Stoughton (official name: Town of Stoughton) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 29,281 at the 2020 census. The town is located approximately 17 miles (27 km) from Boston, 31 miles (50 km) from Providence, Rhode Island, and 35 miles (56 km) from Cape Cod.

History

Stoughton was settled in 1713, and officially incorporated in 1726 from the southwestern portion of the large town of Dorchester. At its founding, it included the current towns of Sharon (which separated in 1765), Canton (which separated in 1797) and Avon (which separated in 1888). It was named after William Stoughton, who was the first chief justice of the Colonial Courts, and the most relentless and recalcitrant judge during Salem Witch Trials, who refused to acknowledge the trials were anything but successful and was infuriated when they were ended by Governor Phips.

The Suffolk Resolves were written in Old Stoughton (current day Milton, Massachusetts) at Doty’s Tavern. The meeting included the Rev. Samuel Dunbar and Paul Revere; the site was chosen by Samuel Adams and Dr. Joseph Warren.

Originally an agricultural community, Stoughton developed into an important shoemaking center. In 1874, the Stoughton Public Library was established.

The oldest choral society in the United States is located in Stoughton. Founded in 1786 as The Stoughton Musical Society, it is now known as the Old Stoughton Musical Society. It has the oldest constitution of any musical society in the United States, written in 1787, only a few weeks after the United States Constitution. In 1893, this musical society distinguished itself by performing several concerts at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, heard by an audience of several thousand people. In 1986, the musical society celebrated its bicentennial with a series of concerts and special events.

In 1940, artist Jean Watson painted the mural A Massachusetts Countryside as a project of the WPA. The artwork is currently on display in the attic at the Stoughton Historic Society.

The “Save Our Stoughton” campaign attracted national attention in the 1980s for their work picketing a local adult book store. Most recently, Stoughton became the first municipality in Massachusetts to declare itself a “No Place for Hate” town.

Stoughton’s train station was built in 1888, and is the only one in Massachusetts to house a clock tower. The station is unique in another way as it was built out of stones from a West Street quarry that belonged to Stoughton resident Myron Gilbert. In 1974, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over one million dollars was raised to restore the station to its original luster in time for the 100th anniversary. In 2009, however, the MBTA permanently closed the station, which stood at the terminus of the Stoughton Branch of the MBTA’s Providence/Stoughton Line. The building still stood but remained closed to the public as of 2015. In 2015, members of Town Meeting voted to purchase the train station from the state. Plans for use of the property are being developed by the Community Preservation Committee.

On May 9, 2013, a weak, brief, and unexpected tornado touched down in Stoughton, with minor damage occurring. The tornado was rated EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita scale after the National Weather Service office in Taunton, Massachusetts confirmed this tornado in a damage survey on May 10.

Education

Stoughton Public Schools operates public schools. There is one public high school in Stoughton, one public middle school, five elementary schools and several parochial and private schools in nearby towns. The town recently completed the construction of the new high school, which was ready for the 2019–2020 school year. The old high school was demolished, and is where the new athletic fields were placed. Parts of the original High School were used to create a wall at the entrance.

At the joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen, the Stoughton School Committee and the SHS Building Committee on Tuesday November 17, 2015, there was a unanimous vote to endorse the building project by both the Board of Selectmen and the Stoughton School Committee.

The Stoughton High School Building Committee voted on Thursday, November 12, 2015, to recommend to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) that the town construct option C2A, to build a new Stoughton High School. The preliminary cost analysis for the total project is estimated to be $126,137,847. The projected state reimbursement is estimated at $54,598,291. The town’s protected share of the cost is estimated to be $71,539,557.

Demographics

As of the 2010 Census, there were 26,962 people, 10,295 households, and 7,099 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,654.1 inhabitants per square mile (638.7/km). There were 10,818 housing units at an average density of 663.7 per square mile (256.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 80.2% White, 11.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 1.3% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.2% of the population.

There were 10,295 households, out of which 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 51.5% were married couples living together; 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present; and 31.0% were non-families. Of all households, 25.6% were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 81.5% of age 16 years and over, 78.7% of age 18 years and over, 75.7% of age 21 years and over, 20.1% of age 62 years and over, and 16.4% of age 65 years and over. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.

Stoughton has a history of manufacturing and an emerging cluster of regional retail, as well as a substantial base of land zoned for commercial and industrial purposes. The major commercial and industrial areas in town are located adjacent to Route 24 and along routes 138, 139, and 27; but smaller areas are interspersed with residential zones due to the community’s industrial past. The town has significant protected open space resources, including the Bird Street Sanctuary, water department lands, recreational fields, and a municipal golf course. Additional privately owned, but not protected, undeveloped lands are an important factor in the character of the community. Stoughton has good access to the regional roadway network, being served by several state routes and three interchanges on Route 24. Stoughton also has access to regional transit, being served by bus from Brockton and MBTA Commuter Rail at the station in downtown Stoughton.