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Danvers, Massachusetts

Danvers, Massachusetts
Town and CDP
The Peabody Institute Library on Sylvan Street
Official seal of Danvers, Massachusetts
Seal
Nickname(s): Oniontown
Motto: The King Unwilling
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°34′30″N 70°55′50″W / 42.57500°N 70.93056°W / 42.57500; -70.93056Coordinates: 42°34′30″N 70°55′50″W / 42.57500°N 70.93056°W / 42.57500; -70.93056
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Essex
Settled 1636
Incorporated 1757
Government
 • Type Representative town meeting
 • Board of
   Selectmen
Daniel C. Bennett
William H. Clark, Jr.
Diane Langlais
David A. Mills
Gardner S. Trask, III
Area
 • Total 14.1 sq mi (36.5 km2)
 • Land 13.3 sq mi (34.4 km2)
 • Water 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km2)
Elevation 48 ft (15 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 26,493
 • Density 1,898.5/sq mi (733.0/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 01923
Area code(s) 351 / 978
FIPS code 25-16250
GNIS feature ID 0618295
Website Town of Danvers official website

Danvers is a town (and census-designated place) in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. Originally known as Salem Village, the town is most widely known for its association with the 1692 Salem witch trials. It is also known for the Danvers State Hospital (one of the state's 19th-century psychiatric hospitals, which was located here) and for Liberty Tree Mall. As of the 2010 census, the town's population was 26,493.

The area was long settled by indigenous cultures of Native Americans. In the historic period, the Massachusett, a tribe of the Pequot language family, dominated the area.

The land that is now Danvers was once owned by the Naumkeag branch of the Massachusett tribe.

Around 1630, English colonists improved an existing Naumkeag trail as the Old Ipswich Road, creating a connection to the main cities of Salem and Boston. Danvers was permanently settled in 1636 as Salem Village, and eventually petitioned the Crown for a charter as a town. According to legend, the King, rather than signing the charter, returned it with the message "The King Unwilling." On June 9, 1757, the town was incorporated regardless, and the King's rebuff was included on the town's seal. In 1752, the town was named for settler Danvers Osborn.

The historical event for which Danvers is most well-known is the Salem witch trials of 1692. Resident Rebecca Nurse was convicted in a trial for witchcraft. The Rebecca Nurse Homestead is still standing in Danvers, and can be visited as a historical landmark.


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