Welcome to Shrewsbury, Massachusetts
History
First settled in 1722, Shrewsbury was incorporated in 1727. The town’s historic sites include the General Artemas Ward Homestead on Main Street, located across from Dean Park, and the Shrewsbury Historic District, near the town center. Over the years, the town grew to its current size of around 21 square miles. The heart of Shrewsbury is its historic Town Common with the towering spire of the First Congregational Church providing a quintessential New England backdrop.
Location
Shrewsbury is located 34 miles west of Boston in the heart of Central Massachusetts, across Lake Quinsigamond from Worcester, New England’s second-largest city. Shrewsbury residents enjoy easy access to Worcester’s vibrant urban cultural scene, restaurants and shopping, hospitals, and several colleges and universities. Other towns bordering Shrewsbury include Westborough, Northborough, and Grafton. The town’s zip code is 01545.
Community Demographics
The 2014 Census calculated Shrewsbury’s growing population at 35,583, comprised of approximately 12,000 households. Average household size was estimated to be 2.69 people.
In 2010, Shrewsbury’s median household income was $83,839, with an average home value of $334,467. Unemployment rates in 2010 were significantly below the state average. Shrewsbury residents enjoy property taxes well below those paid in other similar communities across Massachusetts. Many Shrewsbury residents are employed in professional, scientific, and technical industries, with more than 90% of residents holding a high school degree and nearly half in possession of a Bachelor’s degree.
Municipal Services and Utilities
The Shrewsbury Police Department consists of 55 employees, including 43 officers and an auxiliary police unit. The town is home to three fire stations staffed by 52 personnel.
SELCO (Shrewsbury Electric and Cable Operations) is responsible for town electricity and also provides cable, Internet, and telephone service. Water and sewer services are managed by the Shrewsbury Water Department. The town’s natural gas provider is Eversource. Several local oil companies provide fuel oil for homes with oil heating.
Other town services include its Council on Aging, fingerprinting, a town-wide parks and recreation department, home security checks, firearms safety courses, trash collection and recycling, and voter registration. Information on the above services, as well as the Shrewsbury School Department, can be found at the Town Hall and adjacent police station.
Information on town municipal and government services can be found at https://shrewsburyma.gov/.
Government
Shrewsbury’s local government consists of an elected Board of Selectmen and a Town Meeting comprised of elected members as well as an appointed town manager and finance committee.
Parks and Recreation
Shrewsbury’s Parks and Recreation Department offers seasonal classes and sports opportunities for all ages. The town is home to several parks and playgrounds, including sports fields and courts, fishing ponds, and picnic facilities. The Shrewsbury Trails Committee oversees a network of walking and running trails. Lake Quinsigamond offers residents opportunities for swimming and sailing. Ski Ward Ski Area is a local ski area with several runs of varying difficulty, opportunities for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing, and snow making capabilities.
Cultural Opportunities
The Shrewsbury Public Library recently underwent a renovation designed to expand its facilities and services. The expansion was be completed in 2016, adding state-of-the-art technology and additional space to existing amenities. The library offers residents a variety of opportunities, including reading circles, classes, special events, and museum passes as well as a collection of varied media materials.
Shrewsbury is also home to a vibrant Senior Center located at the center of town near the town hall. Clubs and organizations include Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services [http://www.syfs-ma.org/], local chapters of the Lions Club and Rotary International, and the Shrewsbury Social Club, which organizes interest groups such as book clubs, recipe sharing, restaurant nights, and golf and ski clubs.
The Spirit of Shrewbsury is a town festival held each fall featuring a parade and town-wide activities. Saint Mary’s Church also holds an annual festival.
The Shrewsbury Historical Society is located on the Town Common.
Schools
Shrewsbury is home to a number of high-achieving public and private elementary and secondary schools. Shrewsbury Public Schools consistently receive high marks at both state and national level.
Public schools include:
Parker Road Preschool (grade Pre-K)
Beal Early Education Center (grades K-1)
Calvin Coolidge (grades K-4)
Floral Elementary (grades 1-4)
Walter J. Paton Elementary (grades K-4)
Spring Street Elementary (grades K-4)
Sherwood Middle School (grades 5-6)
Oak Middle School (grades 7-8)
Shrewsbury High School (grades 9-12)
Shrewsbury is currently in the process of replacing the existing Beal Early Education center with a new K-4 elementary school designed to accommodate the town’s growing population of students. Two building sites are under consideration and an architectural design is in development.
The Shrewsbury school district offers full-day kindergarten to a limited number of students; participants are selected by lottery. The public schools regularly garner accolades for student performance despite the town’s low property taxes.
Private schools include:
Al-Hamra Academy (grades PreK-8)
Kinder Care Learning Center (grades Pre-K-K)
Lilliput Early Childhood Center (grades Pre-K-2)
Shrewsbury Children’s Center (grades Pre-K-K)
Shrewsbury Montessori School (grades Pre-K-6)
St. John’s High School (grades 9-12)
St. Mary Elementary School (pre-K-8)
Services
Shrewsbury shares the services of the local chapter of the YMCA with other nearby communities such as Northborough and Westborough.
The town is home to an abundance of grocery stores, including Stop & Shop, Trader’s Joe’s, Price Chopper, and Shaw’s Supermarket. Whole Foods opened a store in the new Lakeway Commons development on Route 9 across the lake from Worcester.
Restaurants include Willy’s Steakhouse and Amici’s Italian Trattoria (both located in the town center), Lakeside Bar & Grille , Osaka Japanese Restaurant and Sawa Asian Bistro (offering hibachi and sushi options), several other Asian bistros, multiple pizzerias, and franchises such as Dunkin Donuts, Panera, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The Lakeway Commons development features a Tavern in the Square restaurant as well as Burton’s Grill.
Business and Industry
Click here to see a list of the Largest 100 Employers in Shrewsbury with links to their websites.
- Metso Automation USA Inc
- Charles River Laboratories Inc
- Umass Online
- University of MA System
- A A Transportation Co
- Christmas Tree Shops
- Exsel Plastics
- Shrewsbury Public Schools
- Hebert Confections LLC
- Shrewsbury Nursing Rehab Center
- Shrewsbury Parks Dept
- Southgate Residential Services
- St Anne’s Human Services
- Tri-State Trucking Ctr Inc
- Amici Trattoria
- Bed Bath & Beyond
- Benchmark Senior Living
- Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar
- Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse
- C O F C U
- Central One Federal CU
- Family Tree Home Care
- Knights Airport Limousine Service
- Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury
- Metso Minerals
- Nextgen Invent Corp
- Ranger Automation Systems Inc
- Softlabs Na Inc
- Source International Co
- Surveys & Analysis Inc
Shrewsbury Fun Facts
Shrewsbury is home to the Hebert Candy Mansion, producers of the first white chocolate in the U.S.
The current lakeside shopping area of White City is located on the former site of the White City Amusement Park, which operated on the shore of Lake Quinsigamond from 1905 to 1960.
