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Information and Historical
Data on Cities, Towns and
Counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
+ There are twelve communities in Massachusetts which
have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government, though they
wish to be known as "the town of". They are: Agawam, Amesbury,
Barnstable, Braintree, Easthampton, Franklin, Greenfield, Methuen, Southbridge,
Watertown, West Springfield and Weymouth.
Oldest, Newest, Largest and Smallest Communities:
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Geographic center of Massachusetts is the Town of Rutland in Worcester County.
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Oldest town: Plymouth incorporated 1620
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Oldest city: Boston incorporated 1820
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Newest town: East Brookfield incorporated 1920
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Newest city: Braintree incorporated 2007
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Smallest by population: Town of Gosnold, 86 / City of North Adams, 14,681
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Smallest by square miles: Town of Nahant, 1.04 / City of Chelsea, 1.86
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Largest by population: Town of Framingham, 66,910 / City of Boston, 589,141
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Largest by square miles: Town of Plymouth, 97.57 / City of Taunton, 47.29
How did Brookline and Cohasset become "islands" of
Norfolk County?
When looking at the county boundaries, you may notice that the towns of
Brookline and Cohasset lie outside and are not contiguous to the rest of
their county. The second Norfolk County was organized in 1793 from
parts of southern Suffolk County and the towns of Brookline+, Cohasset,
Hingham and Hull as well as the approximate area of towns that now
comprise Norfolk County. In 1803 the towns of Hingham and Hull opted out
of Norfolk and became part of Plymouth County, thus cutting off Cohasset.
+ In 1795, Brookline petitioned the Supreme Judicial Court to
"change its allegiance" back to Suffolk County, the court
however, ignored the petition.
An historical note on county government in New England
Generally speaking, New England states do not have as active a county
government system as compared to the rest of the nation. In Massachusetts
for example, state roads (usually numbered routes) are cared for by the
state highway department (MassHighway), while individual communities care
for non-state roads within their borders. This can cause some
confusion for folks who move here from other parts of the nation as the
opposite appears true in their former home state.
Anomalies of note: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
There are many neighborhood or area names that may cross local borders
of one kind or another but, Chestnut Hill goes a little further than most.
It is comprised of parts of the City of Boston, the City of Newton, and
the Town of Brookline, as well as being comprise of the counties Suffolk,
Middlesex, and Norfolk.
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