Shrewsbury #3: Central MA’s Best Communities

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Friday, June 29, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Best Communities Team

Once home to Spag’s, a discount store owned by local businessman Anthony Borgatti, #3 Shrewsbury is now a thriving community with a blend of residential and commercial development. Locals know that the “Spag’s Mentality” means expecting not to pay full price for anything.

The town, which boasts beautiful parks and lakes, is also home to three Nationally Registered Historic Places: The Gen. Artemas Ward Homestead, the Shrewsbury Historic District, and two 1767 Milestones, which marked the route of the old Boston Post Road.

Shrewsbury makes it into the top ten in four of GoLocalWorcester's six metrics: education (#2), restaurants (#6), safety (#8) and economic condition (#10).  It ranks 61st for affordability. 

Established: 1727
Population: 35,608
Median household income: $85,697
Median housing price: $331,875

2012 Best Communities rankings
Overall ranking: 3
Affordability ranking: 61
Education ranking: 2
Economic condition ranking: 10
Safety ranking: 8
Arts & Culture ranking: 68
Restaurant ranking: 6

History in a nutshell:

After its settlement in 1722, Shrewsbury developed as an agricultural community, first focusing on apple orchards, and then, with the development of the leather industry, began geared towards cattle herding. As many town began industrially developing in the 19th century, Shrewsbury lacked sufficient waterpower and, instead, evolved as a suburb of Worcester. 

Famous residents:  

Lillian Asplund, Last American survivor of the SS Titanic
Gregory McDonald, Author
Craig C Mello, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine
Francis Patrick O'Connor, Massachusetts Supreme Court Judge
Robert Allan Ridley Parker, Director of the NSA Management Office at the Jet Propulsion Lab
Charles P Pierce, Journalist, panelist on NPR

Famous residents source: Wikipedia
Additional reporting by Grace Fenton

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