough a recognized district. On February 23, 1809, Tyngsborough became a town.

After Tyngsborough was incorporated it became known for its ferries which traveled up and down the Merrimack River, the quarries that produced granite, and several box companies that started in town. As the town developed, Tyngsborough became a vacation community and had a large seasonal resident population even up until the late 1960s. A notable summer resident was actress Nance O'Neil, whose estate became the campus of the Academy of Notre Dame.

Today, Tyngsborough primarily serves as a bedroom community, part of Greater Lowell and the Nashua, New Hampshire region, in addition to having a short commute to the Boston area. The town is also known for the Tyngsborough Bridge, a green painted, single-arched, steel bridge over the Merrimack River. Constructed in 1931 as a replacement for an earlier wooden planked structure, this bridge is a major river crossing for residents of Massachusetts and New Hampshire alike with 22,300 daily crossings as of 2007.

Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1850 799 —    
1860 626 −21.7%
1870 629 +0.5%
1880 631 +0.3%
1890 662 +4.9%
1930 1,358 +105.1%
1940 1,634 +20.3%
1950 2,059 +26.0%
1960 3,302 +60.4%
1970 4,204 +27.3%
1980 5,683 +35.2%
1990 8,642 +52.1%
2000 11,081 +28.2%
2010 11,292 +1.9%
Source: US Census data.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 18.0 square miles (47 km2), of which 16.9 square miles (44 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (6.65%) is water. Tyngsborough is bordered by the towns of Dunstable, Groton, Westford, Chelmsford, and Dracut, by the city of Lowell, and by the New Hampshire communities of Hudson, Pelham (though no road connects the two towns directly), and Nashua.

Besides a series of lakes and ponds that dot Tyngsborough, the town is split in two by the Merrimack River which runs roughly north-south near the center of town. The land is mostly rolling hills, small cleared fields, and wooded land. Marshlands can also be found in the area, although they are less prevalent than in surrounding towns.

Transportation

The LRTA 10 bus connects eastern Tyngsborough with Dracut and the Lowell train station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,081 people, 3,731 households, and 2,947 families residing in the town. The population density was 657.4 people per square mile (253.8/km2). There were 3,806 housing units at an average density of 225.8 per square mile (87.2/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.63% White, 0.50% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.14% from other races, and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.11% of the population.

There were 3,731 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.0% were non-families. 16.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.37.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.3% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $102,818, and the median income for a family was $114,680. Males had a median income of $46,942 versus $33,396 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,249. About 4.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

  • Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest
  • Pheasant Lane Mall (parts of parking lot in Tyngsborough, mall entirely within Nashua, New Hampshire - the J.C. Penney building was once slightly within the Tyngsborough boundary, until it was re-bricked for sales tax reasons and is now inches from the state line)
  • Old Town Hall
  • Vesper Country Club

Notable people

  • Raymond Boucher, attorney
  • Laura Gerraughty, American shot putter
  • Seán Sammon, priest
  • Esther Wilkins, dentist and author of Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist

See also

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