Danvers, Massachusetts | ||
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Town and CDP | ||
The Peabody Institute Library on Sylvan Street
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Nickname(s): Oniontown | ||
Motto: The King Unwilling | ||
Location in Essex County in Massachusetts |
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Coordinates: 42°34′30″N 70°55′50″W / 42.57500°N 70.93056°WCoordinates: 42°34′30″N 70°55′50″W / 42.57500°N 70.93056°W | ||
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 |
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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.