LUNENBURG
Worcester County
NARRATIVE
GEOGRAPHY
GOVERNMENT
DEMOGRAPHICS
HOUSING_CHARACTERISTICS
TRANSPORTATION
CULTURE AND RECREATION
MISCELLANEOUS
NARRATIVE
Narrative
Lunenburg is a semi-rural community located in northern Worcester County.
Three water bodies account for somewhat of a clustered approach to the
Town's historical development. Lake Whalom and Whalom Amusement Park
delineate the Whalom District from the remainder of Lunenburg. This
District was developed as a housing base for many factory workers working
in the mills and factories of Leominster and Fitchburg. In many ways the
characteristics of the Whalom District more closely reflect characteristics
of these cities than of the rest of Lunenburg.
The Hickory Hills area of Town, around Hickory Hills Lake, was developed as
a private community comprised largely of vacation cottages. The third body
of water to be mentioned is Shirley Reservoir; a public water body also
developed with mainly vacation cottages that have now been modified to
year-round residences.
The remainder of Lunenburg which originally consisted largely of farms and
orchards has slowly developed into large lot single family housing.
Commercial and industrial development is permitted in several areas of town
primarily along the two major arteries (Routes 2A and 13), and the Town's
peripheries, due largely to the close proximity of Leominster's and
Fitchburg's sewer and water systems.
(Narrative supplied by community)
GEOGRAPHY
Location
North central Massachusetts, bordered by Townsend on the north, Shirley on the
east, Leominster and Lancaster on the south, and Fitchberg and Ashby on the
west. Lunenburg is about 29 miles north of Worcester, 43 miles northwest of
Boston, and 203 miles from New York City.
Total Area: 27.69 sq. miles
Land Area: 26.42 sq. miles
Population: 9,117
Density: 345 per sq. mile
Climate
(National Climatic Data Center)
(Clinton Station)
Normal temperature in January.....23.4°F
Normal temperature in July........71.3°F
Normal annual precipitation.......47.0"
U.S.G.S. Topographical Plates
Shirley, Fitchburg, Ashby, Townsend
Regional Planning Agency
Montachusett
Metropolitan Statistical Area
(1993 Definition)
Fitchburg-Leominster
GOVERNMENT
Municipal Offices
Main Number: (978) 582-4130
Telephone Numbers for Public Information
Form of Government
Board of Selectmen
Executive Secretary
Open Town Meeting
Year Incorporated
As a town: 1726
Registered Voters (Secretary of State 1994)
Number %
Total Registered 4,909
Democrats 1,068 21.8 %
Republicans 938 19.1 %
Other parties 4 0.1 %
Unenrolled Voters 2,899 59.1 %
Legislators
Senators and Representatives by City and Town
DEMOGRAPHICS
HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS
Home Sales (Banker & Tradesman)-
Town Stats - Free market Statistics
Subsidized Housing Units (DHCD 1998)
DHCD Subsidized Housing Inventory
Subsidized Housing Units: The number of housing units which count toward the municipality's 10% goal for low- and moderate-income housing. It includes both subsidized affordable units and market rate units in certain eligible subsidized developments.
Public Housing Units (DHCD 1999)
Conventional State: 54
Conventional Federal: 0
Rental Assistance(DHCD 1999)
State (MRVP: 0
Federal (Section 8): 0
TRANSPORTATION
TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS
The principal highway of northern Worcester county is State Route 2, the
old Mohawk Trail, which runs across northern Massachusetts. Route 140 and
I-190 connect the region to Worcester. The Springfield Terminal Railway
line (the former Boston and Maine Railroad) parallels Route 2 and provides
access to the network of intermodal facilities serving central and eastern
Massachusetts.
Major Highways
Principal highways are State Routes 2A, which runs E-W, and 13, which runs
N-S into New Hampshire.
Rail
Commuter rail service to North Station, Boston, is available in the
neighboring towns of Fitchburg (travel time: 85-94 min.; no MBTA parking)
and Leominster (travel time 78-87 min.; 60 spaces). Freight rail service
is available from the Springfield Terminal Railway. Contact number: (978)
663-1073
Bus
Lunenburg is a member of the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority
(MRTA). Limited fixed route service is provided from Fitchburg and
Leominster to Whalom Park during the summer. Paratransit service is
offered to the elderly and disabled through the Council on Aging.
Other
The Fitchburg Municipal Airport, a General Aviation (GA) facility, is
easily accessible. It has 2 asphalt runways 4,511' and 3,502' long.
Instrument approaches available: Non-precision.
CULTURE AND RECREATION
LIBRARIES
Board of Library Commissioners On-line Library Catalog
MUSEUMS
(American Association of Museums)
None
RECREATION
Telephone Numbers for Public Information
Recreational Facilities(Recreational sites and activities)
Department of Environmental Management Recreation Section
MISCELLANEOUS
HEALTH FACILITIES
(Dept. of Public Health 1992)
Hospitals
None
Long Term Care
None
Hospices
None
Rest Homes
None
UTILITIES
Telephone Numbers for Public Utilities
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Department of Housing and Community Development would like to thank the many government agencies noted as having provided information for the community profiles. In addition to these agencies, the Regional Transit Authorities assisted with the transportation component of the profiles. We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of many city and town officials, which enabled us to include information obtainable only at the local level. DHCD would also like to thank the following individuals for providing special help: Leslie A. Kirwan, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Local Services, Department of Revenue; Richard Shibley, Deputy Secretary of State; Bob Beattie of the Department of Public Health; Charles W. Clifford from the Martha's Vineyard Commission; Dennis Coffey of the Executive Office of Transportation and Construction; Donna Fletcher and Christian Jacqz of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs; James Griffin from the MBTA; Karen Loh from Banker & Tradesman; Todd Maio from the Department of Welfare; Geoffrey Morton from the Election Division of the Secretary of State's Office; Stephen R. Muench of the Massachusetts Aeronautics Commission; Rol Murrow of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; Mary Ann Neary and Emmanuelle Fletcher, reference librarians at the State House Library; Jeff Nellhaus from the Department of Education; and George Sanborn, reference librarian at the State Transportation Library.
NOTE: The COMMUNITY PROFILE draws information from a diversity of sources. The main source of information is listed under each section. In some instances comments submitted by the municipality were incorporated to correct and/or enhance the information obtained from the main source. However, no changes were made to those data bases which must be consistent throughout the state. DHCD has made efforts to ensure the accuracy of all data in the COMMUNITY PROFILES, but cannot take responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of the information contained in this document.
Department of Housing and Community Development
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