Ayer, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°33′40″N 71°35′25″W / 42.56111, -71.59028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Middlesex
Settled	1668
Incorporated	1871
Government
- Type	Open town meeting
Area
- Total	9.6 sq mi (24.8 km²)
- Land	9.0 sq mi (23.4 km²)
- Water	0.6 sq mi (1.4 km²)
Elevation	226 ft (69 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	7,287
- Density	808.1/sq mi (312.0/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01432
Area code(s)	351 / 978
FIPS code	25-03005
GNIS feature ID	0618215
Website: http://www.ayer.ma.us/

Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated in 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Fort Devens, an army camp established in the Civil War, until its closure in 1994. The population was 7,287 at the 2000 census.

For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Ayer, please see the articles on Ayer (CDP) and Fort Devens.

History

East Main Street circa 1906

Ayer's history dates back to 1667, when the first mill in the agricultural community was built. The settlement sits on what the Nipmuc Indians called Nainacocius. A brook remains with that name. Originally part of Groton, the community was initially called Groton Junction or South Groton. The town of Ayer was incorporated in 1871, named in honor of Dr. James Cook Ayer, a prominent resident of Lowell who provided the funding for the recently restored Ayer Town Hall. The town's growth was influenced by a period of rapid development of railroad transportation. Though only 9.5 square miles in area, the town became a major junction for both east-west and north-south rail lines, and developed into an important commercial center oriented towards the rail industry.

During the American Civil War an army camp, Camp Stevens, was established here; that camp later became known as Camp Devens, and eventually as Fort Devens. The presence of thousands of military and civilian personnel on the base shifted Ayer's commercial development towards meeting their needs until Fort Devens was closed in 1994.

The town today is a reflection of its history. Within its relatively small area Ayer boasts numerous industries, a historical downtown unique to the region, and modern commuter rail service to Boston.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²). 23.4 km² (9.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.4 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (5.75%) is water.

Ayer borders the following towns: Shirley, Groton, Littleton, and Harvard.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 7,287 people, 2,982 households, and 1,774 families residing in the town. The population density was 311.9/km² (808.1/mi²). There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of 135.0/km² (349.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.92% White, 5.70% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.69% of the population.

There were 2,982 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,619, and the median income for a family was $61,968. Males had a median income of $44,092 versus $32,418 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,400. About 6.1% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

As a New England town, Ayer is governed by town meeting and a five-member board of selectmen.

Education

This section requires expansion.

• Page Hilltop Elementary
• Ayer Middle/High School
• The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School on Fort Devens is within the Ayer section of Devens.

Transportation

Commuter rail service from Boston's North Station is provided by the MBTA with a stop in Ayer on its Fitchburg Line.^[2]

Freight travels daily through Ayer over the tracks of the historic Stony Brook Railroad. The line currently serves as a major corridor of Pan Am Railway's District 3 which connects New Hampshire and Maine with western Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York.^[3]

Points of interest

• Nashua River Rail Trail
• Town's Historic 4th of July Celebration(Next years will be on July 4, 2008)

Places on the National Register of Historic Places:

• Community Memorial Hospital - 15 Winthrop Ave.
• Fort Devens Historic District
• Ayer Main Street Historic District - Main St.
• Pleasant Street School - Pleasant St.

Notable residents

• The Rev. Angus Dun, vicar at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.
• Robert Frazier, writer of speculative poetry and fiction.
• Mike Gillian, Longwood University head men's basketball coach.
• Jamie Morris, National Football League running back.
• Joe Morris, National Football League running back.

References

1. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ MBTA website.mbta.com. Accessed August 31, 2007.
3. ^ Pan Am Railways route map.panamrailways.com. Accessed August 31, 2007.

External links

• Ayer official website

• Ayer, Massachusetts is at coordinates 42°32′14″N 71°36′56″W / 42.537222, -71.615556 (Ayer, Massachusetts)Coordinates: 42°32′14″N 71°36′56″W / 42.537222, -71.615556 (Ayer, Massachusetts)

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Cities	Cambridge | Lowell | Malden | Marlborough | Medford | Melrose | Newton | Somerville | Waltham | Watertown | Woburn
Towns	Acton | Arlington | Ashby | Ashland | Ayer | Bedford | Belmont | Billerica | Boxborough | Burlington | Carlisle | Chelmsford | Concord | Dracut | Dunstable | Framingham | Groton | Holliston | Hopkinton | Hudson | Lexington | Lincoln | Littleton | Maynard | Natick | North Reading | Pepperell | Reading | Sherborn | Shirley | Stoneham | Stow | Sudbury | Tewksbury | Townsend | Tyngsborough | Wakefield | Wayland | Westford | Weston | Wilmington | Winchester
CDPs	Ayer | Cochituate | Fort Devens | East Pepperell | Groton | Hopkinton | Hudson | Littleton Common | Pepperell | Pinehurst | Shirley | Townsend | West Concord
Villages	North Billerica | North Chelmsford