Orange MA

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Orange MA is located in Franklin County, Massachusetts with a population of around 8 thousand people

Photo below shows a train arriving in Orange MA (Click image to open larger view in new window)

Orange MA Information and History

Orange MA has a town website. Quick links include Departments, Boards and Committees, Meetings and Agendas, Staff Directory, Public Records, and Schools.

From wikipedia:

Orange was first settled in 1746, created from lands in the towns of Royalston, Warwick and Athol. The lands were not fully settled until the latter parts of the century, becoming the District of Orange in 1783, and finally being incorporated as a town in 1810. It was named for William, Prince of Orange. In 1790, the Millers River was dammed within town, and industry began in the former farming community. Small industry grew within the town, with the town being considered more of a mill town by 1840. By the late nineteenth century the New Home Sewing Machine Company was the largest industry in town, putting out 1.2 million machines at its peak in 1892. In 1900, it was home to the pioneer automobile company Grout, considered the first automobile built in a factory in the United States.

The Peace Statue — It Shall Not Be Again — a bronze war memorial statue was erected in Memorial Park in 1934 to recognize veterans who served in World War I. On February 25, 2000 the legislature designated it the official peace statue of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.0 square miles (93.3 km²), of which 35.1 square miles (90.9 km²) is land and 0.93 square miles (2.4 km²), or 2.58%, is water. Orange is drained by the Millers River, which flows through the center of the modern town. There are also several brooks within town, as well as several ponds and lakes, including Tully Pond, Lake Mattawa and part of Lake Rohunta. Only a small portion of the town is protected area, most of which is part of the Orange State Forest, with a small portion being part of the Warwick State Forest. Much of the northern half of town is spotted with swamps, and the town is home to three large hills, Temple Hill and Tully Mountain in the north and Chestnut Hill, the town’s highest point, in the south.

Orange is the easternmost town within Franklin County along its border with Worcester County. The town center lies 18 miles (29 km) east of Greenfield, 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Worcester, 42 miles (68 km) northeast of Springfield and 72 miles (116 km) west-northwest of Boston. It is bordered by Royalston to the northeast, Athol to the southeast, New Salem to the south, Wendell to the southwest, a small portion of Erving to the west, and Warwick to the northwest.

The town lies along Massachusetts Route 2, the major east-west route across the northern part of the state. Except for the westernmost tenth of a mile, the entire road is a limited access highway through town. The highway portion ends at the junction of Route 2A, which passes just north of the Millers River near the town center, heading east into Athol and following Route 2’s former right of way. Orange is also home to the southern terminus of Route 78 and the northern terminus of Route 122. Additionally, the western end of the concurrency between Route 2 and U.S. Route 202 is just within town.

The Springfield Terminal railway passes through town, crossing the Millers River several times in the western side of town. The Fitchburg Railroad and later Boston and Maine once provided passenger rail service to Orange; however, these trains have long ceased operating and today only freight passes through the town.

Two local bus routes, the Orange/Greenfield Route of the Franklin Regional Transit Authority, and the Gardner/Orange Route of Montachusett Regional Transit Authority, provide service along Route 2A.

The Town of Orange owns and operates Orange Municipal Airport (IATA: ORE, ICAO: KORE), a small air service airstrip which also serves as a flight training center and parachuting center. The nearest national air service can be reached either at Bradley International Airport to the south or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport to the northeast.

For Orange MA annual Events and Attractions, please visit our page for all Franklin County Attractions.

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