Editing Gardner, Massachusetts

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Gardner, Massachusetts
| official_name            = 
| settlement_type          = [[City]]
| image_skyline            = Gardner, Massachusetts collage.jpg
| imagesize                = 300
| image_caption            = From top, left to right: [[Dunn State Park]]; [[St. Joseph Parish, Gardner|St. Joseph Parish]]; [[Blue Moon Diner]]; the Biggest Chair; Central Street at Heywood Place; First Baptist Church.
| image_flag               = Flag of Gardner, Massachusetts.svg
| image_seal               = Seal of Gardner, Massachusetts.svg
| seal_link                = Gardner, Massachusetts#City seal
| nickname                 = The Chair City
| image_map                = Worcester County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Gardner highlighted.svg
| mapsize                  = 250px
| map_caption              = Location in [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester County]] and [[Massachusetts]].
| pushpin_map              = USA
| pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States
| coordinates              = {{Coord|42|34|30|N|71|59|55|W|region:US-MA_type:city(21,000)|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type         = Country
| subdivision_name         = United States
| subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
| subdivision_name1        = [[Massachusetts]]
| subdivision_name2        = [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester]]
| established_title        = Settled
| established_date         = 1764
| established_title2       = Incorporated (town)
| established_date2        = 1785
| established_title3       = Incorporated (city)
| established_date3        = 1923
| government_type          = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-council city]]
| leader_title             = Mayor
| leader_name              = Michael J. Nicholson<ref>{{cite web|title=Mayor's Office |url=http://www.gardner-ma.gov/Pages/GardnerMA_Mayor/index |publisher=Gardner, Massachusetts |access-date=17 September 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926231854/http://www.gardner-ma.gov/Pages/GardnerMA_Mayor/index |archive-date=26 September 2015 }}</ref>
| leader_title1            = [[City Council]]
| leader_name1             = {{ubl|Elizabeth J. Kazinskas (Council President)|Calvin D. Brooks|Craig R. Cormier|Brad E. Heglin|Judy A. Mack|George C. Tyros|David R. Thibault-Munoz (Ward 1)|Dana M. Heath (Ward 2)|Paul G.Tassone (Ward 3)|Karen G. Hardern (Ward 4)|Aleksander H. Dernalowicz (Ward 5)}}
| unit_pref                = Imperial
| area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_25.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=May 21, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2           = 59.61
| area_total_sq_mi         = 23.02
| area_land_km2            = 57.15
| area_land_sq_mi          = 22.07
| area_water_km2           = 2.45
| area_water_sq_mi         = 0.95
| elevation_m              = 324
| elevation_ft             = 1100
| population_total         = 21287
| population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_density_km2   = 372.46
| population_density_sq_mi = 964.65
| postal_code_type         = ZIP Code
| postal_code              = 01440
| area_code                = [[Area code 978|978]]<br>[[Area code 351|351]]
| website                  = [http://www.gardner-ma.gov/ www.gardner-ma.gov]
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset               = &minus;5
| timezone_DST             = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST           = &minus;4
| blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info               = 25-25485
| blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info              = 0610059
| pop_est_as_of            = 
| pop_est_footnotes        = 
| population_est           = 
| population_footnotes     = 
}}

'''Gardner''' is a city in [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester County]] in the [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts]], United States. The population was 21,287 in the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Gardner city, Massachusetts|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2525485|access-date=September 25, 2021}}</ref> Gardner is home of such sites as the [[Blue Moon Diner]], [[Dunn State Park]], [[Gardner Heritage State Park]], and [[Mount Wachusett Community College]].

==History==
Named in honor of [[Thomas Gardner (politician)|Thomas Gardner]], the land was first settled by [[Europeans]] in 1764 and was  officially incorporated as a town in 1785, after receiving land grants from the surrounding towns of [[Ashburnham, Massachusetts|Ashburnham]], [[Templeton, Massachusetts|Templeton]], [[Westminster, Massachusetts|Westminster]], and [[Winchendon, Massachusetts|Winchendon]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n133 134]}}</ref><ref name="GlazierHistory">{{cite wikisource |wslink=History of Gardner, Massachusetts |title=History of Gardner, Massachusetts: from its earliest settlement to 1860 |publisher=Chas. Hamilton |last=Glazier |first=Lewis |year=1860 |location=Worcester}}</ref>{{rp|2}} In circa 1805, Gardner became a center for [[lumber]] and furniture industries, and is now known as "The Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England", due to its long history of production in that industry.<ref name="museum">{{cite web|url=http://www.gardnermuseuminc.com/collections/chair-furniture|title=Collections: Chair & Furniture|publisher=The Gardner Museum, Inc.|access-date=28 March 2018}}</ref>  By 1910, there were twenty chair factories, which produced four million chairs per year. It was also noted for [[silversmith]]ing. The [[Gardner State Hospital]] pioneered the use of cottage residences.

In 1922, the seal of Gardner was designed by the native-born illustrator [[Harrison Cady]]. According to city code, the seal portrays Thomas Gardner standing in front of Crystal Lake with [[Mount Monadnock]] in the distance. Within five smaller circles there is a chair, representing the importance of the furniture industry to city economy, as well as the letters W, W, A, and T, representing the surrounding towns of Westminster, Winchendon, Ashburnham, and Templeton, which all contributed land to the city at its founding.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XTk8jpRG01UC&pg=PA19 | title=Heywood Hospital | publisher= Arcadia Publishing | last1= Faust | first1=James A. |last2=Kadlik |first2=Gayle | year=2012 | page=19| isbn=9780738576879 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Chapter 252: Seal, City of Gardner Code|url=http://ecode360.com/15385661|website=eCode360 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160908165148/http://www.ecode360.com/15385661 |archive-date= 2016-09-08 |access-date=17 September 2015|date=9 October 2016}}</ref> Gardner was incorporated as a city in 1923.

Gardner is the birthplace of the [[Heywood-Wakefield Company]], dating from 1826 when the five Heywood brothers, Walter, Levi, Seth, Benjamin, and William, began to fashion wooden chairs and furniture in a barn near their family farm. In the early years, Walter fashioned chairs by hand, also using a foot lathe. He was soon joined by Levi and Benjamin on a part-time basis, while running a nearby country store. In 1831, Levi moved to [[Boston]], where he established an outlet store to sell the chairs, while Benjamin and William remained in Gardner to manufacture them. A fire destroyed their chair shop in 1834. A year later, the partnership of B. F. Heywood and Company was formed, composed of Benjamin, Walter, and William, as well as Moses Wood and James Gates. Gardner was also the home of the Conant Ball Company. Nichols and Stone Chair Company traces their origin to 1762 in [[Westminster, Massachusetts]]. The company moved to Gardner at the turn of the twentieth century. As of July 2008, it was announced production would terminate.  The name, intellectual property, and the design rights were purchased by L. and J.G. Stickley of [[Manlius, New York]].<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Stickley Acquires Assets of Nichols & Stone |url=https://www.stickley.com/img/NewsAndEvents/StickleyAcquiresAssetsOfNicholsAndStone.pdf |location=Manlius, NY |agency=L. & J.G. Stickley, Inc. |date=2008-07-07 |access-date=2017-06-16 |archive-date=2016-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407194447/https://stickley.com/img/newsandevents/stickleyacquiresassetsofnicholsandstone.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Gardner is also home to the first practical [[time clock]]. It was invented in 1894 by Edward G. Watkins, while he was an engineer at Heywood-Wakefield when he was asked to make a better time clock to keep track of employees. After recognizing growing nationwide need for a better time clock, Watkins opened Simplex Time Recorder. In 1958, Simplex bought the [[IBM]] Time Recorder Division, which also included the fire protection division. This purchase helped propel Simplex to become a leader in fire alarms and business systems. Simplex would be owned and operated under the Watkins family for over a century with family including son, Curt, from 1942 to 1967, and grandson, Chris, from 1967, until it was sold in 2000, to [[Tyco International]].

In 2009, the Annual Chair Luge began and takes place on the last Saturday in September in downtown Gardner and features teams of two racing down the streets in homemade chairs on wheels. The city is also home of the largest [[American Cancer Society]] [[Relay For Life]] event in [[New England]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], Gardner has a total area of {{convert|23.0|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|22.2|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.8|sqmi}}, or 3.52%, is water. The city is situated on Crystal Lake. Its highest point is the summit of Reservoir Hill, close to the city center, with an elevation of over {{convert|1280|ft}} above sea level.<ref>U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 × 15 minute topographic map series, Gardner quadrangle</ref>

Gardner is bordered by Winchendon and Ashburnham to the north, Westminster to the east, Hubbardston to the south, and Templeton to the west, all in Massachusetts.

<gallery widths="200px" heights="160px">
File:Gardner Center.jpg|Downtown Gardner, 2005
File:West Gardner Square Historic District.jpg|View of the West Gardner Square Historic District in 2021.
</gallery>

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|type= USA
|align= left
|state= expanded
|1790|531
|1800|667
|1810|815
|1820|911
|1830|1023
|1840|1260
|1850|1533
|1860|2646
|1870|3333
|1880|4988
|1890|3424
|1900|10813
|1910|14699
|1920|16971
|1930|19399
|1940|20206
|1950|19581
|1960|19038
|1970|19748
|1980|17900
|1990|20125
|2000|20770
|2010|20228
|2020|21287
|2022|20902
|source={{center|U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=November 25, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>}}
}}

As of the [[United States Census]] of 2000, there were 20,770 people, 8,282 households, and 5,085 families residing in Gardner. The [[population density]] was 931.0 people per square mile in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Population Density |url=https://www.opendatanetwork.com/entity/1600000US2525485/Gardner_MA/geographic.population.density?year=2018 |website=Open Data Network |access-date=19 June 2022 |quote=The last measured population density for Gardner, MA was 931 in 2018. Gardner, MA experienced an average growth rate of -0.24% from the first statistic recorded in 2009. If past trends continue, Open Data forecast the population density to be 919 by 2023.  Population Density is computed by dividing the total population by Land Area Per Square Mile. Based on data from the U.S. Census American Community Survey, ODN Dataset, API}}</ref><ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> There were 8,838 housing units at an average density of {{convert|398.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 93.13% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.29% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.34% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.37% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.22% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.58% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.08% of the population, while 19.6% were of [[French Canadian]], 17.6% French, 12.7% Irish, 6.7% English, 6.3% [[Polish people|Polish]] and 6.2% [[Italians|Italian]] ancestry.

There were 8,282 households, out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. Of all households, 32.4% were made up of individuals, and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $37,334, and the median income for a family was $47,164. Males had a median income of $35,804 versus $26,913 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,624. About 7.0% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Throughout its history, Gardner has been known for its furniture industry, earning its nickname as "The Chair City". While the location has undergone deindustrialization in recent decades, a handful of manufacturers remain in Gardner and its neighboring towns, including Standard Chair of Gardner and the Saloom Furniture Company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collegechair.com/|access-date=December 27, 2018|title=College Chairs|publisher=Standard Chair of Gardner}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 2018 Living Collection|access-date=December 27, 2018|publisher=Saloom Furniture Company|url=https://www.saloom.com/}}</ref> The city is also home to a multinational paper and packaging manufacturer, [[Seaman Paper]].
{{Clear|left}}

== Government ==
{{Worcester County politicians
| county = Worcester
| align = left
| wraparound = yes
| state_rep =  [[Jonathan Zlotnik]] (D)
| state_sen = [[Peter Durant]] (R)
| gov_councilors = Paul DePalo (D)
| fed_rep = [[Lori Trahan]] (D-[[United States House of Representatives, Massachusetts District 3|3rd District]]),
| fed_sen = 
}}
{{Clear|left}}

==Education==
There is one [[elementary school]] in Gardner, Gardner Elementary School it serves grades K–4. Gardner Middle School serves grades 5–7. [[Gardner High School]] is the city's [[high school]] and serves grades 8–12. There is also Gardner Academy (alternative school)

The Gardner Public Library opened in 1885.<ref>C.B. Tillinghast. The free public libraries of Massachusetts. 1st Report of the Free Public Library Commission of Massachusetts. Boston: Wright & Potter, 1891. [https://books.google.com/books?id=LusKAAAAYAAJ Google books]</ref><ref>[http://www.gardner-ma.gov/Pages/GardnerMA_Library/index Levi Heywood Memorial Library] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501130500/http://www.gardner-ma.gov/Pages/GardnerMA_Library/index |date=2011-05-01 }} Retrieved 2010-11-10</ref> The original building is now a museum of the city's history. In 2008, Gardner spent 1.84% ($734,164) of its budget on the public library.<ref>July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008; cf. The FY2008 Municipal Pie: What's Your Share? Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Board of Library Commissioners. Boston: 2009. Available: [http://mblc.state.ma.us/advisory/statistics/public/repmunicpie/index.php Municipal Pie Reports] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123010127/http://mblc.state.ma.us/advisory/statistics/public/repmunicpie/index.php |date=2012-01-23 }}. Retrieved 2010-08-04</ref>

==Transportation==
Public transportation for Gardner is largely supplied by the [[Montachusett Regional Transit Authority]] (MART). It operates local fixed-route bus services, shuttle services, as well as para-transit services within the [[Montachusett Region]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mrta.us |title=Montachusett Regional Transit Authority |access-date=4 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011044850/http://www.mrta.us/ |archive-date=11 October 2012 }}</ref>

Beginning in 1871, the [[Boston, Barre and Gardner Railroad]] provided rail service to the town. [[Gardner (MBTA station)|Gardner Station]] was the terminus of the [[Fitchburg Line]] for the [[MBTA]] from 1980 to 1986, but was cut back to Fitchburg at the beginning of 1987.<ref name="netransit">{{cite web |url=http://www.transithistory.org/roster/MBTARouteHistory.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425092000/http://www.transithistory.org/roster/MBTARouteHistory.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-25 |url-status=live|title=Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district |last=Belcher |first=Jonathan |date=31 August 2012 |publisher=NETransit |access-date=4 October 2012}}</ref> MART began weekday van service from Gardner to the new [[Wachusett (MBTA station)|Wachusett terminus]] of the Fitchburg line in 2016.<ref name="washusettshuttle">{{cite web |url=http://www.mrta.us/routes-schedules/wachusett-shuttles|title=Wachusett Shuttles Montachusett Regional Transit Authority|publisher=Montachusett Regional Transit Authority |access-date=2 Apr 2017}}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* [[Larry Alexander (politician)|Larry Alexander]], [[politician]]
* [[Samantha Arsenault]], [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] swimmer
* [[Red Blanchard (radio personality)|Red Blanchard]], [[radio]] personality
* [[Harrison Cady]], [[illustrator]]
* [[Thomas J. Campbell (American football)|Thomas J. Campbell]], [[American football|football]] player
* [[Jacques Cesaire]], football player
* [[Karl Dean]], politician
* [[Oliver Drake (baseball)|Oliver Drake]], [[baseball]] player
* [[Walt Dubzinski]], football player
* [[Alan D. Eames]], [[writer]]
* [[Mark Gearan]], [[lawyer]]
* [[Dawn George]], [[Boxer (boxing)|boxer]]
* [[Levi H. Greenwood]], politician
* [[Matt Griffin]], [[college football]] coach
* [[Shawn Halloran]], football player
* [[Edward Hill (painter)|Edward Hill]], [[painter]]
* [[Vincent Ialenti]], anthropologist
* [[Justus K. Jillson]], [[educator]]
* [[Abner Kneeland]], [[Christian theology|theologian]]
* [[Nicholas LaRoche]], [[figure skater]]
* [[Omer Léger]], politician
* [[Hadassah Lieberman]], wife of [[Joe Lieberman]]
* [[Increase Sumner Lincoln]], [[Minister (Christianity)|minister]]
* [[Ollie Manninen]], [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] long-distance runner
* [[Bob Menne]], [[golf]]er
* [[Christine Mitchell]], [[filmmaker]]
* [[Frank Morze]], football player
* [[Mark Pieloch]], [[business]] executive
* [[Barbara Richardson]], wife of [[Bill Richardson]]
* [[Peter Roberts (inventor)|Peter Roberts]], [[inventor]]
* [[Lucy Stone]], [[abolitionist]]
* [[Asa Stratton]], baseball player
* [[George Clinton Sweeney]], [[judge]]
* [[Richard Taylor (cross-country skier)|Richard Taylor]], [[Cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skier]]
* [[Charles H. Thomas (sports executive)|Charles H. Thomas]], baseball executive
* [[Robert D. Wetmore]], politician
* [[Oshea Wilder]], [[American pioneer|pioneer]]
* [[William Wilder]], politician
* [[Jesse P. Wolcott]], politician
* [[Jonathan Zlotnik]], politician
}}

==In popular culture==
* Gardner was a filming location for the 1992 movie ''[[School Ties]]''.
* Gardner was a filming location for the [[Castle Rock (TV series)|''Castle Rock'']], a television series based on a book by [[Stephen King]].
* Gardner was the filming location for an episode in the sixth season of ''[[A Haunting]]'' in 2008.
* Gardner was the filming location for the show ''[[Dexter: New Blood (TV series)|Dexter: New Blood]]'' in 2021.

==See also==
* [[List of mill towns in Massachusetts]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite wikisource |last=Glazier |first=Lewis |year=1860 |wslink=History of Gardner, Massachusetts |title=History of Gardner, Massachusetts: From Its Earliest Settlement to 1860 |location=Worcester, Mass. |publisher=Chas. Hamilton |lccn=01011393}}
* {{Cite book |last=Herrick |first=William D. |date=1878 |title=History of the Town of Gardner, Worcester County, Mass., from the Incorporation, June 27, 1785, to the Present Time |url=https://archive.org/details/historyoftownofg1878herr |location=Gardner, Mass. |publisher=Published by the Committee |lccn=01011394 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Esther G. |date=1967 |title=History of Gardner, Massachusetts, 1785–1967 |location=Gardner, Mass. |publisher=Printed by Hatton Print. |lccn=67066416 }}
* Rouland, Steve (1994). ''Heywood-Wakefield Modern Furniture''.

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikisourcecat|Gardner, Massachusetts}}
* [https://www.gardner-ma.gov/ Gardner official website]
* [https://www.gardnermagazine.com/ ''Gardner'' Magazine]
* [https://www.thegardnernews.com/ ''The Gardner News'']
* [https://www.wgaw1340.com/ WGAW Radio Station]
* [http://www.gardnerk12.org/ Gardner Public Schools]
* [http://www.gardnerma.com/ Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.gardnersquaretwo.com/ Greater Square Two Downtown Association]

{{Worcester County, Massachusetts}}
{{Greater Boston}}
{{Massachusetts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Gardner, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:1764 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay]]
[[Category:Cities in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Cities in Worcester County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1764]]