West Newbury, Massachusetts
| West Newbury, Massachusetts | ||
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| Town | ||
West Newbury Old Town Hall, 2009
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 Location in Essex County and the state of Massachusetts. |
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 West Newbury, Massachusetts
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| Coordinates: 42°48′05″N 70°59′25″W / 42.80139°N 70.99028°WCoordinates: 42°48′05″N 70°59′25″W / 42.80139°N 70.99028°W | ||
| Country | United States | |
| State | Massachusetts | |
| County | Essex | |
| Settled | 1635 | |
| Incorporated | 1817 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Open town meeting | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 14.7 sq mi (38.1 km2) | |
| • Land | 13.4 sq mi (34.8 km2) | |
| • Water | 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2) | |
| Elevation | 92 ft (28 m) | |
| Population (2010) | ||
| • Total | 4,235 | |
| • Density | 290/sq mi (110/km2) | |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
| ZIP code | 01985 | |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 | |
| FIPS code | 25-77150 | |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618313 | |
| Website | Town of West Newbury, Massachusetts, Official Web Site | |
West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,235 at the 2010 census.
West Newbury was first settled in 1635 as part of neighboring Newbury. On February 18, 1819, the General Court of Massachusetts passed an act "to incorporate the town of Parsons." The initial proposals had been made in the late 18th century, but determined resistance from the town of Newbury, which had already lost Newburyport, blocked the measure for decades. On June 14, 1820, the legislature passed another act to change the name to West Newbury.
Over the last forty or so years, West Newbury has evolved from a rural farming town into an affluent community. West Newbury's status as an affluent community can be attributed to its location in Essex County. In 2006, Essex County received the dubious honor of being named number one on Forbes magazine's list of most overpriced places to live in the U.S. The magazine cited high living costs and expensive real estate as the major reasons Essex County was picked over cities with higher mean real estate values.
The town's oldest continually-operating farm is Long Hill Orchard. The farm has been active since 1896, and has a long and intriguing history. Today, in addition to the apple orchard, the farm is home to a popular Community Supported Agriculture program and farm to table dining events.
West Newbury is a part of Massachusetts' North Shore, as well as the Merrimack Valley regions of the state. It lies along the south banks of the Merrimack River, 10 miles (16 km) upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. The town is located approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Lawrence and 34 miles (55 km) north of Boston. It is bordered by Merrimac and Amesbury to the north, Newburyport to the east, Newbury to the southeast, Groveland to the southwest, and Haverhill to the west. The Rocks Bridge across the Merrimack River is the only access to the northern banks of the river in town; there is no direct route into Merrimac and Amesbury.
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