Berkley, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 41°50′45″N 71°05′00″W / 41.84583, -71.083333
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Bristol
Settled	1638
Incorporated	1735
Government
- Type	Open town meeting
Area
- Total	17.4 sq mi (45.0 km²)
- Land	16.5 sq mi (42.8 km²)
- Water	0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²)
Elevation	80 ft (24 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	5,749
- Density	347.6/sq mi (134.2/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02779
Area code(s)	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-05280
GNIS feature ID	0619432
Website: www.townofberkley.com

Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, making it the least populated town in the county.

History

An 1895 map of Berkley

Berkley was first settled in 1638 and was officially incorporated in 1735. It was named for the philosopher and Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753), who lived in Newport, RI from 1728 to 1731. The extra 'e' was apparently dropped by mistake when officially registered by the State House. The town was formerly part of Taunton, Massachusetts and Dighton, Massachusetts.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.4 square miles (45.0 km²), of which, 16.5 square miles (42.8 km²) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²) of it (4.72%) is water. The town is bordered by the Taunton River and Dighton to the west, Taunton to the north and northeast, Lakeville to the east, and the Assonet Bay and Freetown to the south. The mostly rural town is also the home to Dighton Rock State Park, the home of Dighton Rock, a tidal boulder well known for its strange markings which have been theorized to be totally or partially attributed to Vikings, Wampanoags, or Portuguse explorer Miguel Corte-Real.

The town can be accessed by two state routes, Route 24 and Route 79. Route 24, a four-lane divided freeway, bisects the town, and includes one exit for the town at Padelford Street. Route 79 passes along the town's border with Lakeville, and meets Route 140 just across the town line in Taunton. The town is also known for the Berkley-Dighton Bridge, which crosses the Taunton River to Dighton. The one-lane bridge, designed in 1896 was built in the 1890s, is the only bridge to cross the river between the Brightman Street Bridge between Fall River and Somerset, and the Plain Street Bridge in Taunton, a distance of 12.5 miles (20.1 km).

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 5,749 people, 1,843 households, and 1,566 families residing in the town. The population density was 347.6 people per square mile (134.2/km²). There were 1,885 housing units at an average density of 114.0/sq mi (44.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.73% White, 0.56% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.06% from other races, and 1.11% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population.

There were 1,843 households out of which 47.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.0% were non-families. 10.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the town the population was spread out with 30.5% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 36.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $66,295, and the median income for a family was $69,222. Males had a median income of $45,154 versus $31,639 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,652. About 0.7% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Town government

Executive Branch: Three-member Board of Selectmen with three-year staggered terms.
Legislative Branch: Open Town Meeting.

Board of Selectmen

State government

Representative in General Court

• David B. Sullivan (D-Fall River), 6th Bristol District

Senator in General Court

• Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), 1st Plymouth and Bristol District

Governor's Councillor

• Carole A. Fiola (D-Fall River), 1st District

Federal government

Representative to the United States House of Representatives

• Barney Frank (D-Newton) (4th Massachusetts District)

Senators in the United States Senate

• Edward Kennedy (D)
• John Kerry (D)

Education

• Berkley Community School - Grades Pre-K through 4
• Berkley Middle School - Grades 5 through 8
• High School: Currently, Berkley has a tuition agreement with Somerset High School. However, as of 2006 there has been talk within the town of the feasibility of building a town high school. As of 2006, there are 255 high school-aged students in the town, a number which is projected to grow to over 300 within the next 5-10 years.^[2]

High school students may also attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton, Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton, or local private and parochial schools; the closest Catholic high school is Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton.

Local attractions

This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can (May 2007).

Created by the Berkley Historical Commission, the Bridge Village Heritage Park is at 70 Elm Street at the south-east abutment to the Berkley-Dighton Bridge. Opened October 2006, this .5 acre area is aimed at canoeing and kayaking. Motor boats and boats in tow are prohibited. It is also an ideal place for fisherman, picnickers, historians, and children.

See also

• Dighton Rock
• Greater Taunton Area
• Taunton River Watershed

References

1. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ Source: Berkley Public Schools

External links

• Berkley Board of Assessors' Official Home Page
• Berkley's Unofficial Home Page
• Town of Berkley

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of Bristol County, Massachusetts County seat: Taunton Cities Attleboro | Fall River | New Bedford | Taunton Towns Acushnet | Berkley | Dartmouth | Dighton | Easton | Fairhaven | Freetown | Mansfield | North Attleborough | Norton | Raynham | Rehoboth | Seekonk | Somerset | Swansea | Westport CDPs Acushnet Center | Bliss Corner | Mansfield Center | North Attleborough Center | North Seekonk | North Westport | Norton Center | Ocean Grove | Raynham Center | Smith Mills Villages Assonet | East Freetown | Padanaram | South Attleboro