Braintree, Massachusetts

The Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744 at the 2010 census. The town is part of the Greater Boston area with access to the MBTA Red Line and is a member of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission's South Shore Coalition. The first and current mayor of Braintree is Joe Sullivan.

History
The town of Braintree was incorporated in 1640 and named after the English town of Braintree. It comprised land that was later split into Randolph, Holbrook, and Quincy, as well as parts of Weymouth and Milton, Massachusetts. The "North Precinct" of Braintree, which is now the bulk of the city of Quincy, was the birthplace of presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as statesman John Hancock. General Sylvanus Thayer, the "Father of West Point" was also born in Braintree in the section of town now known as Braintree Highlands.

Braintree is the site of the infamous 1920 murders that led to the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. It was the retirement home of the co-inventor of the telephone Thomas A. Watson.

Braintree's population grew by over 50% during the 1920s.

In January 2008 Braintree converted from a representative town meeting form of government to a mayor-council government.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town had a total area of 14.5 square miles (37.6 km²). 13.9 square miles (36.0 km²) of it was land and 1.6 km² (0.6 sq mi/4.34%) of it was water. This includes Pond Meadow Park and Sunset Lake.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,828 people, 12,652 households, and 8,907 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,434.4 people per square mile (939.6/km²). There were 12,973 housing units at an average density of 933.6 per square mile (360.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.96% White, 1.18% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.14% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.16% of the population.

There were 12,652 households out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $74,360, and the median income for a family is $90,590 as of a 2007 estimate ). Males had a median income of $49,607 versus $36,034 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,683. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Braintree is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate 95 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous "spokes" providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston.

Major highways
Principal highways in Braintree are Interstate 93 (which runs concurrently with U.S. 1) and Route 3, as well as 37, and 53. Entering Braintree from the north, I-93, Route 1, and Route 3 all run concurrently as the Southeast Expressway from Boston; in Braintree they diverge, with Route 3 heading south toward Cape Cod as the Pilgrims Highway, and I-93 and Route 1 heading west toward Route 128.

Rail
Commuter rail service to South Station, Boston, is available on the Middleboro & Plymouth lines from the Rail Station located on Union Street. The MBTA Red Line is also accessible at the same location. Weekday rail service on the Greenbush Line started up in late 2007 and is accessible from the Weymouth Landing/East Braintree located on Quincy Avenue.

Bus
Braintree is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) which provides fixed route service to Quincy Adams, Quincy Center, Braintree, and Ashmont stations. The MBTA also provides THE RIDE, a paratransit service for the elderly and disabled.

Commerce
Braintree is home to several large companies, including: Greater Media, Haemonetics, and TopSource LLC.

From 1964 to 1991 Braintree was the home of a Valle's Steak House restaurant. The chain was an East Coast landmark that stretched from Maine to Florida. The 30,000 square foot Braintree restaurant was the largest in the chain when it opened and featured a dining room that sat 600 customers, banquet rooms that accommodated 1,000; parking for 700 cars, and two kitchens, one of which was used exclusively for banquets. The restaurant had over 150 employees. Max Bodner of Quincy was the original manager. One of the chain's busiest locations, it was capable of serving over 5,000 customers per day. The restaurant changed names several times after the Valle's corporation closed in 1991 and was eventually razed to make way for a Toyota dealership. Among the notable moments in the restaurant's history was in 1980 when then presidential candidate Ronald Reagan made a campaign speech at a South Shore Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Education
There are three high schools in Braintree: Braintree High School, a public school; Thayer Academy, a private school; and Archbishop Williams, a Roman Catholic private school.

Points of interest

 * General Sylvanus Thayer Birthplace
 * South Shore Plaza

Notable residents

 * Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams, mother of John Quincy Adams.
 * Henry Adams, original emigrant to the Americas.
 * Jeremy Adams, original emigrant to the Americas.
 * John Adams, signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the first Vice President of the United States, served for eight years, and the second President of the United States, served four years.
 * John Quincy Adams, American diplomat, sixth President of the United States, served four years, member of the United States House of Representatives.
 * John Hancock, signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, fourth President of the Continental Congress, American diplomat and statesman.
 * Sylvanus Thayer, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, called "the Father of West Point".
 * Thomas A. Watson, primary assistant of Alexander Graham Bell, assisted in invention of the telephone; founder of Fore River Shipyard.

Modern era

 * Joe Amorosino, reporter and sports director for WHDH-TV.
 * Jim Calhoun, former head coach of University of Connecticut men's basketball team.
 * Chris Doherty, musician and recording artist from the band Gang Green.
 * Tiffany Kelly, beauty pageant winner, Miss Massachusetts of 2006.
 * Peter Kormann, American gymnast and winner of the bronze medal in men's floor competition at the 1976 Olympics
 * Don McKenney, hockey center, captain of the Boston Bruins 1954–1963.
 * Jose Offerman, baseball player for the Boston Red Sox
 * William Rosenberg, creator of the Dunkin' Donuts restaurant chain.
 * Butch Stearns, sports anchorman, now Chief Content Officer for The Pulse Network.
 * Mo Vaughn, baseball player for the Boston Red Sox
 * Donnie Wahlberg, record producer, songwriter, singer, actor; founding member of the musical group New Kids on the Block
 * Mark Wahlberg, film and television producer, Academy Award nominated actor, former member of the musical group New Kids on the Block, and former lead singer of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch

Films shot in Braintree

 * June 1969: Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon directed by Otto Preminger (sequence filmed in Bluehill Cemetery, 710 West Street)
 * October 2006: The Departed directed by Martin Scorsese (sequence filmed in the Fore River Shipyard)
 * April 2008: Paul Blart: Mall Cop directed by Steve Carr (sequence filmed in the South Shore Plaza)
 * September 2009: What Doesn't Kill You directed by Brian Goodman (sequence filmed at the Mobil station on Elm Street)

Notes and references

 * Dennehy, John A. "Images of America: Braintree." Arcadia Publishing, 2010. ISBN 978-0-7385-7247-5