Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,324 at the 2000 census.

History

Marshfield was first settled in 1632 by Edward Winslow and was officially incorporated in 1640. It is the home of one of the oldest continuous churches in America, The First Congregational Church. During the American Revolution, British troops were quartered in the town. Early industry in town included farming, fishing and salt marsh haying. An early nail factory, founded by Jesse Reed, was one of the first to manufacture nails by machine. Shipbuilding grew in the town, and over 1,000 ships were built along the North River in town during the nineteenth century. The town is also the site of Brant Rock, where Reginald Fessenden built the antenna from which he sent his first transatlantic voice radio broadcast in 1907.

The Marshfield Fair, held every August on grounds that once hosted a militia training green and livestock shows organized by town resident and statesman Daniel Webster, it is the United States' longest running agricultural fair. Webster was one of the earliest celebrities to live in town, a tradition that remains today, as such notable residents include Steve Carell, Jeff Corwin, and three members of the rock band Aerosmith.

Geography

Marshfield is named for the many salt marshes which dot the landscape in the town. There are three rivers, the North (along the northern border of the town), South (which branches at the mouth of the North River and heads south through the town) and the Green Harbor River (which flows just west of Brant Rock and Green Harbor Point at the south of town). The South River divides a peninsula from the rest of the town, where the Humarock and Fourth Cliff neighborhoods of the town of Scituate lie. The neighborhoods can be reached by land by two bridges, or by foot along Rexhame Beach. Marshfield is also the site of several small forests and conservation areas, including the Daniel Webster Wildlife Sanctuary along the Green Harbor River and the North River Wildlife Sanctuary, along Route 3A.

The Town of Marshfield MA has 6 separate zip codes: Marshfield 02050, Brant Rock 02020, Ocean Bluff 02065, North Marshfield 02059, Marshfield Hills 02051, Green Harbor 02041.

This Quaint seaside Town is politically divided by 7 Villages: Marshfield Center, Fieldston, Ocean Bluff, Rexhame, Brant Rock, Green Harbor, The Hills.

Marshfield is a community often referred to as “MarshVegas”. Summer tourism doubles the town population; only full time residents of this Town can vote on public matters.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 24,324 people, 8,905 households, and 6,598 families residing in the town. The population density was 854.8 people per square mile (330.1/km²). There were 9,954 housing units at an average density of 349.8/sq mi (135.1/km²).

There were 8,905 households out of which 37.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $125,508, and the median income for a family was $142,541. Males had a median income of $92,600 versus $72,975 for females. The per capita income for the town was $118,768. About 0.1% of families and 0.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

On the national level, Marshfield is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.

On the state level, Marshfield is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Plymouth district, which also includes much of the town of Scituate. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth. The town is patrolled by the First (Norwell) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

Marshfield is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen. The modern town hall is located at the intersection of Routes 3A and 139, just south of the South River. The town has its own police and fire stations, with firehouses located in Marshfield Hills, Ocean Bluff and near the fairgrounds. The town's Ventress Memorial Library is located a short distance east of the town hall, and is a member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). There is also an independent library, the Clift Rodgers Free Library, in Marshfield Hills. The town has three post offices, in the same neighborhoods as the fire stations.

Education

Marshfield operates its own school system for the town's nearly 4,700 students. There are five elementary schools (Daniel Webster, Eames Way, Gov. Edward Winslow, Martinson and South River) which serve students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade (Eames Way and South River, however, do not have pre-kindergarten classes). The Furnace Brook Middle School serves students from sixth through eighth grade, and Marshfield High School serves grades nine through twelve. Marshfield High's athletic teams are known as the Rams, and their colors are green, white, and black. The Marshfield High School atheltic teams such as the Football, Soccor, Tennis, Lacrosse and Cheerleading teams have been ranked top in the state.

There are no private or vocational schools in the town; the nearest private schools are in neighboring Scituate and Duxbury (as well as a charter school in Norwell). The nearest college is Bridgewater State College in BridgeWater.

Transportation

Route 3, also known as the Pilgrim Highway, skirts the town along the Pembroke town line, and can be accessed in Marshfield via the Route 139 exit. Route 139 loops through the town, with a long portion passing along the beaches of the Ocean Bluff and Fieldston neighborhoods before heading north and east into Pembroke. Route 3A also passes through the town, entering from the south in Duxbury and exiting over the North River into Scituate.

There is daily bus service connecting with the MBTA station in Braintree. The nearest train station is the Greenbush station in Scituate. There is a commuter ferry to Boston available in Hingham. The nearest airport is Logan International Airport in Boston. The area is also servd by T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island. The nearest freight rail service is in Wareham.

The town is home to the Marshfield Municipal Airport, which serves small private and regional aircraft.

Video Games

Marshfield came to national attention when it voted to ban arcade video games in 1983. This ban stands to the present day.

Notable residents

• Edward Winslow 1595-1655, Governor of Plymouth Colony
• Daniel Webster 1782–1852, statesman
• Reginald Fessenden 1866-1932, radio pioneer
• F. Lee Bailey, attorney
• Steve Carrell and his wife Nancy Walls, comedians
• Joey Kramer, Brad Whitford and Steven Tyler of the rock band Aerosmith
• Sean Morey, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver
• Jeff Corwin, naturalist, host of The Jeff Corwin Experience on Animal Planet
• Joe Castiglione, baseball announcer, Boston Red Sox