View source for Boxford, Massachusetts

{{About|the town|the census-designated place|Boxford (CDP), Massachusetts}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Town of Boxford
| name               = Boxford, Massachusetts
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
| image_skyline      = Holyoke French House.JPG
| imagesize          = 300px
| image_caption      = The [[Holyoke-French House]] ({{circa|1760}}) in East Boxford Village
| image_seal         = Seal of Boxford, Massachusetts.png
| image_flag         = Flag of Boxford, MA.png
| image_blank_emblem = Logo of Boxford, Massachusetts.png
| blank_emblem_size  = 

| blank_emblem_type  = Wordmark
| image_map          = Essex County Massachusetts incorporated and unincorporated areas Boxford highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex County]] and the state of [[Massachusetts]].
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Massachusetts]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Massachusetts|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Essex County, Massachusetts|Essex]]
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1645
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = 1685
| government_type    = [[Open town meeting]]
| leader_title       = [[Town Administrator|Town<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Administrator]]
| leader_name        = Matthew Coogan
| leader_title1      = <!--Select <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Board-->
| leader_name1       = * Barbara Jessel (chair)
* Margaret Chow-Menzer (clerk)
* Charles Costello
* Peter Perkins
* Judith Stickney
| area_total_km2     = 63.2
| area_land_km2      = 61.0
| area_water_km2     = 2.2
| population_as_of   = 2020
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| population_total   = 8203
| population_density_km2 = auto
| elevation_m        = 29
| elevation_ft       = 95
| timezone           = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|39|40|N|70|59|50|W|region:US-MA|display=inline,title}}
| website            = {{URL|1=www.town.boxford.ma.us|2=Town of Boxford Official Web Site}}
| postal_code_type   = ZIP code
| postal_code        = 01921
| area_code          = [[Area code 351|351]] / [[Area code 978|978]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 25-07420
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0618294
| footnotes          = The town of Boxford has no stoplights, no street lights and only has four stores in the whole town.  Wayne's Convenience store, Benson's Homemade Ice Cream, West Village Provisions, and Boxford House of Pizza.
}}
'''Boxford''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Essex County, Massachusetts]], United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town's population was 8,203 in [[2020 United States census|2020]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2500907420|title=Census - Geography Profile: Boxford town, Essex County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=November 7, 2021}}</ref>

The original town center of Boxford, along with East Boxford and other areas in the eastern part of the town, comprise the [[census-designated place]] of [[Boxford (CDP), Massachusetts|Boxford]].

==History==

[[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] inhabited northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to [[European colonization of the Americas]]. At the time of contact, the area that would become Boxford was controlled by [[Agawam people|Agawam]] [[sachem]] [[Chief Masconomet|Masconomet]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Perley|first=Sidney|url=http://archive.org/details/indianlandtitles00perl|title=The Indian land titles of Essex County, Massachusetts|date=1912|publisher=Salem, Mass. : Essex Book and Print Club|others=The Library of Congress}}</ref> but the Agawam would experience severe population loss from [[virgin soil epidemic]]s, especially in 1617–1619, killing an estimated 50–75% of the indigenous population in the region.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Massachusetts Historical Commission|date=1985|title=MHC Reconnaissance Survey Town Report: Boxford|url=https://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcpdf/townreports/Essex/box.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329080524/http://www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc/mhcpdf/townreports/Essex/box.pdf|archive-date=2013-03-29|access-date=2021-11-16}}</ref> Although Boxford was settled by Europeans in 1646, it was not until 1700 that the selectmen of Boxford would pay Masconomet's grandson Samuel English nine pounds for the rights to the town land.<ref name=":0"/>

Europeans first settled in Boxford in 1646 as a part of Rowley Village by Abraham Redington. When Boxford was officially incorporated in 1685, about forty families resided there. Farming was the primary occupation of the early settlers, although townspeople also counted craftsmen among their ranks. The original structure of Boxford's First Church was constructed in 1701 in East Boxford Village. As the population of West Boxford expanded, the legislature designated this section of town as precinct 2 in 1735. Town meetings then alternated between East and West parishes. The first West Boxford church building was erected in 1774. The town's largest industry—a match factory located on Lawrence Road—opened its doors just after the end of the American Civil War, and operated from 1866 to 1905.

As part of the American Bicentennial celebrations which took place during the mid-1970s, residents of Boxford, Massachusetts, visited two villages named [[Boxford (disambiguation)|Boxford]] in England in 1975. The aim of their trip was to search for the source of their town's name, ultimately deciding that the village of [[Boxford, Suffolk|Boxford]] in the [[Babergh District|Babergh]] district of [[Suffolk]], England, was likely the original source. Villagers from Boxford, Suffolk, were then invited to Boxford, Massachusetts, the following summer for two-week homestays with local host families. This second transatlantic exchange, which began in late July 1976, generated media attention from both [[Evening Standard]] and the [[Nationwide (TV programme)|BBC's Nationwide program]] Sally's Dumptruck.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|63.2|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|61.0|sqkm|disp=flip}} is land and {{convert|2.2|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 3.46%, is water.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Boxford town, Essex County, Massachusetts |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=August 31, 2012 }}</ref>

Boxford is divided into Boxford Village (commonly called East Boxford) and West Boxford Village, corresponding to the respective East and West Boxford centers.  It is heavily forested and criss-crossed by various streams and brooks, many of which empty into the [[Ipswich River]] on Boxford's southern border. A number of ponds dot town as well, among them Stiles Pond, Cedar Pond, Spofford Pond, Lowe Pond, Four Mile Pond and Baldpate Pond. Throughout Boxford there are also a number of scenic hiking trails.  The highest natural point in Boxford is Bald Hill, at an elevation of {{convert|243|ft}}. It sits in a corner of the Boxford State Forest, near [[Interstate 95]] and the town's border with Middleton.

Small farms are interspersed throughout Boxford. Stone walls, remnants of old farming land boundaries, meander through the area. One major farm located in Boxford is Small Oxx farm, a branch of the main farm, Smolak's, located in North Andover.

Boxford is located near the geographic center of Essex County, with Boxford Center about {{convert|10|mi}} southeast of [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]] and {{convert|24|mi}} north of [[Boston]]. The town is bordered by [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]] to the north, [[Groveland, Massachusetts|Groveland]] to the northeast, [[Georgetown, Massachusetts|Georgetown]] and [[Rowley, Massachusetts|Rowley]] to the east, [[Ipswich, Massachusetts|Ipswich]] and [[Topsfield, Massachusetts|Topsfield]] to the southeast, [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]] to the southwest, and [[North Andover, Massachusetts|North Andover]] to the west.

The eastern end of Boxford is crossed by [[Interstate 95 in Massachusetts|Interstate 95]], with three exits lying within the town. [[Massachusetts Route 133|Route 133]] crosses through the northern part of town, from North Andover to Georgetown, and [[Massachusetts Route 97|Route 97]] crosses through the eastern part of town, from Topsfield to Georgetown. The town does not have any means of mass transportation.  The [[Newburyport/Rockport Line]] of the [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] passes through neighboring Rowley and Ipswich to the east, and the [[Haverhill/Reading Line]] passes to the north.  The nearest small airport is [[Lawrence Municipal Airport (Massachusetts)|Lawrence Municipal Airport]], located in North Andover, and the nearest domestic and international air service is [[Logan International Airport]].

== Demographics ==
{{See also|List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income}}
{{Historical populations | type=USA | align=left
 | 1850|982
 | 1860|1020
 | 1870|847
 | 1880|824
 | 1890|865
 | 1900|704
 | 1910|718
 | 1920|588
 | 1930|652
 | 1940|778
 | 1950|926
 | 1960|2010
 | 1970|4032
 | 1980|5374
 | 1990|6266
 | 2000|7921
 | 2010|7965
 | 2020|8203
 | 2022*|8112
 | footnote=* = population estimate.  {{Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references}}<ref>{{cite web | title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020−2022| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] | access-date=November 24, 2023 | url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 7,921 people, 2,568 households, and 2,254 families residing in the town.  The population density was {{convert|330.4|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 2,610 housing units at an average density of 42.0 persons/km<sup>2</sup> (108.9 persons/sq&nbsp;mi).  The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, 0.34% [[African American]], 0.11% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.21% [[Asia]]n, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races.  0.85% of the population were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race.

There were 2,568 households, out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.2% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% 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 3.32.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 32.2% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.9 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $113,212, and the median income for a family was $119,491. Males had a median income of $90,397 versus $48,042 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $48,846.  1.4% of the population and 0.8% of families were below the poverty line.  Out of the total people living in poverty, 0.8% are under the age of 18 and 3.1% are 65 or older

==Government and infrastructure==
Boxford employs the [[open town meeting]] form of government, and is led by a [[board of selectmen]] and a town executive secretary.  Boxford has a police department, a fire department with two branches in the main villages, two post offices, a public works department and a library, which is isolated within the town hall.  Boxford has no water department; all residents and businesses have wells and septic.  A second library was located in West Boxford, but due to budget constraints it was closed in 2008.  The nearest hospitals are Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill to the north, Lawrence General to the west, and Beverly Hospital to the south.

On the state level, Boxford is under the jurisdiction of the Central District Court of Essex County, located in Haverhill.  It is patrolled by the Newbury station of Troop A of the [[Massachusetts State Police]].  The town is represented by two representatives, from the Second and Eighteenth Essex districts, in the [[Massachusetts House of Representatives]], and as part of the First Essex and Middlesex district in the [[Massachusetts Senate]].  On the national level, the town is part of [[Massachusetts's 6th congressional district]], and has been represented by [[Seth Moulton]] (D) since 2014.  The state's senior Senator, elected in the 2012, is [[Elizabeth Warren]] (D), and its junior Senator, elected in 2013, is [[Ed Markey]].

==Politics==

One of the few communities in Massachusetts to have more registered Republicans than Democrats (as of 2012),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Enrollment Breakdown as of 10/17/2012 |url=http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele12/06NOV2012_ST_Party_Enrollment_Stats_3.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512094014/http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele12/06NOV2012_ST_Party_Enrollment_Stats_3.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2019 |website=[[Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts]]}}</ref> Boxford is more conservative than the rest of the state. It was the only town not to vote to reelect Senator [[John Kerry]] in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cdn.cs75.net/2009/fall/lectures/4/lecture4/example_ma_2008_election/vote_data/data.html|title=2008 presidential election results by town for Massachusetts - Boston.com|website=cdn.cs75.net}}</ref>  In 2012, [[Mitt Romney]] received 59% of the vote in Boxford compared to President [[Barack Obama|Obama]]'s 40%.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2012/general/mass-us-president-election-results-2012.html|title = President - 2012 Massachusetts Election Results}}</ref> [[Hillary Clinton]], however, became the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the town in the 21st century in [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]. The former Secretary of State defeated Republican entrepreneur [[Donald Trump]] by 47.93–42.85 percent of the vote, with 5.80 percent going to [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] [[Gary Johnson]]. In 2020, Boxford's numbers were much more line with most other Massachusetts towns, as [[Joe Biden]] carried the town by a 15-point margin.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 3, 2020 |title=Map: See How Your Town or City Voted in the 2020 Election |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/11/03/2020-massachusetts-election-map |website=wbur.org}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"  style="float:center; margin:1em; font-size:95%;"
|+ Boxford town vote by<br /> party in presidential elections<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://electionstats.state.ma.us/elections/search/year_from:1972/year_to:2024/office_id:1 |title=Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=August 24, 2024}}</ref>
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Third party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2020 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2020]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''55.84%''' ''3,117''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|40.69% ''2,271''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|3.47% ''194''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[2016 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2016]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''47.12%''' ''2,454''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.13% ''2,194''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|10.75% ''560''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2012 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2012]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.79% ''2,066''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''58.42%''' ''3,034''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.79% ''93''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2008 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2008]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.90% ''2,286''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.92%''' ''2,586''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.18% ''109''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2004 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2004]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|42.91% ''2,064''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''55.37%''' ''2,664''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.72% ''83''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[2000 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|2000]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|40.57% ''1,804''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''51.99%''' ''2,312''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|7.44% ''331''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1996 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1996]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.33% ''1,619''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.06%''' ''2,061''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|10.61% ''437''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1992 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1992]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.34% ''1,153''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''44.23%''' ''1,738''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|26.43% ''1,039''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1988 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1988]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|32.00% ''1,158''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''65.81%''' ''2,381''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.19% ''79''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1984 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1984]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|25.10% ''769''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''74.51%''' ''2,283''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.39% ''12''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1980 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1980]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.10% ''570''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.13%''' ''1,733''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|18.77% ''532''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1976 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1976]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.30% ''714''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''67.62%''' ''1,706''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|4.08% ''103''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1972 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1972]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|28.27% ''588''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.04%''' ''1,457''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|1.69% ''35''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1968 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1968]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.62% ''446''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''70.69%''' ''1,184''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.69% ''45''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1960 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1960]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|18.41% ''200''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''80.94%''' ''879''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.65% ''7''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1956 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1956]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|10.52% ''76''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''88.65%''' ''640''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.83% ''6''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1952 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1952]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|11.82% ''71''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''84.86%''' ''510''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|3.32% ''20''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1948 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1948]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|13.88% ''64''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''85.25%''' ''393''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.87% ''4''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1944 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1944]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|20.82% ''92''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''79.18%''' ''350''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1940 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1940]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|19.90% ''85''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''80.10%''' ''342''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1900 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1900]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|12.60% ''17''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''85.18%''' ''115''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|2.22% ''3''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1896 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1896]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|4.31% ''6''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''84.89%''' ''118''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|10.80% ''15''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1892 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1892]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|33.13% ''54''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''62.57%''' ''102''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|4.30% ''7''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1888 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1888]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|30.54% ''51''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''64.07%''' ''107''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|5.39% ''9''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1884 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1884]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|29.81% ''48''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''63.98%''' ''103''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|6.21% ''10''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1880 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1880]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|34.11% ''58''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''65.89%''' ''112''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1876 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1876]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|26.09% ''42''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''73.91%''' ''119''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1872 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1872]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|16.80% ''22''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''83.20%''' ''109''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|-
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|[[1868 United States presidential election in Massachusetts|1868]]
|align="center" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|21.09% ''31''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''78.91%''' ''116''
|align="center" {{Party shading/Independent}}|0.00% ''0''
|}

==Education==

[[File:Harry Lee Cole School.jpg|alt=The front building facade of Harry Lee Cole School.  The building is a red brick building.|thumb|Harry Lee Cole School]]
Boxford has one high school, [[Masconomet Regional High School]], named after [[Chief Masconomet]], sagamore of the Agawam tribe, who lived in Essex County at the time of English colonization. Masconomet is a regional school, serving the towns of Boxford, [[Middleton, Massachusetts|Middleton]], and [[Topsfield, Massachusetts|Topsfield]]. The school was commonly believed to be in Topsfield because it had a Topsfield street address. However, the school, which is located on Endicott Road, lies entirely within Boxford. Students may also elect to attend Essex-North Shore Technical and Agricultural High School in Danvers.  Nearby private schools include [[The Governor's Academy]] in Byfield; [[Pingree School]] in South Hamilton; St. John's Preparatory School (boys only) in Danvers; Phillips Academy in Andover; and Brooks School in North Andover.
[[File:Spofford Pond School.jpg|alt=This image depicts the front facade of Spofford Pond School, which is white brick with a green metal roof.|thumb|Spofford Pond School]]
Masconomet Regional Middle School is also located in Boxford, and is attached to the high school.  There are also three elementary schools in Boxford. The Harry Lee Cole School, which serves Preschool through Grade 2, is located near East Boxford center. The Spofford Pond School, serving Grades 3 through 6, is located on the western side of the town's geographic center. Boxford Academy, Preschool–5th grade, is located in First Church Congregational Boxford on Georgetown Road.

Boxford also has two public elementary schools, Spofford Pond School and Harry Lee Cole School, Cole School as its commonly called is Preschool to 2nd grade, and Spofford goes from 3rd to 6th grade.

==Points of interest==

[[File:Boxford Community Store, Boxford MA.jpg|thumb|right|250px|{{center|Boxford Community Store}}]]
Boxford State Forest, near Interstate 95 and the towns of Topsfield and Middleton, boasts numerous walking trails that weave through heavily forested areas. There are also smaller parks and trails like the Wildcat trail and Witch Hollow Farm trails located within the thick forests.  Much of the open lands within town are managed by the [https://www.btabolt.org/ Boxford Trails Association/Boxford Open Land Trust].
[[File:West Boxford Store, Post Office, and Monument.jpg|alt=A road intersection with a stone monument in the background and a red building in the foreground.|thumb|West Village Store and Post Office]]
Boxford is also well known for its Apple Festival, happening each fall. The apple festival takes place on the streets near Waynes.
"Witch Hollow Farm", (a.k.a. the Tyler-Wood House) built {{circa|1727}} by Capt. John Tyler the son of Moses Tyler whose sister-in-law, [[Rebecca Eames]] was tried in the famous 1693 [[Salem Witch Trials]], found at the intersection of Main Street and Ipswich Road in Boxford. The house gets its name from a hollow that was on the Tyler property in the 1690s where Rebecca Eames claimed, in her trial, that she was bewitched by the Devil.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Tyler Homestead |url=http://tylertopics.com/genealogy/genealogy.homesteadhistory.html |website=tylertopics.com}}</ref> It is a nationally recognized "Haunted House".

Boxford's centrally located Stiles Pond is the site for the town beach, where membership can be purchased by Boxford residents only, each season for a nominal fee through the Boxford Athletic Association (BAA).  The adjacent ballpark and play area were recently designated by unanimous vote at Town Meeting as "Keith Koster Memorial Baseball Park" in memory of one of Boxford's beloved young people, a former Boxford beach lifeguard, baseball and football player who fell victim to a senseless act of crime in 2006.

Baldpate Pond, and the adjacent state recreation area, is another popular swimming, fishing, boating, and hiking location.

Camp Rotary is a popular summer co-ed boarding camp located on Stiles Pond off Ipswich Road in Boxford. Danvers YMCA holds another popular summer day camp on Stiles Pond, next to the town beach.

Recently constructed is the Boxford Commons. Boxford Commons is an outdoor sports recreation area that includes a football/soccer/field hockey fields. Boxford Commons also includes a play area for younger children. The Commons is located on Captain Cashin way, off of Middleton Rd near Harry Lee Cole School and the Boxford Fire Department. The fields are primarily used for sports for toddlers up to middle schoolers. The main field is a turf field used primarily for football and soccer.

==In popular culture==
The fictional main character captain Ed Mercer of the American [[Science fiction on television|science-fiction television]] series ''[[The Orville]]'' was from Boxford in the late 24th century.

==Notable people==
* [[Mark Bavaro]] (born 1963), [[NFL Pro Bowl|Pro Bowl]] [[American football|football]] player for the [[New York Giants]]
* [[Raymond Bourque]] (born 1960), [[Boston Bruins]] – [[Hockey Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] member – former team captain
* [[Johnny Bucyk]] (born 1935), Boston Bruins – Hall of Famer – former team captain
* [[Thomas Knowlton]] (1740–1776), colonel in the [[Continental Army]] during the [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]]
* [[Chris Kreider]] (born 1991), [[Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey]] player and current member of the [[Anaheim Ducks]]
* [[Charlotte Nichols Saunders Horner]] (1823–1906), botanist and plant collector; born in Boxford
* Earle O. Latham (1908–1999), first vice-president of the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Boston]]
* [[Alice Freeman Palmer]] (1855–1902), educator and president of [[Wellesley College]]
* [[Sidney Perley]] (1858–1928), lawyer, writer, author, poet and historian
* [[Rufus Porter (painter)|Rufus Porter]] (1792–1884), painter, designer of the Colt revolver, and founder of ''[[Scientific American]]''
* [[Debra Jo Rupp]] (born 1951), actress, known for her role as Kitty Foreman in ''[[That '70s Show]]''
* [[Henry Knox Sherrill]] (1890–1980), an Episcopal clergyman and the 20th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church from 1947 to 1958, having previously served as Bishop of Massachusetts (1930–1947)
* [[Jermaine Wiggins]], [[New England Patriots]]
* [[Carl Yastrzemski]] (born 1939), longtime left fielder for the [[Boston Red Sox]] and a [[Major League Baseball Hall of Fame]] member
* [[Dan Ross (American football)|Dan Ross]] (born 1957), Cincinnati Bengals tight end, [Pro Bowl 1982], [Super Bowl XVI, 11 receptions]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==

*Perley, Sidney. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-7Jzk2EhcNgC&q=intitle:History+intitle:of+intitle:Essex+intitle:County History of Boxford, Essex County, Massachusetts.] Full images at books.google.Published 1880.
*Perley, Francis, Samuel Wood, Moses Carleton. [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=BOXFORD.jpg&atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=ESSEX+COUNTY&atlas=ESSEX+COUNTY+1795&atlas_desc=ESSEX+COUNTY+1795&pageprefix= 1795 Map of Boxford.]
*Dorman, Moses. [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=BOXFORD.jpg&atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=ESSEX+COUNTY&atlas=ESSEX+COUNTY+1830&atlas_desc=ESSEX+COUNTY+1830&pageprefix= 1830 Map of Boxford.]
*Beers, D.G. 1872 Atlas of Essex County [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=PLATE_0057.jpg&atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=ESSEX+COUNTY&atlas=ESSEX+COUNTY+1872&atlas_desc=ESSEX+COUNTY+1872&pageprefix= 1872 Map of Boxford. Plate 57.]
*Walker, George H. 1884 Atlas of Essex County [http://www.salemdeeds.com/atlases_pages.asp?ImageName=PAGE_0109.jpg&atlastype=Atlases&atlastown=ESSEX+COUNTY&atlas=ESSEX+COUNTY+1884&atlas_desc=ESSEX+COUNTY+1884&pageprefix= 1884 Map of Boxford. Plate 109.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080821191218/http://ma-vitalrecords.org/EssexCounty/Boxford/ Vital Records of Boxford to 1849.] Originally published by the Topsfield Historical Society in 1905. Transcribed and put online by John Slaughter and Jodi Salero 2007.
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=x62fbWH7bcQC&dq=Sidney+Perley&pg=PA41 Boxford Town Records 1685–1706.] Transcribed by Sidney Perley in 1880. From page 41 of Volume 5 of ''The Historical Collections of the Topsfield Historical Society''. Published 1899. Full image and OCR at books.google.
* {{Cite news |last=Burt |first=Bill |url=http://www.gloucestertimes.com/pusports/etpsports_story_306145347.html |title='67 Sox were there from start to finish |publisher=Gloucester Daily Times|date=2007-07-02 |access-date=2007-07-11}}
* {{Cite news |last=Goode |first=John |url=http://www.boston.com/sports/colleges/football/articles/2004/12/14/a_giant_among_us/ |title=A Giant Among Us |publisher=Boston.com|date=2004-12-14 |access-date=2007-02-03}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Boxford, Massachusetts}}
* [http://topsfieldboxfordnewcomers.org/ Boxford-Topsfield Newcomers & Natives Club]
* [https://www.town.boxford.ma.us/ Boxford MA |]

{{Essex County, Massachusetts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Boxford, Massachusetts| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1645]]
[[Category:1645 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony]]