Oxford, Massachusetts

Oxford, Massachusetts
Town
Oxford Town Hall
Seal
Location in Worcester County and the state of Massachusetts.
Coordinates: 42°07′00″N 71°51′55″W / 42.11667°N 71.86528°W / 42.11667; -71.86528Coordinates: 42°07′00″N 71°51′55″W / 42.11667°N 71.86528°W / 42.11667; -71.86528
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Worcester
Settled	1687
Incorporated	1713
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
• Town    Manager	Brian Palaia
Area
• Total	27.5 sq mi (71.3 km2)
• Land	26.6 sq mi (69.0 km2)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.3 km2)
Elevation	508 ft (155 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	13,709
• Density	500/sq mi (190/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01537, 01540
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-51825
GNIS feature ID	0618379
Website	http://www.town.oxford.ma.us/

Oxford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,709 at the 2010 census.

For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Oxford, please see the article Oxford (CDP), Massachusetts.

History

Oxford was first settled in 1686 and was officially incorporated in 1713. It was the birthplace of Clara Barton, the first president and founder of the American Red Cross. Oxford was originally settled by Huguenots in two waves, the original settlement having been abandoned after four residents (John Johnson and his three children, Peter, Andrew and Mary) were killed in a violent confrontation with local Native Americans. This event, the Johnson Massacre, is commemorated near the south end of town on Main Street. The remains of the Huguenot Fort (built in 1686) still exist off Huguenot Road.^[1]

The first town clerk of Oxford was John Town, who also served as selectman and as a church deacon.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.5 square miles (71 km²), of which 26.6 square miles (69 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 3.20%, is water. The town sits in a valley, and much of its area lies in the flood plain of the French River, which runs through the town. A substantial parcel north and west of Oxford Center is held, for flood control purposes, by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The land, known as Greenbriar, also serves as a nature preserve.

It also serves to cut off east-west travel on former roads through the site. Route 20 runs east-west through North Oxford; running north-south Route 12, locally called Main Street; less than a mile of Route 56, connecting North Oxford with points north; and Interstate 395, linking Oxford to Worcester and eastern Connecticut with three local exits: Depot Road in North Oxford; Sutton Avenue, the main east-west street in Oxford Center; and Cudworth Road, on the Webster town line.

The town used to include much of what is now Webster, on its southern border, but Oxford and neighboring Dudley both gave portions of their land to allow the creation of that town. Other towns bordering Oxford are Charlton on the west, Leicester and Auburn on the north, Millbury and Sutton on the east, and Douglas on the southeast.

Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 13,352 people, 5,058 households, and 3,596 families residing in the town. The population density was 501.5 inhabitants per square mile (193.6/km²). There were 5,228 housing units at an average density of 196.4 per square mile (75.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.62% White, 0.87% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. 1.97% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,058 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,233, and the median income for a family was $58,973. Males had a median income of $41,727 versus $30,828 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,828. 7.8% of the population and 5.5% of families were below the poverty line. 12.5% of those under the age of 18 and 7.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Local government

Library

The Oxford public library was established in 1869.^[3][4] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Oxford spent 1.5% ($468,609) of its budget on its public library—some $34 per person.^[5]

Education

Oxford has a public school system with two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.

Elementary schools include Clara Barton School, which serves Pre-School, 3rd and 4th grade and Alfred M. Chaffee School which has K,1st & 2nd. All public school students in Oxford attend Oxford Middle School for grades 5-8. Oxford High School serves grades 9-12.

Oxford High has a number of sports throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons. Some of these sports include, field hockey, cross country, football, soccer, indoor track,basketball, cheerleading, outdoor track, baseball, softball, and golf.

Points of interest

• Bartlett's Bridge
• Barton Center for Diabetes Education, site of the Clara Barton Camp for Diabetic Children and the Clara Barton National Historic Site
• Hodges Village Dam
• Hudson House
• Huguenot Fort
• Oxford High School
• Oxford Public Library
• North Oxford Mills

Notable people

• Clara Barton, American teacher, nurse, humanitarian best remembered for organizing the American Red Cross during the Civil War^[6]
• Dr. Alexander Campbell (1732-1782) member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress (1774-1776, Member of the Committee of Correspondence,Member of the Worcester County Convention,1776 Chairman of the Oxford Town Committee for forming the Massachusetts State Constitution
• Rev. John Russell Campbell (1681-1761)
• Nelson H. Davis, brigadier general during the American Civil War
• Aaron Steven Haddad, American professional wrestler and actor, known by his ring names Damien Sandow (WWE) and Aaron Stevens (independent circuit)
• Tom Herrion, former head basketball coach at the College of Charleston, assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, currently head coach at Marshall University
• Elliott P. Joslin, doctor, pioneer in diabetes research
• Ebenezer Learned, general in the American Revolution
• Matthew Sands, educator

See also

• Oxford, Maine
• Oxford, England

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oxford, Massachusetts.

• Town of Oxford official website

Municipalities and communities of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
County seat: Worcester
Cities	Fitchburg Gardner Leominster Southbridge Worcester
Towns	Ashburnham Athol Auburn Barre Berlin Blackstone Bolton Boylston Brookfield Charlton Clinton Douglas Dudley East Brookfield Grafton Hardwick Harvard Holden Hopedale Hubbardston Lancaster Leicester Lunenburg Mendon Milford Millbury Millville New Braintree North Brookfield Northborough Northbridge Oakham Oxford Paxton Petersham Phillipston Princeton Royalston Rutland Shrewsbury Southborough Spencer Sterling Sturbridge Sutton Templeton Upton Uxbridge Warren Webster West Boylston West Brookfield Westborough Westminster Winchendon
CDPs	Athol Baldwinville Barre Clinton Cordaville Devens East Brookfield East Douglas Fiskdale Hopedale Lunenburg Milford North Brookfield Northborough Oxford Rutland South Ashburnham South Lancaster Spencer Sturbridge Upton-West Upton Warren Webster West Brookfield Westborough Whitinsville Winchendon
Other villages	Gilbertville Ironstone Linwood North Uxbridge Old Furnace Still River Union Chapel Wheelockville Wheelwright
Ghost town	Dana