ZIP code 01430: Affordable Ashburnham, once home to a king and Bette Davis, still semi-rural
The Telegram & Gazette is looking at the real estate market in ZIP codes around Central Massachusetts. Today we are featuring 01430, Ashburnham.
Famous people, including a king, have lived and schooled in this semi-rural town at the northern most point of Worcester County where housing inventory is high and costs are “affordable.”
Ashburnham — ZIP code 01430 — known as "the town of many lakes," is located on the New Hampshire border 29 miles north of Worcester, and 50 miles northwest of Boston.
It was first settled by Europeans in 1736, and was officially incorporated in 1765.
Today, the town’s 41 square miles keeps a population of roughly 6,320.
The town is home to Cushing Academy, a private, coeducational college-preparatory school for boarding and day students.
Among Cushing’s notable graduates are legendary actress Bette Davis, who lived in Ashburnham while attending the Academy. As did his royal majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of the Kingdom of Bhutan, and Ivers Whitney Adams, founder of the first professional baseball team in Boston, the Boston Red Stockings.
The town is also home to the Frederick Historic Piano Collection, which Selectperson Rosemarie Eldridge-Meissner said is “the only one of its kind in the world.
“The main reason people move here is it’s semi-rural, we have significant amount of open space and it’s affordable. Our housing values are reasonable to live in a strong community with a good school system,” Eldridge-Meissner said.
According to realtor.com, 21 single-family homes are for sale in Ashburnham. They range from a 570-square-foot two-bedroom home listed for $189,900 to a 1,875-square-foot four-bedroom home listed at $699,000.
Kate Jackson with Straight Real Estate Solutions says Ashburnham has a lot of lake options for homebuyers.
“Downtown still has that small-town feel but it has a lot of small business and restaurant options. Families moving here will find that Ashburnham has great school systems and it’s more rural than a lot of areas,” she said.
Ashburnham is part of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District, along with neighboring Westminster. Grades K-5 attend the John R. Briggs Elementary School, middle schoolers attend Overlook Middle School, and highschoolers attend Oakmont Regional High School.
Ashburnham also has a strong arts and culture community.
“We have a very strong community of artists and people who value culture and historic perseverance,” Eldridge-Meissner said. “We have a brand-new arts center, New Dawn Art Center, where there is also theater productions and concerts. We have very good public library that’s small but mighty and attracts people from out of town.”
Highest-priced house
A four-bedroom, two-bath home at 200 Lake Road listed at $699,000 is the highest-priced home.
The 1,875-square-foot house on Naukeag Lake was built in 1900 on a 1.4-acre lot.
The first floor includes a bedroom option with sliding door overlooking the lake, a sunroom, large kitchen under a skylight, an updated bathroom with shower, laundry room, dining room and a front-to-back living room.
Upstairs are three more bedrooms, a full bath and bonus space.
Listing agent Jackson said her favorite feature of this listing is the view of the water, though swimming is not allowed on the lake.
“It has about 200 feet of lake frontage and there is conservation land on the other side of the lake so you’re looking at pure nature,” she said. “This property also has a huge backyard suitable for an outbuilding, boat shed or accessory apartment.”
What can you buy for $350,000?
For $279,900, Ashburnham presently offers a two-bedroom, one-bath home on a .54-acre lot. This 1,351-square-foot example home was built in 1920 at 26 Fitchburg Road.
It features an open-concept kitchen, first-floor bedrooms, two flex-rooms on the second floor and a modern bathroom. The living room has French doors that open to a patio and fenced backyard.
What are they saying?
Jackson says, “I think the real estate market is evolving and shifting right now. We saw a high sellers’ market but now I think we are going to see more buyers have a little bit more leverage.”
Around town
Ashburnham is the starting point for the Wapack Trail and Massachusetts Midstate Trail.
The western part of town holds several lakes including Lake Wampanoag, Sunset Lake, Lake Watatic, Wallace Pond and Upper and Lower Naukeag Lakes.
Passive recreation and hike, bike and running trails are found at Ashburnham State Forest and Mount Watatic State Wildlife Management Area.
Other ZIP Codes
ZIP code 01757: Milford, birthplace of notables, offers diverse culture, 'excellent' schools
ZIP code 01510: Clinton much to offer, including a tie to New York hotelZIP code 01585: West Brookfield has cornered the market on asparagus
ZIP Code 01331: Athol, small-town vibe that offers full slate of services, amenities
ZIP code 01529: Millville, small-town America that 'gets in your blood'
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: ZIP code 01430: 'Town of many lakes' once home to a king, Bette Davis
