Fitchburg
Fitchburg is the name of some places in the United States of America:
Other
- Fitchburg Line, the train line which ends there
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.
History
Fitchburg was first settled in 1730 as part of Lunenburg, and was officially set apart from that township and incorporated in 1764. It is named for John Fitch, one of the committee that procured the act of incorporation. In July 1748 Fitch and his family, living in this isolated spot, were abducted to Canada by Native Americans, but returned the next year.
Fitchburg is situated on both the Nashua River and a railroad line. The original Fitchburg Railroad ran through the Hoosac Tunnel, linking Boston and Albany, New York. The tunnel was built using the Burleigh Rock Drill, designed and built in Fitchburg. Fitchburg was a 19th-century industrial center. Originally operated by water power, large mills produced machines, tools, clothing, paper, and firearms. The city is noted for its architecture, particularly in the Victorian style, built at the height of its mill town prosperity. A few examples of these 19th century buildings are the Fay Club, the old North Worcester County Courthouse and the Bullock house.
Fitchburg (MBTA station)
The Fitchburg Intermodal Transportation Center is a passenger rail and bus station located in downtown Fitchburg, Massachusetts. It serves as the terminus of the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line and a hub for Montachusett Regional Transit Authority local and intercity bus routes. At 49.6 miles (79.8 km) from North Station, Fitchburg is the outermost MBTA station in Massachusetts; only Wickford Junction and T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island are further afield.
History
After having closed in 1965 due to lapsed subsidies, Fitchburg reopened in 1980 as part of an extension of the line from South Acton to Gardner. Fitchburg has been the outer terminus of Fitchburg Line service since Gardner closed in 1987, but Wachusett will become the new terminus when it opens in 2016.
The still-extant 1980 station - a short stretch of bare asphalt - was replaced by the modern handicapped-accessible platform around 2002. The platform is part of the Fitchburg Intermodal Transportation Center, which also includes a 400-space parking garage, bus bays, waiting rooms, and offices.
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