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Petersham (pronounced "Peter's Ham") is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,180 at the 2000 census. Petersham is home to a considerable amount of conservation land, including the Quabbin Reservation, Harvard Forest and Federated Women's Club State Forest.
History
Petersham was first settled in 1733 and was officially incorporated in 1754. On February 4, 1787, it was the site of the second battle of Shays' Rebellion. The town is noted for its common, part of the Petersham Historic District. About 45 buildings, mostly from the 19th century, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Historic Sites & Museums:
- Fisher Museum, Harvard Forest
- Petersham Historical Society Museum
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 176.9 km² (68.3 mi²). 140.5 km² (54.2 mi²) of it is land and 36.4 km² (14.1 mi²) of it (20.60%) is water. The town is drained by the Swift River.
Petersham now contains the entirety of Dana, and portions of Greenwich and Prescott, Massachusetts, three of the four towns that were disincorporated in 1938 to make way for the Quabbin Reservoir.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,180 people, 438 households, and 299 families residing in the town. The population density was 8.4/km² (21.8/mi²). There were 474 housing units at an average density of 3.4/km² (8.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.20% White, 0.68% African American, 0.76% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 438 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,833, and the median income for a family was $58,125. Males had a median income of $39,265 versus $26,354 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,222. About 2.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.
External links
"Petersham, Massachusetts"