Pembroke facts at a glance

Jennifer Bayliss

· Pembroke is located 26 miles southeast of Boston, 16 miles north of Plymouth, and 14 miles east of Brockton.
· The current population is 18,270.
· Pembroke has experienced what can be described as spectacular growth over the seventy-year period 1930 to 2000. During that time the town has increased by over one thousand percent, from a population level of 1,492 in 1930 to 16,927 in the year 2000.
· Most of the growth occurred during the 1950’s when the population almost doubled from 2,579 to 4,919 and from 1960 to 1970 when the population more than doubled again, increasing from 4,919 to 11,193.
· Pembroke is only 23.48 square miles, but only 21.85 miles of land area.
· Pembroke has traditionally been an agricultural and industrial community, but since World War II has become primarily a residential community providing housing for persons working in the greater Boston metropolitan area.
· The Town of Pembroke was formerly part of Duxbury and was established in the year 1712.
· Earliest known settlers of Pembroke were Robert Barker and Dolor Davis in 1650.
· Native Americans settled along the North River to grow crops.
· Most notable of the town’s resources are its water resources which include the North River and Indian Head River; its ponds, Oldham, Furnace, Great Sandy Bottom, Little Sandy Bottom, and Stetson Ponds; and Silver Lake.
· The Town’s ponds, streams and marshes are the home of herring that were prized so much that in 1741, the Town began regulating the taking and preservation of the fish.
· The herring are celebrated each year at the Town’s annual “Grande Old Fish Fry.”
· The ponds and streams also provided power for various mills, including grist, flour and sawmills. Later, shipbuilding and box manufacturing became important factors in the development of the town.
· The Pembroke Iron Works was established in 1720 and used iron dredged from the bottom of the ponds. Ice was cut from the ponds, stored in icehouses, and used in the summer months for food preservation.
· Because of its proximity to timber and location on the river, the Town in its early years was known for its ship building industry. The North River was the location of five shipyards – Brick Kiln Yard, Seabury Point, Job’s Landing, Turner’s Yard and Macy’s.
· Between 1678 and 1871, 1,025 vessels were produced on the shores of the North River. The Brick Kiln Yard was where the Beaver was built; it was one of the ships involved in the Boston Tea party.
· Other famous North River Ships include the Columbia, the Bedford and the Maria. The Columbia was the first ship to sail around the Cape of Good Hope and the Columbia River is named after it, the Bedford was the first ship to sail into a foreign port flying the American Flag, and the Maria is depicted on the Town Seal.
· By 1924 there were 17 cranberry growers in the Pembroke directory, with 14 producers listed as having Bryantville addresses.
· In the same year there were 14 poultry farmers listed indicating that by that time poultry raising was well established in town.
· In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the ponds became an attraction for summer vacationers seeking relief from the heat in the cities. The Brockton and Plymouth Railway co. initiated trolley service from Brockton and facilitated the development of Mayflower Grove in Bryantville as a popular summer recreation venue.
· The attractiveness of the ponds for summer recreation led to the development of numerous, dense cottage colonies built along their shores.
· Pembroke's school system has adapted to reflect the population shifts and changing educational goals of the community.
· Pembroke has expanded to an independent PreK-12 school system to best meet the needs of an enrollment that is expected to increase by 17.32% over the next ten years.
· The newly established Pembroke High School and Pembroke Community Middle School as well as the recent expansion and renovation of the elementary schools are evidence of the community’s personal and financial support.
· The Pembroke Public School System consists of three elementary schools: North Pembroke Elementary, Hobomock Elementary, and Bryantville Elementary.
· In addition, there is a middle school and high school: Pembroke Community Middle School and Pembroke High School.

http://www.townofpembrokemass.org
http://www.pembroke.mec.edu/