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Foxborough

[foks-bur-oh, -buhr-oh]

Foxborough or Foxboro, town (1990 pop. 14,637), Norfolk co., SE Mass.; settled 1704, inc. 1778. During the Revolutionary War cannons and cannonballs were manufactured. Modern industry centers on the production of precision instruments. In the town is Foxboro Stadium, home of the New England Patriots football team.

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Foxborough, Massachusetts

Foxborough is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, approximately 22 miles (35 km) southwest of Boston and 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 16,246 at the 2000 census. The town is best known as the site of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots of the National Football League and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. "Foxborough" is the official spelling of the town name, although the alternative spelling "Foxboro" is also frequently used.

For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Foxborough, please see the article Foxborough (CDP), Massachusetts.

History

Settled in 1704 and incorporated in 1778, Foxborough was named for Charles James Fox, Whig Member of the British Parliament, who was a staunch supporter of the Colonies in the years leading up to the American Revolution.

Foxborough was once home to the world's largest straw hat factory. Founded by local businessman E.P. Carpenter, the Union Straw Works building burned to the ground in the early 20th century.

Foxborough was composed of small neighborhood communities until the early 1900s. These included Foxvale/Paineburgh, which remained semi-independent until the mid-twentieth century; Quaker Hill in South Foxborough; and Lakeview/Donkeyville in West Foxborough.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.9 square miles (54.1 km²), of which, 20.1 square miles (52.0 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (3.88%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile (312.4/km²). There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7/sq mi (121.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.09% White, 0.82% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.22% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

There were 6,141 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $64,323, and the median income for a family was $78,811. Males had a median income of $51,901 versus $35,748 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,294. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Foxborough is run by a five-member board of selectmen and elected town officials like the town moderator and town clerk. Day-to-Day operations involving items under the Board of Selectmen's purview is handled by an appointed Town Administrator.

Board of Selectmen (Term Ends)
James Thrasher (2009)
Mark Sullivan (2009) Chairman
Paul Feeney (2010) Vice-Chairman
Lynda Walsh (2010) Clerk
Paul D. Mortenson (2011)

Other Town Officials
Andrew Gala (Town Administrator)
Robert E. Cutler Jr. (Town Clerk)
Robert Swanson (Department of Public Works)
Marc Resnick (Town Planner)
William Casbarra (Building Commissioner)
George Young (Health Agent)
David Risch (Conservation Manager)
Bob Boette (Conservation Commission Chairman)
Leo Potter (Water and Sewer Superintendent)
Randy Scollins (Finance Director)
Gerald McNamara, Sr. (Fire Chief)
Edward T. O’Leary (Police Chief)
Carl J.Kusch (Veteran's Agent)
Carl J.Kusch (Historical Commission Chairman)
Deborah Giardino (Recreation Director)
Thomas F. Buckley (Town Assessor)
Dr. Christopher H. Martes (Superintendent of Schools)

Town Hall is located at 40 South Street, Foxborough, MA 02035.

Education

Public schools

Foxborough has a public school system. The Foxborough Public Schools (FPS) district currently has an enrollment of over 3,000 children in grades from pre-school to grade 12.

The schools are notable for the amount of money they invest in technology. FPS receives recognition for outperforming by both state and national standards.

Foxborough public schools:

Charles G. Taylor Elementary School (K - 4)
Vincent M. Igo Elementary School (Pre-K - 4)
Mabelle M. Burrell Elementary School (K - 4)
John J. Ahern Middle School (5 - 8)
Foxborough High School (9 - 12)

The mascot of the high school is the Warriors; their colors are blue and gold. The high school offers a wide variety of sports including golf, track and field, football, soccer, cross country, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, hockey, indoor track, gymnastics, cheerleading, lacrosse, baseball, tennis, and softball. The football team has won the Hockomock League title and also won the Division 2 Super Bowl various times, most recently in 2007 with a 21-10 victory over Burlington. Coincidentally, the Super Bowl win also gave coach Jack Martinelli his 200th win. The cheerleading team has also earned recognition, making it to nationals for the first time in 2004 and then again in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The golf team has produced many all-scholastic players and even state champions, as has the wrestling team. The boys' indoor track team were the Hockomock Champions in the 2006/2007 season. The field hockey team have been the Hockomock Champions several times in recent years. Foxborough High School is also known for its music program, which includes a string orchestra, symphony orchestra, chorus, marching band, concert band, symphonic winds, winds ensemble and jazz band/choir. Many of these groups regularly place in competitions.

Foxborough Regional Charter School (FRCS) is a college preparatory school for grades K-12 located near the town common, at 131 Central Street. FRCS was originally founded as the Sabis Foxborough Regional Charter School in 1998. In 2002, the school broke off from Sabis, and thus dropped it from the school name.

Points of interest

Gillette Stadium- Home of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution.
Patriot Place - An outdoor shopping and entertainment complex currently under construction next to Gillette Stadium.
Orpheum Theater - local non-profit theater which serves as the home to Bay Colony Productions, a local community theater company, as well as the venue for other live performances and movies, including the annual Three Stooges film festival.
Funway USA - An outdoor attraction consisting of miniature golf, bumper boats, batting cages, a rock wall, and go-karts. One of several in the area. Recently closed down.
F. Gilbert Hills State Forest - Encompassing 1,027 acres in Foxborough and Wrentham, the state forest is used for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, and observing nature. Contained on state forest land are some unique stone structures that some believe were made and used by the native Algonquin tribes prior to the town's founding.
Ace Archers - An indoor archery range open for public shooting that hosts an annual tournament.

There are several memorable historic sites within Foxborough. Memorial Hall is a stone building and monument in the center of town dedicated to those who served in the armed forces, and contains many town archives. The Historic Homes Plaque Program designates important historical homes in town. Area schoolhouses, such as the Quaker Hill School and the Paine School, now being made into a small museum, are also of interest. Town graveyards, such as Rockhill Cemetery, and the Centre Burial Ground, are also important to town history.