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Berkley, Massachusetts

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Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston and east of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 6,764 according to the 2020 census,<ref name="Census 2020">Template:Cite web</ref> making it the least populated town in the county.

Berkley is a part of the South Coast region of Massachusetts which encompasses the cities and towns that surround Buzzards Bay (excluding the Elizabeth Islands, Bourne and Falmouth), Mount Hope Bay and the Sakonnet River.

History

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File:Berkley Old Town Hall (Massachusetts).jpg
Old Town Hall was built in 1849

The present town of Berkley, then belonging to the neighboring towns of Dighton and Taunton, was first settled in 1638. It was officially incorporated as a separate town in 1735. The town was named for the philosopher and bishop George Berkeley (1685–1753), who lived in Newport, Rhode Island from 1728 to 1731. The change in the spelling to "Berkley" was likely due to the carelessness of the engrossing clerk of the Massachusetts General Court.<ref>History of Bristol County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 1, 1883</ref>

Berkley's old Town Hall, a two-story white clapboard building located on Berkley Common, was built in 1849.<ref name="Gazette20161714">Template:Cite news</ref> When a new Town Hall was built across the street in 2015, the Old Town Hall became home to the Berkley Historical Society.<ref name="Gazette20161714" /> The new 9,778-square-foot Town Hall was built in 2014–2015, at a cost of $3.5 million.<ref name="Gazette20160429">Template:Cite news</ref> The new building contains a senior center, office, kitchen, and high-efficiency LED lighting.<ref name="Gazette20160429" />

Geography

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File:Berkley Massachusetts 1895 map.jpg
1895 map of Berkley

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert is land and Template:Convert, or 5.24%, is water.<ref name="Census 2010">Template:Cite web</ref> The town is bordered by the Taunton River and Dighton to the west, Taunton to the north and northeast, Lakeville to the east, and the Assonet Bay and Freetown to the south. The town is located Template:Convert south of Boston, Template:Convert east of Providence, Rhode Island, and Template:Convert northwest of the Cape Cod Canal.

Near the southwestern corner of the town is Dighton Rock State Park, the home of Dighton Rock, a tidal boulder along the Taunton River that is well known for its strange markings, which have been totally or partly attributed to Norsemen, Wampanoags, or Portuguese explorer Miguel Corte-Real. At the southern tip of Berkley Neck which points into the confluence of the Taunton River and the Assonet River, there is a small island, named "Conspiracy Island", whose name origin remains obscure.

The highest point in Berkley is the summit of Bryant Hill near the southern border of the town, at Template:Convert above sea level.<ref>U.S. Geological Survey Somerset, MA 7.5 by 15-minute quadrangle, 1985.</ref>

The town can be accessed by two state routes, Route 24 and Route 79. Route 24, a four-lane divided freeway, bisects the town, and includes one exit for the town at Padelford Street. Route 79 passes along the town's border with Lakeville, and meets Route 140 just across the town line in Taunton. The Berkley–Dighton Bridge crosses the Taunton River to the Segreganset neighborhood of Dighton. The current bridge was completed in 2015, and is the only bridge to cross the river between the Brightman Street Bridge between Fall River and Somerset, and the Plain Street Bridge in Taunton, a distance of Template:Convert.

Myricks is an association community or populated place (Class Code U6) and a junction of railroad lines in Berkley.

Demographics

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Template:Historical populations As of the census<ref name="GR2">Template:Cite web</ref> of 2000, there were 5,749 people, 1,843 households, and 1,566 families residing in the town. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 1,885 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the town was 96.7% White, 0.6% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 1,843 households, out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.0% were non-families. 10.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,295, and the median income for a family was $69,222. Males had a median income of $45,154 versus $31,639 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,652. About 0.7% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

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File:Berkley Library.jpg
Berkley Public Library

Town government

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Executive Branch: Three-member Board of Selectmen with three-year staggered terms.

Joe Freitas: Chairman

Wendy F. Cochrane: Member

Tabitha McCrohan: Member

Town Administrator: Matthew Chabot

Legislative Branch: Open Town Meeting.

State government

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Representative in General Court

Senator in General Court

Governor's Councillor

  • Joseph C. Ferreira (D-Somerset), 1st District

Federal government

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Representative to the United States House of Representatives

Senators in the United States Senate

Berkley presidential election results<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Year Democratic Republican Third parties Total Votes Margin
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2024 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|38.12% 1,612 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|60.27% 2,549 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.61% 68 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|4,229 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|22.15%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2020 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|42.89% 1,764 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|54.73% 2,251 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.38% 98 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|4,113 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|11.84%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2016 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.63% 1,455 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|53.78% 1,926 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|5.59% 200 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|3,581 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|13.15%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2012 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|47.38% 1,573 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.87% 1,689 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.75% 58 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|3,320 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|3.49%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2008 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|48.80% 1,585 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|47.97% 1,558 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|3.23% 105 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|3,248 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|0.83%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2004 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|52.34% 1,543 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|46.03% 1,357 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.63% 48 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2,948 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|6.31%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2000 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.21% 1,300 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|39.71% 970 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|7.08% 173 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2,443 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|13.51%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1996 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|53.24% 1,223 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|28.56% 656 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|18.20% 418 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|2,297 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|24.68%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1992 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.59% 746 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|25.29% 530 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|39.12% 820 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|2,096 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|3.53%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1988 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|41.82% 662 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.54% 895 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|1.64% 26 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1,583 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|14.72%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1984 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.91% 423 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|63.41% 747 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.68% 8 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1,178 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|27.50%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1980 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.86% 388 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|49.17% 532 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|14.97% 162 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1,082 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|13.31%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1976 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|56.13% 549 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|41.21% 403 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|2.66% 26 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|978 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|14.93%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1972 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|47.23% 375 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.02% 413 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.76% 6 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|794 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|4.79%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1968 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|45.03% 335 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|50.54% 376 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|4.44% 33 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|744 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|5.51%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|1964 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|65.09% 468 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|34.49% 248 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.42% 3 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|719 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|30.60%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1960 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.56% 303 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|58.77% 439 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.67% 5 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|747 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|18.21%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1956 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|31.23% 198 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|68.45% 434 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.32% 2 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|634 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|37.22%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1952 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|35.12% 223 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|64.09% 407 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.79% 5 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|635 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|28.98%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1948 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|46.50% 239 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|52.92% 272 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.58% 3 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|514 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|6.42%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1944 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|40.88% 177 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|58.89% 255 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.23% 1 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|433 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|18.01%
align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|1940 align="center" Template:Party shading/Democratic|43.20% 200 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|56.59% 262 align="center" Template:Party shading/Independent|0.22% 1 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|463 align="center" Template:Party shading/Republican|13.39%

Education

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File:Somerset Berkley Regional High School (new building, 2017).jpg
Somerset Berkley Regional High School
File:Berkley Congregational Church (Massachusetts).jpg
Berkley Congregational Church

High school students may also attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton, or local private and parochial schools; the closest Catholic high school is Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River.

Local attractions

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File:Berkley-Dighton Bridge Heritage Park sign.jpg
Berkley Bridge Village Heritage Park

The Bridge Village Heritage Park at 70 Elm Street is a tiny park at the foot of the Berkley-Dighton Bridge on the Taunton River.<ref name="VisitSEMA">Template:Cite web</ref> It is a spot for fishing, picknicking, and putting in a canoe or kayak.<ref name="VisitSEMA" /> Opened in October 2006, this Template:Convert area is aimed at canoeing and kayaking. Motor boats and boats in tow are prohibited.

Dighton Rock State Park is a park that holds the Dighton Rock, a boulder with petroglyphs of uncertain age and authorship, in a museum on an Template:Convert site on the Taunton River. Trails and a stage for theatre productions highlight the park.

Berkley Congregational Church was established just two years after the town's founding in 1735. Located at 13 South Main Street, the church has offered continuous religious services since its inception.

Notable people

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  • Thomas Andros, minister at Berkley for 46 years
  • C. G. W. French, jurist and politician, was born in Berkley
  • Tony Gaffney, former professional basketball player, lives in Berkley and was born in Berkley.

See also

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References

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Template:Reflist

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Template:Commons category Template:Bristol County, Massachusetts

Template:Authority control