Raynham

Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center. The area which would become Raynham was settled in 1639 as a part of Taunton. In 1652, iron was found along the Two Mile (Forge) River, and the town claims to be the site of one of the first successful iron works in America, and the last of those early iron works to officially close (in 1872). The ea... more

Raynham is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,739 at the 2000 census. It has one village, Raynham Center. The area which would become Raynham was settled in 1639 as a part of Taunton. In 1652, iron was found along the Two Mile (Forge) River, and the town claims to be the site of one of the first successful iron works in America, and the last of those early iron works to officially close (in 1872). The eastern end of Taunton, was separated from Taunton and was incorporated as Raynham (named for the English town of Raynham in County of Norfolk, England) in 1731. Many ships' hulls were built along the Taunton River in Raynham, which were sailed down the river towards Fall River and Narragansett Bay for final fittings. The town also had other small manufacturing industries, but for the most part it was, and still is, known for its rural and agrarian base. The intersection of Interstate 495 and Route 24, a four-lane divided highway, is located at... less