Norfolk is a suburban town on the periphery of metropolitan Boston, located on an upper valley of the Charles River. The land was originally part of Dedham, which was incorporated in 1636. There were a half dozen small farms in the area after 1669, the result of a determined effort to populate the colonial frontier, despite the remoteness of the area. Wrentham separated from Dedham in 1673; what is now Norfolk was in the northern part of Wrentham. The farms were abandoned during King Philip's War in 1675–76, but repopulated later that century.[2]
As further settlement occurred in the late 17th and 18th centuries, agriculture and cattle grazing were joined by lumbering and planting of orchards. Small villages formed around sawmills and gristmills including City Mills (1680), Mann Pond/Highland Lake (after 1691), and Pondville (after 1730). The village center of North Wrentham formed in the late 18th century. After 1812, three cotton manufacturing companies were established at Stony Brook, and later in the 19th century George Campbell's paper mill was opened at Highland Lake making heavy wrapping and building papers. The Norfolk County Railroad opened in 1849, with North Wrentham station near the village center. North Wrentham separated from Wrentham in 1870 and was incorporated as Norfolk.[2]
The town saw a rapid increase in population after 1925 when a hospital and a state prison were built in Norfolk on the Walpole line. Major residential development took place before 1940 in the Pondville and Clark Streets section of town with scattered new housing along Seekonk and Main Streets, and suburban residential building has continued since.[2] In 2014, Norfolk was the filming location for Ted 2, a comedy film starring Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane.[3]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.2 square miles (39 km2), of which 14.8 square miles (38 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2) (2.30%) is water.
As of the 2000 census,[12] there were 10,460 people, 2,818 households, and 2,412 families residing in Norfolk. The population density was 705.1 inhabitants per square mile (272.2/km2). There were 2,861 housing units at an average density of 192.9 per square mile (74.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 88.97% White, 4.90% African American, 0.31% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.43% from other races, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population.
There were 2,818 households, out of which 50.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.1% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.4% were non-families. 10.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.36.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 5.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 142.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 157.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $86,153, and the median income for a family was $92,001. Males had a median income of $60,926 versus $40,825 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,454. About 0.8% of families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty threshold, including 0.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local
Norfolk has a board of selectmen style government.[13] The town is governed by three selectmen, each elected for three year staggered terms. The current members are Anita Mecklenburg, Kevin Kalkut, and Jim Lehan.[14] The town also elects a town clerk, assessors, constables, library trustees, planning board, recreation commission, board of health, housing authority, and school committee members. In total there exist 21 boards and committees in town.[15]
As of 2022, there are three public schools located within the town: the H. Olive Day Elementary School (grades Pre-K–2), the Freeman-Kennedy Elementary School (grades 3–6), and King Philip Regional Middle School (grades 7–8).
The Norfolk Airpark (FAA airport code 32M) had one 2,700-foot (820 m) north–south runway and is about 2 miles (3 km) west of the town center. In recent years, however, the airpark has been closed down and is currently in a state of disrepair. A seven house cul-de-sac known as Tailwind Cir now exists where the hangars used to stand while the remaining airport property is now conservation land known as Leland Wild.
The Norfolk Police Department is a fairly small department located on Sharon Avenue in the south of town near the Norfolk–Wrentham town line. It is staffed by a total of 17 police officers, including the chief of police. The town's fire department and emergency medical services, located in the center of town on Main Street, was staffed full-time with 24h/7d coverage for the first time in April 2001, and since 2004 provides Advanced Life Support services. The Fire Department is staffed by 13 career firefighters, which includes the fire chief. The police and fire communications department (also known as dispatch) is operated by a total of four full-time dispatchers and six part-time dispatchers. All of these emergency services are located in the police station complex on Sharon Avenue.
At a special town meeting in December 2015, a small turnout of Norfolk voters approved a plan to construct a new police and public safety building on Sharon Street in the south part of town. The police department will be moved to this facility, with the fire department occupying the space vacated by the police. A regional communications center within the Public Safety Building will support the dispatch requirements of Norfolk and three surrounding towns: Wrentham, Plainville, and Franklin.[19]
^"1950 Census of Population"(PDF). 1: Number of Inhabitants. Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. Archived(PDF) from the original on June 9, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^"1920 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1890 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
^"1870 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. Archived(PDF) from the original on January 26, 2005. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
United States
Massachusetts
Norfolk
