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Raynham, Massachusetts

Raynham, Massachusetts
Town
Raynham Town Hall
Raynham Town Hall
Official seal of Raynham, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 41°56′55″N 71°04′25″W / 41.94861°N 71.07361°W / 41.94861; -71.07361Coordinates: 41°56′55″N 71°04′25″W / 41.94861°N 71.07361°W / 41.94861; -71.07361
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Bristol
Settled 1652
Incorporated 1731
Government
 • Type Open town meeting
Area
 • Total 20.9 sq mi (54.0 km2)
 • Land 20.5 sq mi (53.1 km2)
 • Water 0.4 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation 81 ft (25 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 13,383
 • Density 640/sq mi (250/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02767
Area code(s) 508 / 774
FIPS code 25-56060
GNIS feature ID 0618285
Website www.town.raynham.ma.us

Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 32 miles (51 km) south of Boston and 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 13,383 at the 2010 census. It has one village, Raynham Center.

The area that is now Raynham was settled in 1639 as a part of Taunton, and was founded by Elizabeth Pole, the first woman to found a town in America. In 1652, bog iron was found along the Two Mile (Forge) River. Soon after, the Taunton Iron Works was established by residents James and Henry Leonard. It was the first successful iron works established in what was then Plymouth Colony, and operated from 1656 to 1876. It was not the "First Iron Works in America", as proclaimed on the Town's official seal, having been predated by the Saugus and Braintree iron works. The success of the Taunton Iron Works, however, led to the establishment of other iron works throughout the colonies.

Raynham played a key part in King Philip's War. The Leonards had forged a friendship before the war began with King Philip, who lived in the area. It is said that Philip agreed to spare the town from the mass destruction if the Leonards repaired his troops' weapons in their iron forge.

The eastern end of Taunton was separated from that town and incorporated as Raynham on April 2, 1731, named after the English village of Raynham in the county of Norfolk, England. Many ships' hulls were built along the Taunton River in Raynham, which were sailed down the river towards Fall River and Narragansett Bay for final fittings. The town also had other small manufacturing industries, but for the most part it was known for its rural and agrarian base.


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