Gardner

History

Named in honor of Thomas Gardner, the land was first settled by Europeans in 1764 and was officially incorporated as a town in 1785, after receiving land grants from the surrounding towns of Ashburnham, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon. In circa 1805, Gardner became a center for lumber and furniture industries, and is now known as "The Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England", due to its long history of production in that industry. By 1910, there were twenty chair factories, which produced four million chairs per year. It was also noted for silversmithing. The Gardner State Hospital pioneered the use of cottage residences. In 1922, the seal of Gardner was designed by the native-born illustrator Harrison Cady. According to city code, the seal portrays Thomas Gardner standing in front of Crystal Lake with Mount Monadnock in the distance. Within five smaller circles there is a chair, representing the importance of the furniture industry to city economy, as well as the letters W, W, A, and T, representing the surrounding towns of Westminster, Winchendon, Ashburnham, and Templeton, which all contributed land to the city at its founding. Gardner was incorporated as a city in 1923. Gardner is the birthplace of the Heywood-Wakefield Company, dating from 1826 when the five Heywood brothers, Walter, Levi, Seth, Benjamin, and William, began to fashion wooden chairs and furniture in a barn near their family farm. In the early years, Walter fashioned chairs by hand, also using a foot lathe. He was soon joined by Levi and Benjamin on a part-time basis, while running a nearby country store. In 1831, Levi moved to Boston, where he established an outlet store to sell the chairs, while Benjamin and William remained in Gardner to manufacture them. A fire destroyed…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Gardner has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.52%, is water. The city is situated on Crystal Lake. Its highest point is the summit of Reservoir Hill, close to the city center, with an elevation of over above sea level. Gardner is bordered by Winchendon and Ashburnham to the north, Westminster to the east, Hubbardston to the south, and Templeton to the west, all in Massachusetts. File:Gardner Center.jpg|Downtown Gardner, 2005 File:West Gardner Square Historic District.jpg|View of the West Gardner Square Historic District in 2021.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  11,355
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  10,039
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  9,339
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,477
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  8,171
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  8,012
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  8,010
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  7,590

Largest nearby schools

• Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical
  High · Fitchburg · 1,409 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Fitchburg High
  High · Fitchburg · 1,246 students · 13:1 ratio
• Gardner Elementary School
  Elementary · Gardner · 986 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Gardner High
  High · Gardner · 804 students · 15.2:1 ratio
• Oakmont Regional High School
  High · Ashburnham · 658 students · 15:1 ratio
• Reingold Elementary
  Elementary · Fitchburg · 651 students · 11.8:1 ratio
• Templeton Elementary School
  Elementary · Templeton · 644 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Crocker Elementary
  Elementary · Fitchburg · 616 students · 12.3:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.7 — 2023-12-23
  5 km SW of Chichester, New Hampshire
• M 2.7 — 2018-02-15
  0 km SE of East Kingston, New Hampshire
• M 2.8 — 2016-03-21
  4 km ESE of Warner, New Hampshire
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.61 — 2013-10-11
  New Hampshire