Middlesex County, Massachusetts

(Redirected from Middlesex County, MA)

Middlesex County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002,[1] making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populous county in the United States. This also makes the county the most populous county on the East Coast outside of New York or Florida. Middlesex County is one of two U.S. counties (along with Santa Clara County, California) to be amongst the top 25 counties with the highest household income and the 25 most populated counties. It is included in the Census Bureau's BostonCambridgeNewton, MA–NH Metropolitan Statistical Area. As part of the 2020 United States census, the Commonwealth's mean center of population for that year was geo-centered in Middlesex County, in the town of Natick[2][a] (this is not to be confused with the geographic center of Massachusetts, which is in Rutland, Worcester County).

Middlesex County
Images, from top down, left to right: The Great Dome at MIT; Hartwell Tavern in Minute Man National Historical Park; Historic buildings of the Lowell mills; Walden Pond in Concord
Official seal of Middlesex County
Map of Massachusetts highlighting Middlesex County
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Map of the United States highlighting Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°29′N 71°23′W / 42.49°N 71.39°W / 42.49; -71.39
Country United States
State Massachusetts
FoundedMay 10, 1643
Named forMiddlesex, England
SeatLowell and Cambridge (de jure)
Largest cityCambridge
Area
 • Total
847 sq mi (2,190 km2)
 • Land818 sq mi (2,120 km2)
 • Water29 sq mi (80 km2)  3.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,632,002 Increase
 • Density1,996/sq mi (771/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th

On July 11, 1997, Massachusetts abolished the executive government of Middlesex County primarily due to the county's insolvency.[3] Middlesex County continues to exist as a geographic boundary[4] and is used primarily as district jurisdictions within the court system and for other administrative purposes; for example, as an election district. The National Weather Service weather alerts (such as severe thunderstorm warning) continue to localize based on Massachusetts's counties.

History

edit

The county was created by the Massachusetts General Court on May 10, 1643, when it was ordered that "the whole plantation within this jurisdiction be divided into four shires." Middlesex initially contained Charlestown, Cambridge, Watertown, Sudbury, Concord, Woburn, Medford, and Reading.[5] In 1649 the first Middlesex County Registry of Deeds was created in Cambridge.

On April 19, 1775, Middlesex was the site of the first armed conflict of the American Revolutionary War.

In 1855, the Massachusetts State Legislature created a minor Registry of Deeds for the Northern District of Middlesex County in Lowell.[5]

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Boston annexed several of its adjacent cities and towns including Charlestown and Brighton from Middlesex County, resulting in an enlargement and accretion toward Suffolk County.[5]

Beginning prior to the dissolution of the executive county government, the county comprised two regions with separate county seats for administrative purposes:

Since the start of the 21st century, much of the current and former county offices have physically decentralized from the Cambridge seat, with the sole exceptions being the Registry of Deeds and the Middlesex Probate and Family Court, which both retain locations in Cambridge and Lowell. Since the first quarter of 2008, the Superior Courthouse[8][9] has been seated in the city of Woburn;[10][11] the Sheriff's Office is now administratively seated in the city of Medford and the Cambridge-based County Jail[12] has since been amalgamated with another county jail facility in Billerica.[13] The Cambridge District Court (which has jurisdiction for Arlington, Belmont and Cambridge); along with the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office, although not a part of the Middlesex County government, was also relatedly forced to relocate to Medford at the time of the closure of the Superior Courthouse building in Cambridge.[14][15]

Law and government

edit

Of the fourteen counties of Massachusetts, Middlesex is one of eight[16] which have had no county government or county commissioners since July 1, 1998, when county functions were assumed by state agencies at local option following a change in state law.[4] Immediately prior to its dissolution, the executive branch consisted of three County Commissioners elected at-large to staggered four-year terms. There was a County Treasurer elected to a six-year term. The county derived its revenue primarily from document filing fees at the Registries of Deeds and from a Deeds Excise Tax; also a transfer tax was assessed on the sale price of real estate and collected by the Registries of Deeds.[17]

Budgets as proposed by the County Commissioners were approved by a County Advisory Board that consisted of a single representative of each of the 54 cities and towns in Middlesex County. The votes of the individual members of the advisory board were weighted based on the overall valuation of property in their respective communities.

The County Sheriff and two Registers of Deeds (one for the Northern District at Lowell and another for the Southern District at Cambridge) are each elected to serve six-year terms.[18] Besides the employees of the Sheriff's Office and the two Registries of Deeds, the county had a Maintenance Department, a Security Department, some administrative staff in the Treasurer's and Commissioners' Offices, and the employees of the hospital.

The county government also owned and operated the Superior Courthouse, one of which was formerly in Cambridge (since 2008 relocated to Woburn.)[8] and one in Lowell; and the defunct Middlesex County Hospital in the city of Waltham.

The legislation abolishing the Middlesex County executive retained the Sheriff and Registers of Deeds as independently elected officials, and transferred the Sheriff's Office under the state Department of Public Safety and the two Registry of Deeds offices to the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office.[19] Additionally, all county maintenance and security employees were absorbed into the corresponding staffs of the Massachusetts Trial Court. The legislation also transferred ownership of the two Superior Courthouses to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The hospital was closed. Finally, the office of County Commissioner was immediately abolished and the office of County Treasurer was abolished as of December 31, 2002.[20] Any county roads transferred to the Commonwealth as part of the dissolution. The other administrative duties (such as Sheriff, Department of Deeds and court system, etc.) and all supporting staff were transferred under the Commonwealth as well.

Administrative structure today

edit

Records of land ownership in Middlesex County continue to be maintained at the two Registries of Deeds. Besides the Sheriff and the two Registers of Deeds, the Middlesex District Attorney, the Middlesex Register of Probate and the Middlesex Clerk of Courts (which were already part of state government before the abolition of Middlesex County government) are all elected countywide to six-year terms.

In Middlesex County (as in the entirety of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts), the governmental functions such as property tax assessment and collection, public education, road repair and maintenance, and elections were all conducted at the municipal city and town level and not by the county government.

In 2012 the 22-story Superior Court Building in Cambridge which was transferred from the abolished Executive County government was sold[23][24] by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.[25] Due to its transfer from state control,[26] many local residents had tried to force the private developers to reduce the overall height of the structure.[27][28]

Even following the abolition of the executive branch for county government in Middlesex, communities are still granted a right by the Massachusetts state legislature to form their own regional compacts for sharing of services and costs thereof.

County government: Middlesex County
Clerk of Courts: Michael A. Sullivan
District Attorney: Marian T. Ryan
Register of Deeds: Richard P. Howe, Jr. (North at Lowell)
Maria C. Curtatone (South at Cambridge)
Register of Probate: Tara E. DeCristofaro
County Sheriff: Peter J. Koutoujian[29]
State government
State Representative(s): 37 Representatives[30]
State Senator(s): 16 Senators[31]
Governor's Councilor(s): Robert L. Jubinville (D-2nd district)
Marilyn M. Petitto (D-3rd district)
Eileen R. Duff (D-5th district)
Terrence W. Kennedy (D-6th district)
Paul DePalo (D-7th district)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s): Jake Auchincloss (D-4th district)
Lori Trahan (D-3rd district)
Seth Moulton (D-6th district)
Katherine Clark (D-5th district)
Ayanna Pressley (D-7th district)
U.S. Senators: Elizabeth Warren (D), Ed Markey (D)

Geography

edit

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 847 square miles (2,190 km2), of which 818 square miles (2,120 km2) is land and 29 square miles (75 km2) (3.5%) is water.[32] It is the third-largest county in Massachusetts by land area.

It is bounded southeast by the Charles River and drained by the Merrimack, Nashua, and Concord rivers, and other streams.[33]

The MetroWest region comprises much of the southern portion of the county.

Adjacent counties

edit

Transportation

edit

These routes pass through Middlesex County

National protected areas

edit

Demographics

edit
Historical population
CensusPop.Note
179042,769
180046,9289.7%
181052,78912.5%
182061,47216.4%
183077,96126.8%
1840106,61136.7%
1850161,38351.4%
1860216,35434.1%
1870274,35326.8%
1880317,83015.8%
1890431,16735.7%
1900565,69631.2%
1910669,91518.4%
1920778,35216.2%
1930934,92420.1%
1940971,3903.9%
19501,064,5699.6%
19601,238,74216.4%
19701,397,26812.8%
19801,367,034−2.2%
19901,398,4682.3%
20001,465,3964.8%
20101,503,0852.6%
20201,632,0028.6%
2023 (est.)1,623,952[34]−0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[35]
1790-1960[36] 1900-1990[37]
1990-2000[38] 2010-2020[39]

As of 2006, Middlesex County was tenth in the United States on the list of most millionaires per county.[40]

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 1,503,085 people, 580,688 households, and 366,656 families residing in the county.[41] The population density was 1,837.9 inhabitants per square mile (709.6/km2). There were 612,004 housing units at an average density of 748.3 per square mile (288.9/km2).[42] The racial makeup of the county was 80.0% white, 9.3% Asian, 4.7% black or African American, 0.2% American Indian, 3.3% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.5% of the population.[41]

The largest ancestry groups were:[43]

Of the 580,688 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.9% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.10. The median age was 38.5 years.[41]

The median income for a household in the county was $77,377 and the median income for a family was $97,382. Males had a median income of $64,722 versus $50,538 for females. The per capita income for the county was $40,139. About 5.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.[44]

79.6% spoke English, 4.3% Spanish, 2.7% Portuguese, 1.6% Italian, 1.6% Chinese including Mandarin and other Chinese dialects and 1.5% French as their first language.

Middlesex County has the largest Irish-American population of any U.S. county with a plurality of Irish ancestry.[45][46]

Demographic breakdown by town

edit

Income

edit

The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list is reflective if the census-designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.[47][48][49]

Rank Town Per capita
income
Median
household
income
Median
family
income
Population Number of
households
1 Weston Town $96,475 $180,815 $220,441 11,229 3,557
2 Sherborn Town $70,983 $152,083 $183,456 4,102 1,463
3 Wayland Town $70,185 $125,076 $151,812 12,939 4,902
4 Carlisle Town $68,060 $159,063 $171,167 4,814 1,612
5 Lexington Town $67,584 $136,610 $158,888 31,129 11,411
6 Concord Town $67,374 $127,951 $156,352 17,523 6,197
7 Winchester Town $65,172 $127,665 $160,706 21,205 7,611
8 Sudbury Town $63,862 $159,713 $173,587 17,482 5,613
9 Newton City $60,323 $109,724 $141,944 84,583 30,735
10 Lincoln Town $57,471 $130,523 $141,667 6,480 2,150
11 Hopkinton Town $56,939 $126,350 $149,213 14,691 4,893
Chestnut Hill (02467) ZCTA $55,947 $114,140 $151,375 21,952 6,237
12 Belmont Town $54,361 $99,529 $121,250 24,548 9,465
Cochituate CDP $52,936 $107,589 $133,082 6,384 2,496
13 Boxborough Town $51,159 $103,918 $134,583 4,957 1,984
14 Acton Town $49,603 $109,491 $135,000 21,656 7,924
15 Natick Town $49,012 $90,046 $117,259 32,729 13,440
16 Bedford Town $48,899 $101,886 $128,448 13,192 4,951
17 Stow Town $48,448 $112,130 $132,061 6,488 2,328
West Concord CDP $47,633 $103,693 $145,242 6,134 2,069
18 Holliston Town $47,624 $107,374 $125,236 13,512 4,918
19 Westford Town $47,587 $119,511 $135,000 21,716 7,308
20 Arlington Town $47,571 $85,059 $107,862 42,570 19,007
21 Groton Town $47,003 $117,903 $135,143 10,478 3,650
22 Ashland Town $46,626 $93,770 $116,799 16,305 6,484
23 Cambridge City $46,242 $69,017 $94,536 104,322 45,386
24 Reading Town $44,949 $99,131 $117,477 24,504 9,055
25 Chelmsford Town $42,535 $90,895 $110,967 33,610 13,304
26 North Reading Town $42,256 $104,069 $116,729 14,703 5,077
27 Dunstable Town $41,937 $109,205 $121,406 3,128 1,087
28 Littleton Town $41,815 $103,438 $114,094 8,810 3,198
Middlesex County County $41,453 $79,691 $100,267 1,491,762 577,349
29 Watertown City $41,090 $76,718 $90,521 31,792 14,042
30 Wakefield Town $40,227 $85,379 $112,293 24,794 10,058
31 Burlington Town $40,083 $92,236 $107,339 24,207 9,177
32 Melrose City $39,873 $84,599 $105,893 26,864 10,963
Groton CDP $39,208 $55,446 $127,708 1,077 507
Hopkinton CDP $38,507 $71,536 $105,882 2,110 877
33 Tyngsborough Town $38,067 $101,103 $111,780 11,198 3,797
34 Stoneham Town $37,573 $77,476 $95,490 21,413 8,909
35 Marlborough City $37,314 $72,853 $94,770 38,087 15,856
36 Wilmington Town $37,084 $100,861 $107,436 22,116 7,200
37 Pepperell Town $37,081 $84,618 $102,946 11,407 4,125
38 Maynard Town $36,818 $77,255 $93,116 10,083 4,222
39 Tewksbury Town $36,509 $86,378 $103,008 28,778 10,670
40 Hudson Town $36,141 $76,714 $95,746 18,845 7,679
Pepperell CDP $35,227 $68,500 $65,417 2,239 852
Massachusetts State $35,051 $65,981 $83,371 6,512,227 2,522,409
41 Medford City $34,615 $72,033 $83,078 55,843 22,461
Hudson CDP $33,734 $68,812 $86,216 14,797 6,129
42 Woburn City $33,725 $72,540 $87,924 37,831 15,357
43 Waltham City $33,717 $68,326 $82,233 60,209 23,520
44 Framingham City $33,665 $66,047 $86,977 67,844 26,167
Pinehurst CDP $33,572 $95,038 $100,650 7,289 2,414
45 Billerica Town $33,347 $88,531 $98,371 39,930 13,859
46 Somerville City $32,785 $64,480 $71,518 75,566 31,476
47 Ashby Town $32,434 $82,614 $84,655 3,030 1,060
48 Ayer Town $32,179 $54,899 $78,947 7,370 3,063
Littleton Common CDP $32,058 $80,352 $105,217 2,907 1,131
49 Dracut Town $31,533 $71,824 $88,281 29,249 11,173
50 Townsend Town $31,201 $76,250 $91,023 8,906 3,114
East Pepperell CDP $30,475 $74,077 $79,104 2,195 811
Ayer CDP $30,456 $42,055 $79,708 2,573 1,205
United States Country $27,915 $52,762 $64,293 306,603,772 114,761,359
Townsend CDP $27,166 $51,512 $71,023 968 453
51 Malden City $26,893 $52,842 $65,763 58,821 23,422
Shirley CDP $24,943 $41,250 $41,838 1,330 593
52 Everett City $24,575 $48,319 $58,045 41,079 15,681
53 Shirley Town $24,427 $71,146 $78,493 7,235 2,189
54 Lowell City $23,600 $51,471 $57,934 105,860 39,399
Devens CDP $13,933 $72,986 $73,194 1,704 113

Law enforcement

edit
Middlesex Sheriff's Office
 
Patch of the Middlesex Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationMSO
Agency overview
Formed1692; 332 years ago (1692)
Employees800
Annual budget$60 Million
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionMassachusetts, U.S.
Legal jurisdictionCounty of Middlesex, Massachusetts
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersMedford, Massachusetts
Sheriff responsible
Facilities
Lockups2
Patrol VehiclesFord Crown Victoria Police Interceptor

The primary responsibility of the Middlesex Sheriff's Office is oversight of the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail in Billerica. It formerly ran the Middlesex Jail in Cambridge, which closed on June 28, 2014. In addition, the Sheriff's Office operates the Office of Civil Process and, the Lowell Community Counseling Centers, and crime prevention and community service programs. The office of sheriff was created in 1692, making it one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. The sheriff is elected to a 6-year term.[50]

Notable sheriffs include:[51]

Politics

edit
Voter registration and party enrollment as of August 2024[52]
Unenrolled 712,349 62.46%
Democratic 327,852 29.07%
Republican 77,758 6.9%
Libertarian 3,095 0.27%
Other parties 6,641 0.59%
Total 1,127,675 100%

Prior to 1960, Middlesex County was a Republican Party stronghold, backing only two Democratic Party presidential candidates from 1876 to 1956. The 1960 election started a reverse trend, with the county becoming a Democratic stronghold. This has been even more apparent in recent years, with George H. W. Bush in 1988 being the last Republican presidential candidate to manage forty percent of the county's votes and Mitt Romney in 2012 being the last Republican presidential candidate to manage even thirty percent of the vote. In 2020, Joe Biden won 71% of the vote, the highest percent for any presidential candidate since 1964.

United States presidential election results for Middlesex County, Massachusetts[53]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 226,956 26.28% 617,196 71.47% 19,425 2.25%
2016 219,793 27.59% 520,360 65.31% 56,582 7.10%
2012 267,321 35.45% 471,804 62.56% 15,045 1.99%
2008 245,766 33.85% 464,484 63.98% 15,781 2.17%
2004 237,815 34.52% 440,862 63.99% 10,283 1.49%
2000 198,914 30.27% 404,043 61.49% 54,091 8.23%
1996 169,926 27.06% 398,190 63.41% 59,861 9.53%
1992 193,703 28.10% 343,994 49.89% 151,756 22.01%
1988 290,352 43.82% 361,563 54.57% 10,713 1.62%
1984 319,604 49.42% 325,065 50.26% 2,085 0.32%
1980 256,999 40.30% 270,751 42.46% 109,929 17.24%
1976 260,044 40.42% 359,919 55.94% 23,419 3.64%
1972 269,064 43.56% 345,343 55.91% 3,244 0.53%
1968 188,304 32.60% 370,310 64.11% 18,982 3.29%
1964 134,729 23.36% 439,790 76.25% 2,291 0.40%
1960 246,126 40.78% 356,130 59.01% 1,260 0.21%
1956 343,125 61.12% 216,668 38.60% 1,580 0.28%
1952 316,069 56.99% 236,910 42.72% 1,626 0.29%
1948 228,262 46.98% 248,240 51.09% 9,406 1.94%
1944 236,102 52.81% 210,253 47.03% 725 0.16%
1940 242,658 52.36% 218,663 47.18% 2,116 0.46%
1936 199,704 47.60% 189,512 45.17% 30,304 7.22%
1932 184,486 50.44% 174,257 47.64% 7,008 1.92%
1928 189,189 52.00% 173,339 47.64% 1,313 0.36%
1924 162,530 63.68% 64,544 25.29% 28,161 11.03%
1920 156,636 69.90% 61,661 27.52% 5,781 2.58%
1916 60,802 53.77% 49,844 44.08% 2,426 2.15%
1912 30,511 29.66% 36,689 35.67% 35,667 34.67%
1908 58,672 61.19% 31,362 32.71% 5,853 6.10%
1904 55,704 60.63% 32,889 35.80% 3,275 3.56%
1900 49,638 60.57% 29,476 35.97% 2,841 3.47%
1896 57,281 71.36% 19,591 24.41% 3,394 4.23%
1892 40,375 52.37% 34,769 45.10% 1,946 2.52%
1888 35,768 54.31% 28,570 43.38% 1,519 2.31%
1884 27,654 48.50% 22,206 38.95% 7,157 12.55%
1880 30,339 59.31% 19,801 38.71% 1,013 1.98%
1876 27,304 58.02% 19,561 41.57% 193 0.41%
1872 26,570 68.12% 12,434 31.88% 0 0.00%
1868 24,694 66.47% 12,454 33.53% 0 0.00%


Communities

edit
 
1889 map of Middlesex County
 
Map of Middlesex County, with Cambridge highlighted

Most municipalities in Middlesex County have a town form of government; the remainder are cities, and are so designated on this list. Villages listed below are census or postal divisions but have no separate corporate or statutory existence from the cities and towns in which they are located.

Cities

edit

Towns

edit

Census-designated places

edit

Other villages and neighborhoods

edit

Education

edit

School districts include:[54]

K-12:

Secondary:

Elementary:

Tertiary institutions include:

Culture

edit

Middlesex County is home to the Middlesex County Volunteers, a fife and drum corps that plays music from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Founded in 1982 at the end of the United States Bicentennial celebration, the group performs extensively throughout New England. They have also performed at the Boston Pops, throughout the British Isles and Western Europe, and at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo's Salute to Australia in Sydney, Australia.

See also

edit

Explanatory notes

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Middlesex County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "STATEFP,STNAME,POPULATION,LATITUDE,LONGITUDE". United States Census Bureau. April 1, 2020. Archived from the original on April 1, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Concannon, Brendan (2014). "Massachusetts County Government: A Viable Institution?". Undergraduate Review. 10. Bridgewater State University: 55–62. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Mass. Gen. L. c. 34B
  5. ^ a b c Davis, William T. Bench and Bar of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, p. 44. The Boston History Company, 1895.
  6. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Mass. Gen. L. c. 36, § 1
  8. ^ a b Moskowitz, Eric (February 14, 2008). "Court move a hassle for commuters". Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  9. ^ Redmond, Lisa (March 10, 2008). "Middlesex Superior Court moving to Woburn". Digital First Media. Lowell Sun. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018. WOBURN – Middlesex Superior Court, currently located in the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge, will move to a new facility in Woburn in the TradeCenter on Sylvan Road beginning Friday, according to Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan.
  10. ^ "Press Release: Middlesex Superior Court Moves to Woburn". Cummings Properties, LLC. March 17, 2008. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018. Woburn, MA, March 17, 2008 – The new furniture has been installed, years of case files have been dusted off, moved and organized, and the computers are all hooked up and ready to go. After 40 years in Cambridge, the Superior Court is open and ready for business in Woburn. [ ... ] Serving nearly all of the 54 communities in Middlesex County, the new Woburn building houses 15 courtrooms, clerks' offices, judges' chambers, the probation department, the law library, and more. In addition, the Court estimates that more than 400 people will use the building every day, including, lawyers, judges, administrative staff, jurors, plaintiffs, defendants, visitors, and others who work at the building and use the system.
  11. ^ Properties, Cummings (September 20, 2013). "Press Release:Middlesex Superior Court renews lease in Woburn". Cummings Properties, Business. Patch Media. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 31, 2018. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has extended its lease for the Middlesex County Superior Courthouse at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn for a seven-year term. This renewal comes five years after the Court moved from the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge, which was in need of extensive renovations and has since been slated for redevelopment.
  12. ^ Hanson, Melissa (June 28, 2014). "Middlesex Jail in Cambridge closes". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. The Middlesex Jail at the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge closed Saturday after 32 years of operation, according to Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian.
  13. ^ Boeri, David (June 30, 2014). "One Last Elevator Ride Down: Cambridge High-Rise Jail Is No More". WBUR. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. A high-security weekend operation has emptied the Middlesex County Jail in Cambridge of all its inmates.
  14. ^ Barry, Rob (February 26, 2009). "Cambridge Court opens in Medford". WickedLocal. GateHouse Media, LLC. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. The Cambridge District Court moved into Medford this week, placing itself in the former Cross Country building at 4040 Mystic Valley Pkwy.
  15. ^ Kenney, Joan; Whiting, Charlotte (February 17, 2009). "Third District Court of Middlesex County Relocates From Cambridge to Medford" (PDF). Public Information Office. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Boston Bar Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan today announced that the Third District Court of Middlesex County, currently located in the Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge, will move to a new court facility on the Mystic Valley Parkway in Medford after the close of business on February 20, 2009, and open for business at this new site on Monday, February 23, 2009.
  16. ^ "General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 34B. Abolition of County Government". Massachusetts General Court. Archived from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  17. ^ Middlesex County Directory: 1993-1995, (Cambridge: Middlesex County Commissioners Office, 1995)
  18. ^ Mass. Gen. L. c. 34, § 4
  19. ^ Mass. Gen. L. c. 34B, § 10
  20. ^ Mass. Gen. L. c. 34B, § 2
  21. ^ Conklin, Edwin P. (1927). Middlesex County and Its People. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company. p. 119. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Edward M. Burns, Esq. (October 20, 2009). "History of Middlesex Sheriff's Office". Middlesex Special Sheriff. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009.
  23. ^ Baldassari, Erin (December 17, 2012). "Leggat McCall wins bid for Sullivan Courthouse redevelopment in Cambridge". WickedLocal. GateHouse Media, LLC. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved December 17, 2012. Leggat McCall Properties was selected from a pool of seven bidders to redevelop the 22-story, 600,000-square-foot EJ Sullivan Courthouse in East Cambridge, the state announced Friday, Dec. 14.
  24. ^ Parker, Brock (November 16, 2011). "State advertising 22-story Sullivan Courthouse, seeking to sell by September". Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. State officials are advertising for a buyer for the 22-story, asbestos-plagued Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse in Cambridge and hope to move prisoners housed in county jail at the facility to another location by the spring of 2013.
  25. ^ Ansari, Esq., Maryam K. (December 19, 2012). "Cambridge Residents Contesting Plans for Sullivan Courthouse". FindLaw Network. Boston Real Estate Law News. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018.
  26. ^ Goodison, Donna (July 20, 2017). "Cambridge courthouse judged fit for redo". Boston Herald and Herald Media. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. The Appeals Court upheld a 2015 Land Court decision that determined the former Edward J. Sullivan Courthouse, when transferred from state ownership to private ownership under Boston developer Leggat McCall Properties, would still be considered a legal, preexisting nonconforming structure despite losing its government immunity from zoning rules.
  27. ^ Chesto, Jon (August 8, 2017). "A towering dilemma in East Cambridge". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved February 10, 2018. The developers who want to remodel the imposing former courthouse tower in East Cambridge and enliven its ground floor had hoped an appeals court decision last month was the final green light they needed.
  28. ^ Staff writer (July 20, 2017). "40 Thorndike Street". Bldup.com. BLDUP. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2018. Upcoming mixed-use development located steps from Kendall Square that will transform the existing 22-story Sullivan Courthouse and Middlesex Jail tower in East Cambridge into a 20-story mixed-use tower. The new 40 Thorndike Street will feature approximately 430,000 square feet of office, research & development space and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, along with 24 apartment residences on lower floors. Lower office floors will be marketed to startup companies as innovation space. Retail will include a grocery store and a health club; a daycare could be included as well.
  29. ^ "Peter J. Koutoujian : Biography". December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on December 9, 2013. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  30. ^ "Representative Districts". Archived from the original on May 30, 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  31. ^ "Massachusetts General Court – Senatorial Districts". Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2007.
  32. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  33. ^ Ripley, George; Dana, Charles A., eds. (1879). "Middlesex: I. A N. E. county of Massachusetts" . The American Cyclopædia.
  34. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  35. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  36. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  37. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 28, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  38. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  39. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  40. ^ Sahadi, Jeanne (March 28, 2006). "Top 10 millionaire counties". CNN. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  41. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  42. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  43. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  44. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  45. ^ "US Census Press Releases". February 25, 2006. Archived from the original on February 25, 2006.
  46. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved December 7, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  47. ^ "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  48. ^ "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  49. ^ "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  50. ^ "Middlesex Sheriff". Middlesexsheriff.org. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  51. ^ Edward M. Burns, Esq. (October 20, 2009). "History of Middlesex Sheriff's Office". Middlesex Special Sheriff. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009.
  52. ^ "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts" (PDF). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. August 24, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
  53. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  54. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Middlesex County, MA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list Archived July 22, 2022, at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography

edit

Further reading

edit
  • Jedidiah Morse (1797). "Middlesex". The American Gazetteer. Boston, Massachusetts: At the presses of S. Hall, and Thomas & Andrews. OL 23272543M.
  • Edwin P. Conklin, Middlesex County and Its People: A History. In Four Volumes. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co., 1927.
  • Samuel Adams Drake, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: Containing Carefully Prepared Histories of Every City and Town in the County. Boston: Estes and Lauriat, 1880. Volume 1 | Volume 2
  • D. Hamilton Hurd, History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts: With Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men. In Three Volumes. Philadelphia, PA: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1890. Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3
  • Robert H. Rodgers, Middlesex County in the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay in New England: Records of Probate and Administration, February 1670/71 – June 1676. Rockport, ME: Picton Press, 2005.
edit