Royalston, Massachusetts

Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,254 at the 2000 census.

History
Royalston is a small town in the North Quabbin area of North Western-Central Massachusetts. It was named after Isaac Royal, a landowner. It is very large in land area (about 42.6 square miles) though it has a tiny population of about 1,200. Many of the surrounding towns like Warwick and Richmond are also very small. Most of the town's land is forest and wetlands and there are several reservations and wildlife management areas. Two notable reservations are the Tully Lake flood protection dam area in the very southwestern part of the town, and the Royalston Falls reservation in the northern section. The largest population center in the town is the village of South Royalston in the southwestern corner of the town. This village contains the town's only store, a small convenience store and deli, and its only restaurant. The center of town is also a small village that contains a very well preserved classic colonial New England town center and common. The center of town contains the town hall, post office, congregational church, and the town's library.

The small part-time police and fire forces cooperate with the Athol and State police for more serious needs. The town also does not have a central office for the phone company and uses the phone exchanges for Athol. The residents of the town are devoted to keeping the town a classic and quiet New England town and have taken measures to prevent the town from having the developments that have grown in many small towns in Western Massachusetts.

Internet access is limited due to the unwillingness of the cable companies to wire the whole town. DSL is slowly creeping up from Athol. The town Government recently acquired a T1 for the South Royalston town offices. This may become a wireless hub for local residents. Most residents are required to get satellite providers for cable TV and Internet services or settle for dialup. The town has no business zoning. To shop for groceries and basic items, residents go either south to Orange and Athol, west to Winchester, NH, north to Keene, NH, east to Rindge, NH or Winchendon, MA. For work, retail shopping, and general business, residents drive at least 25–30 minutes to get to a population area. Most people in the town either go North to the Keene area, or towards Gardner, Fitchburg, and Leominster.

Geography and transportation
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.5 square miles (110.0 km²), of which, 41.9 square miles (108.5 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (1.39%) is water. Royalston is located in northwestern-central Massachusetts, on hilly land. The town center lies near Frye Hill, which quickly slopes downward just west of the town center, into the Tully River Valley. The Tully River empties through Long Pond and Tully Lake before flowing into the Millers River in neighboring Athol, downstream from where that river flows through the southeast corner of town. Several other brooks cross through the town, with some of the land along these brooks being marshlands. To the west, Bliss Hill rises near the Warwick town line, and is the highest point in the town. Royalston is home to several wildlife management areas, Birch Hill, Millers River, Lawrence Brook and Fish Brook, the first two of which cover three substantial portions of the eastern half of town. The town also has two portions of state forest near West Royalston.

Royalston is the northwestern corner of Worcester County, bordering Cheshire County, New Hampshire to the north and Franklin County to the west. It borders Athol to the south, Phillipston and Templeton to the southeast, Winchendon to the east, Richmond and Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire to the north, Warwick and Orange in Franklin County to the west. The town center lies 24 mi west-northwest of Fitchburg, 38 mi northwest of Worcester and 68 mi northwest of Boston. The town is mostly divided into three villages, the central village, West Royalston and South Royalston.

Royalston does not have any interstates or other highways passing through town, the nearest being Route 2 to the south, most easily reached through Phillipston and Templeton. Route 32 passes through the western part of town, heading north before becoming New Hampshire Route 32. Route 68 also passes through the town, from South Royalston through the central village to West Royalston, where it terminates at Route 32. The Springfield Terminal rail line passes through South Royalston along the south banks of the Millers River, but there is no public transportation means on this rail or otherwise. The nearest small airport is Orange Municipal Airport in Orange, with the nearest national air service being at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,254 people, 449 households, and 330 families residing in the town. The population density was 29.9 people per square mile (11.6/km²). There were 526 housing units at an average density of 12.6/sq mi (4.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.64% White, 0.08% African American, 0.56% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population. 15.8% were of French, 13.0% English, 11.2% Irish, 10.5% French Canadian, 8.5% American, 7.3% Finnish and 7.2% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 449 households out of which 36.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $44,444, and the median income for a family was $51,818. Males had a median income of $36,328 versus $27,361 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,297. About 5.4% of families and 8.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town's only public school, the Royalston Community school, a public elementary school, is located east of the town center on the road to Winchendon. The school only covers the elementary grades. For middle and high school students the town is part of the Athol school district.

There is also an independent school, called The Village School located on the Common. It serves students from Royalston and surrounding towns; serving preschool through grade 6. The town is currently working on building a new school on South Royalston Road at the former Camp Caravan property, but minimal work has been done and they haven't opened there for the 2009-10 school year as planned.

Attractions
Royalston is a mostly quiet area, best known for it's natural surroundings. There is a family restaurant known as Pete and Henry's, which has been open for the better part of 50 years. There is the Phineas S. Newton library, the Royalston Rod and Gun club, as well as numerous old buildings and establishments for historical enjoyment.