Northampton, Massachusetts
—  City  —
Northampton, Massachusetts Main Street
Official seal of Northampton, Massachusetts Seal
Nickname(s): The Meadow City,[1] Hamp, Lesbianville USA,[2][3] NoHo, NTown, Paradise City
Motto: Caritas, educatio, justitia (Latin "Caring, education and justice")
Location in Hampshire County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°19′30″N 72°38′30″W / 42.325°N 72.64167°W / 42.325; -72.64167
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Hampshire
Settled and Charter granted	1654
Incorporated as a city	1884
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
• Mayor	David Narkewicz
Area
• Total	35.6 sq mi (92.2 km2)
• Land	34.5 sq mi (89.3 km2)
• Water	1.1 sq mi (3.0 km2)
Elevation	248 ft (76 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	28,978
• Density	841.0/sq mi (324.7/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01060
Area code(s)	413
FIPS code	25-46330
GNIS feature ID	0606674
Website	www.northamptonma.gov

The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods (excluding its outer, incorporated villages, Florence, Massachusetts, and Leeds, Massachusetts) was 28,549. Northampton is part of the Pioneer Valley and also one of the northernmost cities in the Knowledge Corridor — a cross-state cultural and economic partnership with other Connecticut River Valley cities and towns.

Northampton is home to Smith College and the Clarke School for the Deaf. Smith students (along with those of the associated Five Colleges) contribute to Northampton's college town atmosphere.

Today Northampton is known as an artistic, musical, and countercultural hub. It features a large and politically influential LGBT community along with numerous alternative health and intellectual organizations.^[4] Based on U.S. Census demographics, election returns, and other criteria, the website Epodunk rates Northampton as the most politically liberal medium-size city (population 25,000–99,000) in the United States.^[5]

Northampton is considered part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area, one of Massachusetts's two separate metropolitan areas. It sits approximately 15 miles north of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts.

History[link]

Early Settlement[link]

The area now called Northampton was once known as Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning "the midst of the river"^[6] by its original Pocumtuc inhabitants. According to various accounts, Northampton was named by John King (1629–1703), one of its original settlers, or possibly in his honor, since it is supposed that he came to Massachusetts from Northampton, England (Allen 9, Dwight 10, Leach 124).

The Pocumtuc confederacy occupied the Connecticut River Valley from what is now southern Vermont and New Hampshire into northern Connecticut. The Pocumtuc tribes were Algonquian and traditionally allied with the Mahican confederacy to the west. By 1606 an ongoing struggle between the Mahican and Iroquois confederacies led to direct attacks on the Pocumtuc by the Iroquoian Mohawk nation.^[7] The Mahican confederacy had been defeated by 1628, limiting Pocumtuc access to trade routes to the west. The area suffered a major smallpox epidemic in the 1630s following the arrival of Dutch traders in the Hudson Valley and English settlers in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the previous two decades. It was in this context that the land making up the bulk of modern Northampton was sold to settlers from Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1653 and settled the following year.^[8][9] The situation in the region further deteriorated when the Mohawk escalated hostilities against the Pocumtuc confederacy and other Algonquian tribes after 1655, forcing many of the plague-devastated Algonquian groups into defensive mergers.^[7] This coincided with a souring of relations between the Wampanoag and the Massachusetts Bay colonists, eventually leading to the expanded Algonquian alliance which took part in King Philip's War.

The Partition of Northampton[link]

Northampton's territory would be enlarged beyond the original settlement, but later portions would be carved up into separate cities, towns, and municipalities. Southampton, for example, was incorporated in 1775, and included parts of the territories of modern Montgomery (which was itself incorporated in 1780) and Easthampton.^[10] Westhampton was incorporated in 1778 and Easthampton in 1809.^[11] Formerly, a section of Northampton called Smith's Ferry was separated from the rest of the town by the boundaries of Easthampton. The shortest path to downtown was on a road near the Connecticut River oxbow, which was subject to frequent flooding. Smith's Ferry was ceded to Holyoke, Massachusetts, in 1909.^[12]

The Great Awakening[link]

In 1733 Congregational preacher Jonathan Edwards started a Christian revival in Northampton. In the winter of 1734 and the following spring it reached such intensity that it threatened the town's businesses. In the spring of 1735 the movement began to subside and a reaction set in. But the relapse was brief, and the Northampton revival, which had spread through the Connecticut River Valley and whose fame had reached England and Scotland, was followed in 1739–1740 by the Great Awakening, under the leadership of Edwards.^{[citation needed]}

The Oxbow by Thomas Cole in 1836

Northampton hosted its own witch trials in the 1700s, although no alleged witches were executed.^{[citation needed]}

After the Revolution[link]

Members of the Northampton community were present at the Constitutional Convention.^[13]

On August 29, 1786, Daniel Shays and a group of Revolutionary War Veterans (who called themselves Shaysites) stopped the civil court from sitting in Northampton.^[14]

In 1805 a crowd of 15,000 gathered in Northampton to watch the executions of two Irishmen convicted of murder, Dominic Daley, 34, and James Halligan, 27. The crowd, composed largely of New England Protestants of English ancestry, lit bonfires and expressed virulently anti-Irish and anti-Catholic sentiments. The trial evidence against Daley and Halligan was sparse, circumstantial, contrived, and perjurious.^[15] The men were hanged on June 5, 1806, on Pancake Plain. Their bodies were denied a burial; they were destroyed in the local slaughterhouse. This trial "later came to be seen as epitomizing the anti-Irish sentiment that was widespread in New England in the early 19th century."^[16] Daley and Halligan were exonerated of all crimes by governor Michael Dukakis in 1984. Today a simple stone landmark stands marking the site of Daley and Halligan's executions.

In 1835 Northampton was linked to the ocean by the New Haven and Northampton Canal,^[17] but the canal enterprise foundered and after about a decade was replaced by a railroad running along the same route.^[18] A flood on the Mill River on May 16, 1874, destroyed almost the entire Northampton neighborhood of Leeds.^[19]

The "Paradise of America"[link]

From 1832 until 1846 Northampton was home to a transcendentalist utopian community of abolitionists. Called the Northampton Association of Education and Industry, the community believed that the rights of all people should be "equal without distinction of sex, color or condition, sect or religion." It supported itself by producing mulberry trees and silk. Sojourner Truth, a former slave who became a national advocate for equality and justice, lived in this community until its dissolution (and later in a house on Park Street until 1857).^[20]

In 1851 opera singer Jenny Lind, the "Swedish Nightingale," declared Northampton to be the "Paradise of America," from which Northampton took its nickname The Paradise City.

Clarke School for the Deaf was founded in Northampton in 1867. It was the United States's first permanent oral school for the deaf. Alexander Graham Bell and Grace Coolidge have served as heads of school.^{[citation needed]}

Smith College for women was founded in Northampton in 1871. Today Smith is the largest of the Seven Sisters colleges. Well-known Smith alumnae include Sylvia Plath, Gloria Steinem, Madeleine L'Engle, and Julia Child. The first game of women's basketball was played at Smith College in 1892.

Northampton was incorporated as a city in 1883.^{[citation needed]}

Immigrant groups that settled Northampton in large numbers included Irish, Polish, and French-Canadians.

U.S. President Calvin Coolidge worked as a lawyer in Northampton and served as the city's mayor from 1910–1912 before moving on to the White House. After retiring from the U.S. presidency in 1929, Coolidge moved back to Northampton. He died in the city on January 5, 1933.

Decline[link]

During the mid-20th century, Northampton experienced several decades of economic decline, peaking in the 1970s, related to the emergence of the Rust Belt phenomenon. Though Western Massachusetts lies outside of the Rust Belt geographically, the centrality of commerce and the arts to Northampton's economy left it economically vulnerable, particularly when compounded with the decline of Springfield's manufacturing sector, Holyoke's paper industry, and massive plant closures in the nearby New York Capital District.

The Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge across the Connecticut River

The Cultural Renaissance of Northampton[link]

Today Northampton is a thriving cultural center and an increasingly popular tourist destination. Northampton attracts patrons to its many eclectic restaurants and its lively arts and music scenes. Northampton has a particularly high number of restaurants per capita featuring a wide range of ethnic foods. Two Northampton farmers markets, held weekly, sell fresh produce from local farms.

Since 1995 Northampton has been home to the twice-yearly Paradise City Arts Festival,^[21] held at the Three County Fairgrounds on Memorial Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend. The Festival is ranked as the #1 arts fair in America and is a national juried showcase for contemporary craft and fine art.

An extant opera house, the Academy of Music,^[22] is an 800-seat theater that operates as a venue for local productions. The Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton Community Music Center, and Arcadia Players also serve as musical venues.

As Smith College is one of the Five Colleges in Western Massachusetts's Pioneer Valley region (the others are Hampshire College, Amherst College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Mount Holyoke College), Northampton has a particularly vibrant youth culture. Its downtown street scene is populated by counterculture artists, street musicians, and political activists.

Northampton has a well-established music scene. The city features several live music venues, such as the Calvin Theater, Pines Theater, Pearl Street, Iron Horse Music Hall, The Elevens, and The Academy of Music. Musicians and bands that refer to the area as "home" include Ray Mason, Sonic Youth, Erin McKeown, The Nields, The Young@Heart Chorus, and Cordelia's Dad.

Geography[link]

Northampton sits on the banks of the Connecticut River in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. It is located at 42°19′39″N 72°39′28″W / 42.3275°N 72.65778°W / 42.3275; -72.65778Coordinates: 42°19′39″N 72°39′28″W / 42.3275°N 72.65778°W / 42.3275; -72.65778.^[23]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92 km²), of which 34.5 square miles (89 km²) is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) (3.20%) is water. 21% of the city is permanently protected open space^[24]

Within Northampton's city limits are the incorporated villages of Florence and Leeds.

Northampton is bordered to the north by the towns of Hatfield and Williamsburg, to the west by Westhampton, to the east by Hadley (across the Connecticut River), and to the south by Easthampton.

The art deco Calvin Coolidge Bridge connects Northampton with Hadley across the Connecticut River. The college town of Amherst is located 7.86 miles (12.65 km) east of Northampton, next to Hadley. Springfield, the Connecticut River Valley's most populous city, is located 15.74 miles (25.33 km) southeast of Northampton. Boston is located 81.57 miles (131.27 km) east of Northampton. New York City is 131.28 miles (211.27 km) southeast of Northampton.

The Connecticut River's famous Oxbow is within Northampton's city limits, at the northern base of Mount Nonotuck.

Demographics[link]

As of the census^[36] of 2000, there were 28,978 people, 11,880 households, and 5,880 families residing in the city. Northampton has the most lesbian couples per capita of any city in the US.^[37] The population density was 841.0 people per square mile (324.7/km²). There were 12,405 housing units at an average density of 360.0 per square mile (139.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.01% White, 2.08% African American, 0.30% Native American, 3.13% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.41% from other races, and 2.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.24% of the population.

There were 11,880 households, out of which 22.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.87.^{[citation needed]}

In the city the population was spread out, with 17.0% under the age of 18, 15.4% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 75.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.1 males.^{[citation needed]}

The median income for a household in the city was $41,808, and the median income for a family was $56,844. Males had a median income of $37,264 versus $30,728 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,022. About 5.7% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.4% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.^{[citation needed]}

Northampton's public schools include four elementary schools (kindergarten through 5th grade), one middle school (6th to 8th grade), one high school (9th to 12th grade), and one vocational-agricultural high school (9th to 12th grade). There are a few charter schools and several private schools in Northampton and surrounding towns.

According to the website ePodunk's Gay Index, which is based on figures from the 2000 US Census, Northampton has a score of 535, vs. a national average score of 100 (i.e., Northampton's population includes 5.35 times the national average of same-sex unmarried households).^[38]

Government[link]

As of April 2012, David Narkewicz is the mayor.^[39] Previous mayors include former president Calvin Coolidge and James "Big Jim" Cahillane, who served from 1954 to 1960. Well-known Judge Sean M. Dunphy was the youngest elected mayor in its history, at age 28.

The Paradise City Forum was founded November 2001 to provide a nonpartisan discussion tool for the community.

Public schools[link]

Transportation[link]

Northampton is served by Interstate 91, which passes to the east of downtown along the Connecticut River. U.S. Route 5, Massachusetts Route 9, and Massachusetts Route 10 all intersect in the city's downtown area.

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority operates several local passenger buses which originate in Northampton, with service to local towns such as Amherst, Williamsburg, Hadley, South Hadley, and Holyoke as well as the nearby universities and colleges: Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Hampshire College. The Franklin Regional Transit Authority operates a bus to Greenfield, Massachusetts. There is a Peter Pan Bus terminal with services to Springfield, Boston, and other locations in New England. The Vermont Transit Lines bus also serves this terminal.

At present, passenger railway service to the Northampton area is provided by Amtrak via the Springfield Union Station, about a 20-minute drive south of Northampton or a short walk from the Peter Pan Bus terminal in Springfield. The only active rail line through Northampton is operated by a Class 2 railroad regional railway, Pan Am Railways (formerly known as Guilford Rail System). The Amtrak Montrealer was the last passenger train to run through Northampton, in 1988. Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 includes $8 billion for rail, of which $70 million will be spent to realign Amtrak's Vermonter route. The Vermonter now travels from Springfield to Brattleboro, Vermont, via Palmer, Massachusetts, but in the future will take the original more direct Montrealer route through Northampton and Greenfield. In addition to restoring the Northampton stop, stops will be added at Greenfield and possibly Holyoke.

Major domestic and limited international service is available 40 miles to the south at Bradley International Airport (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Northampton Airport, identified by the airport code 7B2, offers a 3,365 x 50-foot runway and is within a mile and a half walk from downtown.

Northampton serves as the hub of a growing rail trail network. The north-south Manhan Rail Trail extends from the downtown into neighboring Easthampton, and as part of the Farmington Canal Trail is planned eventually to reach New Haven. The Norwottuck Rail Trail runs eastward from Woodmont Road through Hadley, Amherst, and into Belchertown, with planned future integration into the Central Mass Rail Trail to Boston. To the west, the Northampton Bikeway provides access to the city's Florence and Leeds neighborhoods, including a route through historic Look Park, while downtown, the Bikeway provides a much-needed alternative to the congested King and Main Streets.^[41]

The city of Northampton faces daily traffic congestion in the downtown area and connector roads, often resulting in long delays and traffic buildup. The limitation of one bridge, one route to the nearby city of Amherst, and a narrow main street results in unsafe driving behavior and danger to pedestrians.^[42] The City of Northampton is attempting to solve this long-time problem by redesigning problematic intersections and installing traffic cameras.^[43]

Media[link]

The Daily Hampshire Gazette^[44] is based in Northampton, covering Hampshire and Franklin counties. Northampton is the city of license for three commercial radio stations: WLZX, WEIB, and WHMP. Northampton is also home to WXOJ-LP, a low-power community radio station owned and operated by Valley Free Radio. The station was built by more than 400 volunteers from Northampton and around the country in August 2005 at the eighth Prometheus Radio Project barnraising, in conjunction with the tenth annual Grassroots Radio Coalition conference. WXOJ broadcasts music, news, and public affairs to listeners at 103.3 FM. Northampton is also the birthplace of The Rainbow Times, the only lesbian-owned LGBT newspaper (founded in 2006) serving New England. According to the US Census 2000, Northampton is the second gayest zip code in Massachusetts, following Boston. In addition, Northampton is home to Northampton Community Television, which has existed in numerous forms since the mid-1980s but experienced a radical change in 2006 when it became an independently run nonprofit community media center.^{[citation needed]} After a new public unveiling in November 2007, NCTV grew to over 200 active members in less than 18 months and had already attracted statewide and national attention in the community media landscape.^{[citation needed]}

Points of interest[link]

• First Church,^[45] located on Main Street, was the home church of Jonathan Edwards, 18th century theologian, philosopher, and leader of the First Great Awakening.
• Smith College, founded in 1871, is a women's college (one of the Seven Sisters). It is also one of the Five Colleges.
• Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech (formerly the Clarke School for the Deaf) specializes in oral education (speech and lip-reading, as opposed to signing) and holds an annual summer camp, the theme varying from summer to summer. Clarke is also the oldest oral school for the deaf in the country, established in 1867 on Round Hill Road overlooking the Connecticut River Valley.
• The Elm Street Historic District runs from the commencement of Elm at State Street almost one mile westerly to Woodlawn Avenue. A local historic district,^[46] it includes a range residential architectural styles including 18th century Colonial, Queen Anne, Italianate, Second Empire and Colonial Revival.
• The Connecticut River and The Oxbow are popular areas for boaters.
• 21% of Northampton is protected open space; this includes Broad Brook/Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area, Connecticut River Greenway (Elwell and Rainbow Beach), Mill River Greenway, Mineral Hills Conservation Area, and Saw Mill Hills/Roberts Hill Conservation Area.^[24]
• Look Park is a 150+ acre recreational park founded in 1930. The park is free for visitors arriving by foot or bicycle, consistent with the will of Frank Newhall Look, who left the property to the city and requested that the park would always have free admission for the public. A day-use fee or annual membership fee provides for parking. Musicians such as Bob Dylan have played at the park's amphitheater.
• Childs Park is a serene 40-acre city park near Cooley Dickinson Hospital. It features two ponds, formal gardens and rose gardens, and an Italian-style garden house.
• The Botanic Garden of Smith College is a diverse, outdoor collection of trees, shrubs, and plants as well as a fine collection of plant conservatories for the tropics, semitropics, and desert regions. It also includes an indoor greenhouse.
• The Mill River Greenway^[47] is a walking path on Smith College and adjacent land along the Mill River in the Bay State Village neighborhood of Northampton. The path is sometimes also called the Paradise Pond Trail based on a misleadingly named portion of the river near Smith College's boathouse and pier.
• Northampton is a rail trail hub. Currently, the Norwottuck Rail Trail extends 18 miles from Leeds, Florence, and the downtown sections of Northampton to Amherst and Belchertown. The Manhan Rail Trail extends 8 miles from the Norwottuck Rail Trail through Northampton and Easthampton to Southampton. Four other rail trail extensions are in the planning process.
• The Three County Fair^[48] is the "longest consecutive running agricultural fair in the country", having been established and incorporated in 1818.
• The Calvin Theater, Iron Horse Music Hall, and Pearl Street Nightclub are among the many venues that play host to Northampton's music scene.
• The Academy of Music, built in 1890 by Edward H. R. Lyman, is the only municipally owned theater in the United States and is the first to be so owned. Boris Karloff and Harry Houdini (who installed a trap door in the stage) performed there. Today it serves as a music venue, cinema, and performance space.
• The Northampton Independent Film Festival^[49] (NIFF) is held each fall. Founded as the Northampton Film Festival in 1995 by Howard Polonsky and Dee DeGeiso, it has continued to grow under a variety of directors. It is now one of the largest in New England.
• Forbes Library^[50], built in 1894, is Northampton's public library. The second floor houses the Calvin Coolidge presidential library.
• Mirage Studios, creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. In the TMNT series, the turtles and Casey Jones visit Casey Jones's grandmother's farm in Northampton, Massachusetts.
• Students from the Northampton Community Music Center (NCMC)^[51] fill the streets with music each May.
• LGBT Pride,^[52] on the first Saturday of May, is an annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride March & Rally, with a colorful parade down Main Street that ends with an all-day, family-friendly festival at a designated location in town.
• Thornes Marketplace in downtown Northampton contains many shops and eateries.
• Northampton State Hospital was a massive mental asylum, constructed in 1856. Several abandoned buildings remain, but much of the site has been redeveloped.
• On a small hill overlooking the city, near the site of the former Northampton State Hospital, a simple stone monument marks the spot of the hangings of Domenic Daley and James Halligan, two Irishmen wrongfully convicted of murder in 1806.^[53]
• Northampton Fire Department building^[54] is frequently cited as the tallest fire-fighting-related building.
• Pioneer Valley Roller Derby, the first co-ed flat track roller derby league, trains in the village of Florence, Massachusetts.

Notable people[link]

• Jeanne Birdsall, children's author, best known for her debut novel, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
• William Cullen Bryant, 19th century author and newspaper editor
• Mary-Ellis Bunim, television producer and co-creator of MTV's The Real World and Road Rules
• Augusten Burroughs, author, his bestseller Running with Scissors describes his strange childhood in Northampton
• Paul Johnson Calderon, socialite, heir, and television personality best known for co-starring on The CW's High Society
• Eric Carle, children's book author and illustrator
• Lydia Maria Child, author of the Thanksgiving poem "Over the River and through the Woods"
• Chris Collingwood, lead singer of the band Fountains of Wayne
• Carol T. Christ, President of Smith College and Victorian Literature Scholar
• Calvin Coolidge; served as mayor of Northampton before becoming governor of Massachusetts and U.S. president
• Galaxy Craze, actress and author known for bestselling novel By the Shore.
• Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird published Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics from their Northampton studio
• Jonathan Edwards, 18c Congregational theologian, philosopher, leader of First Great Awakening and local pastor
• Herbert Gintis, economist^{[citation needed]}
• Sylvester Graham, advocate of vegetarianism and namesake of the Graham Cracker
• Jonathan Harr, author of the A Civil Action
• Steve Herrell, ice-cream innovator
• Jonathan Hunt (Vermont Lieutenant Governor) (1738–1808), early Vermont pioneer, landowner, officeholder, born Northampton^[55]
• Jeph Jacques, creator of webcomic Questionable Content
• Tracy Kidder, author
• Michael Klare, author, professor and defense correspondent for The Nation
• Jason Loewenstein, singer, songwriter with indie-rock bands Sebadoh and The Fiery Furnaces
• Elinor Lipman, author
• Rachel Maddow, radio personality, MSNBC television host, and liberal political commentator
• Charles McCarry, author
• Stu Miller, Major League Baseball pitcher
• José Molina, Former member, USA national Indoor field hockey team
• William Monahan, novelist and screenwriter
• Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of the band Sonic Youth
• Lesléa Newman, author of Heather Has Two Mommies.^[56]
• Nerissa Nields, folk musician, author, and member of the band The Nields
• Alix Olson, spoken word poet and owner of Subtle Sisters Productions
• Nick O'Connor, noted for outgoing community service and for being a prominent student-athlete at Boston University
• David Pakman, host of the nationally syndicated political talk radio and TV program, "The David Pakman Show"
• Tim Petrovic, pro golfer
• Dr. Kyle Pruett, author and child psychiatry expert
• Nathaniel Raymond, human rights investigator and anti-torture advocate
• Jeffrey Rowland, creator of the webcomics Wigu and Overcompensating
• Liza Snyder, actress (Yes, Dear; Pay It Forward)
• Talisa Soto, actress
• Sojourner Truth, African American abolitionist and orator
• Kurt Vonnegut, author; died 2007
• Mo Willems, popular children's book author
• Dar Williams, popular musician.
• Andrew Zimbalist, prominent sports economist and father of Jeff and Michael Zimbalist
• Jeff Zimbalist, documentary filmmaker and Tribeca Film Festival award winner

Cultural references[link]

• Northampton, Massachusetts is the birthplace of the eponymous protagonist in Henry James's 1875 novel Roderick Hudson.^[57]
• Northhampton, Massachusettes is the setting for several stories thoughout various Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles media, specicaly the original Mirage comics as well as the 2003 animated series. While not specificaly referred to by name the city is featured in the 1990 Live Action Movie. It is also the real life headquarters for Mirage Studios former owners of the franchise.^[58]
• Segments of the 1966 film Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? were filmed in and around Northampton during the fall of 1965.^[59] When not filming, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton frequented Northampton's Academy of Music, where they sat in the balcony to watch movies.^{[citation needed]}
• Other films shot in Northampton include the Academy-Award-winning The Cider House Rules, Malice with Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin, In Dreams with Annette Bening and Robert Downey Jr., and Sylvia with Gwyneth Paltrow.^[60]
• Edge of Darkness was filmed in October 2008 in Northampton and the surrounding area.^[61]
• Author Tracy Kidder documented the many layers of Northampton society at the end of the 20th century in his nonfiction book Home Town.
• Webcomics Questionable Content and Minimalist Stick Figure Theatre take place primarily in Northampton.
• Artist Jeffrey Rowlands makes his home in Northampton and is primarily famous for his Overcompensating Comic.
• The main events of Running with Scissors, a 2002 memoir by Augusten Burroughs detailing his bizarre childhood, take place in Northampton

Notes[link]

References[link]

• William Allen. "An Address, Delivered at Northampton, Massachusetts on the Evening of October 29, 1854 in Commemoration of the Close of the Second Century since the Settlement of the Town". Northampton: Hopkins, Bridgman and Company, 1855.
• Kerry W. Buckley, ed. A Place Called Paradise: Culture and Community in Northampton, Massachusetts, 1654–2004. Northampton: Historic Northampton Museum and Education Center, in association with University of Massachusetts Press, 2004. ix + 523 pp. ISBN 978-1-55849-485-5. reprints 20 essays by scholars
• Benjamin Dwight. History of the Descendants of Elder John Strong, of Northampton, Massachusetts. Albany: Joel Munsell, 1871.
• Josiah Granville Leach. Memoranda Relating to the Ancestry and Family of Hon. Levi Parsons Morton Vice President of the United States (1889–1893). Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1894.
• Tracy Kidder. Home Town [1999], nonfiction by reporter

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Northampton, Massachusetts

• City of Northampton's official website
• VisitNorthampton.net - Official Website of Northampton, MA - Everything about Northampton, MA (city guide website)
• Northampton Chamber of Commerce (city guide website)
• Northampton GLBT city guide
• Watch Videos about Northampton and find the best places to visit, dine and shop. (city guide website)
• Smith College
• Northampton Public Schools
• Forbes Library (Northampton)
• Historic Northampton (historical society website)
• Northampton Community Television – NCTV
• Daily Hampshire Gazette, the (Northampton newspaper)
• The Rainbow Times, Only Local LGBT Newspaper, (established in 2006)
• Midweek Politics, a nationally-syndicated political radio show produced and broadcast from Northampton, Massachusetts.
• Valley Free Radio, a low-power FM community radio station, has made its home in Northampton since August 2005.
• Friends of Northampton Trails and Greenways, (established in 2006)

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Borough of Northampton
—  Town & Borough  —
Northampton Guildhall, built 1861-4 by E. W. Godwin
Northampton
Coordinates: 52°13′49″N 0°53′38″W / 52.2303748°N 0.8937527°W / 52.2303748; -0.8937527
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Constituent country	England
Region	East Midlands
Ceremonial county	Northamptonshire
Founded
Admin. HQ	Northampton
Government
• Type	Northampton Borough Council Mayor of the Borough and Chair 2011–2012 Cllr Jamie Lane[1]
• Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet Cllr David Palethorpe[1]
• Executive:	Conservative
• MPs:	Brian Binley, Michael Ellis
Area
• Total	31.18 sq mi (80.76 km2)
Area rank	237th
Population (2010 est.)
• Total	212,100
• Rank	Ranked 74th
• Density	6,800/sq mi (2,600/km2)
Demonym	Northamptonian
Time zone	Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	British Summer Time (UTC+1)
Postcode	NN1-NN6
ISO 3166-2
ONS code	34UF
OS grid reference
NUTS 3
Ethnicity	86.1% White 6.4% S.Asian 3.9% Black British 2.1% Mixed Race 2.3% Chinese or other[2]
Website	northampton.gov.uk

Northampton ⁱ/nɔrˈθæmptən/ is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about 67 miles (108 km) north-west of London and around 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is Northamptonian.

Original settlements in Northampton date back to the 6th century. Its modern development is largely due to its rapid population increase since the 1960s after a planned expansion occurred under the New Towns Commission in the early 1970s. In 2001, its urban area population was 197,199^[3] while its town population was 189,474,^[3] making Northampton the 27th largest settlement in England, and the UK's 3rd largest town without official city status after Reading and Dudley. Northampton is the most populous district in England that is not a unitary authority, a status it failed to obtain in the 1990s local government reform.^[4]

Northampton has a history of the manufacture of boots and shoes yet engineering has taken over as a modern key industry; other industries include food processing, brewing, and the manufacture of shoe machinery, cosmetics, leather goods, and car accessories. At present, the major employers are public administration, financial services, and the distribution trade.

History[link]

Early history[link]

Remains found here date from the Bronze Age.^{[citation needed]} Farming settlement probably began around the 7th century AD. In the 8th century it was an administrative and/or religious^{[citation needed]} centre for the kingdom of Mercia. The pre-Norman town was known as Hamtun and was only ca.0.60 acres (2,400 m²).

A large hall was discovered just west of St. Peter's church that is estimated to be 8–9th century^[5]

Medieval[link]

The town became significant in the 11th century, when the Normans built town walls and a large castle under the stewardship of the Norman earl, Simon de Senlis.^[6] The original defence line of the walls is preserved in today's street pattern (Bridge St, The Drapery, Bearward St and Scarletwell Street). The town grew rapidly after the Normans arrived, and beyond the early defences. By the time of the Domesday Book, the town had a population of about 1500 residents, living in 300 houses.

The town and its castle were important in the early 12th century and the King often held Court in the town. During his famous fallout with Henry II, Thomas Becket at one time escaped from Northampton Castle through the unguarded Northern gate to flee the country.

Northampton had a large Jewish population in the 13th century, centred around Gold Street. In 1277 300 Jews were executed,^{[citation needed]} allegedly for clipping the King's coin, and the Jews of Northampton were driven out of the town. Archaeological sites include a medieval Jewish cemetery and the Northampton Medieval Synagogue.^[7]

The town was originally controlled by officials acting for the King who collected taxes and upheld the law. In 1189 King Richard I gave the town its first charter. In 1215 King John authorised the appointment of William Tilly as the town's first Mayor and ordered that: 'twelve of the better and more discreet residents of the town join him as a council to assist him' . In 1176 the Assize of Northampton laid down new powers for dealing with law breakers.

A university was established in 1261 by scholars from the University of Cambridge. It briefly flourished, but was dissolved by Henry III in 1265 apparently as it posed a threat to the University of Oxford.

The first Battle of Northampton took place at the site of Northampton Castle in 1264 – when the forces of Henry III overran the supporters of Simon de Montfort. In 1460, a second Battle of Northampton took place in the grounds of Delapré Abbey – and was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, and King Henry VI was captured in the town by the Yorkists.

In May 1328 the Treaty of Northampton was signed – being a peace treaty between the English and the Scots in which Edward III recognised the authority of Robert the Bruce as King of Scotland and betrothed Bruce's still infant son to the king's sister Joanna.

A large network of medieval tunnels^{[citation needed]} remains under the centre around All Saints church.

Civil War to 1900[link]

An 1810 engraving of Northampton by George Cole and engraved by J Roper

Northampton supported the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War. For this reason the town walls and castle were later torn down on the orders of King Charles II as punishment. The railway station in Northampton stands on the site of the former castle, and used to be called "Northampton Castle Station".

The town was destroyed by fire in both 1516 and 1675 (for the latter see Great Fire of Northampton), and was rebuilt as a spacious and well-planned town. In the 18th century Northampton became a major centre of footwear and leather manufacture. The prosperity of the town was greatly aided by demand for footwear caused by the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In his 18th century "Tour through the Whole Island of Great Britain", Daniel Defoe described Northampton as, "...the handsomest town in all this part of England."

Northampton's growth was accelerated in the 19th century, first by the Grand Union Canal, which reached the town in 1815 and later the coming of the railways. The first railway to be built into Northampton was a branch from the main London-Birmingham line at Blisworth to Peterborough through Northampton which opened in 1845. This was followed by lines to Market Harborough (1859) and Bedford (1872). The Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line was built in the late 1870s. After 1850 the town grew beyond the old town walls. In 1800 the population was round 7,000 and was 87,000 a century later. In the 19th century Northampton acquired a reputation for political radicalism when radical non-conformist Charles Bradlaugh was elected as the town's Member of Parliament.

20th century[link]

Growth after 1900 slowed until the 1960s. The shoe industry declined and other employment was slow to arrive. In the 1920s and 30s, council houses were built in the east of the town at Headlands; north at St. David's; and south in Far Cotton. The Borough boundary, first extended in 1900, expanded again in 1932. From the 1920s until 1975 the town had its own power station supplying electricity to areas as far away as Wolverton.

In the 1960s The Deco was an ABC cinema. The Beatles appeared there twice on stage in 1963, on Wednesday, 27 March as part of the Tommy Roe/Chris Montez Tour.^[8] Montez commented "Who are these guys The Beatles? I try to keep up with the British scene, but I don't know their work".^[8] The Beatles were back on Wednesday, 6 November, in their own right and on their own tour.

Northampton was designated a New Town in 1968, and the Northampton Development Corporation (NDC) was set up to almost double the size of the town, with a population target of 230,000 by 1981, rising to 260,000 in later years. In 1959 the M1 motorway was opened nearby. Growth was slower than planned. The 1960s and 70s saw the town centre change with development of a new bus station, the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, flats and hotels.

The population grew to 100,000 by 1961, and 130,000 by 1971. When NDC wound up after 20 years, another 40,000 residents and 20,000 houses had been added. The borough boundaries changed in 1974 with the abolition of Northampton county borough and its reconstitution as a non-metropolitan district also covering areas outside the former borough boundaries but inside the designated New Town.

The rail link and busy M1 motorway to London helped the growth as a commuter town for London. Northampton's housing expansion was east with the 1970s eastern district estates built mainly for the London overflow population and more recently, in the west at Upton and south near M1 junction 15 at Grange Park, initially of 1,500 houses actually in South Northants Council area.

21st century[link]

Current projections (February 2008) are that the district's population will grow to 226,400 by 2016 and to 261,300 by 2026.^[9] Northampton asked, unsuccessfully, for city status as a part of the 'millennium cities' scheme.^[10][11] The University of Northampton was established in 2005 after several years as a University College and before that being Nene College.

In 2006 Northampton became a government expansion zone with new growth promoted by West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC)^[12] an unelected quango. Expansion began in 2007 at Upton and St Crispins spreading west towards junction 16 of the M1. The other major projected area was south-east of the town enveloping villages such as Little and Great Houghton, Quinton, Hackleton and Cogenhoe though as at 2011 nothing had happened.^{[citation needed]} Some expansion will be on brownfield sites such as Ransome Road, Far Cotton, an inner suburb, and in existing borough boundaries.

Government and politics[link]

Northampton is administered by both Northampton Borough Council, run from May 2007 for the first time by the Liberal Democrats and from 2011 by the Conservatives, and also Northamptonshire County Council. From 2005 the latter has been controlled by the Conservative Party. The Borough Council runs services such as housing, waste collection and smaller planning items in the Borough. The County Council looks after social services, education and libraries in the whole county. Since April 2006 major planning decisions such as large housing schemes and new roads have been the responsibility of the WNDC.

Northampton is represented in Parliament by three MPs:

• Brian Binley, Conservative, (Northampton South)
• Michael Ellis, Conservative, (Northampton North)
• Andrea Leadsom, Conservative, (South Northamptonshire)

Northampton's constituency boundaries changed significantly for the 2010 General Election with the creation of a new constituency, South Northamptonshire, which includes large residential areas in the south of Northampton borough, including East and West Hunsbury and Upton.

Geography[link]

Compass[link]

Northampton's nearest towns are Wellingborough, Daventry and Towcester

Destinations from Northampton

	Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham	Market Harborough, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham	Kettering, Corby
	Daventry, Long Buckby, Stratford-upon-Avon, Worcester		Earls Barton, Wellingborough, Rushden
		Northampton    East
	Towcester, Brackley, Banbury	Milton Keynes, Aylesbury	Bedford, Dunstable, Luton, London

Climate[link]

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (May 2012)

As with the rest of the British Isles, Northampton experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The official Metoffice Weather Station for Northampton is the Moulton Park Weather Station at the University of Northampton. Situated at an elevation of around 130m above sea level compared to Northampton town centre at 50-60metres, it is one of the highest points in the Borough, and so may not be a perfect representation of other parts of the town. Its hilltop location means less pooling of cold air on calm clear nights, and lower maximums during summer. The absolute maximum recorded is 34.7c (94.5f)^[13] on 3 August 1990. A high of 34.4c (93.9f)^[14] was recorded on 19 July 2006. The absolute minimum is −16.8c (1.8f),^[13] recorded during February 1986. It is likely the absolute maximum in the town centre is a degree or so higher owing to the lower elevation, and absolute minimum on the eastern and western edges of the Borough around the Nene valley a couple of degrees colder due to katabatic drainage of cold air allowing a frost hollow effect. Most recently, the temperature fell to −9.6c(14.7f)^[15] on 20 December 2010.

Rainfall, at around 650mm per year is not high, though is often unpredictable, giving rise to flooding events such as 1998, but also short term droughts. Desborough Weather Station also supplies the public with a local weather service.

Economy[link]

Northampton was a major centre of shoemaking and other leather industries, although only specialist shoemaking companies such as Edward Green Shoes, Crockett & Jones, Church's^[18] and Trickers,^[19] formerly located in nearby Earls Barton, survive. A large number of old shoe factories remain, mostly now converted to offices or accommodation, some of which are surrounded by terraced houses built for factory workers. Northampton's main private-sector employers are now in distribution and finance rather than manufacturing, and include Avon Products,^[20][21] Barclaycard, Blacks Leisure Group, Nationwide Building Society, Panasonic, Travis Perkins, Coca Cola, Schweppes, National Grid, Texas Instruments and Carlsberg.^[22] The University of Northampton is also a major employer, as is St Andrew's Healthcare, a national mental health charity whose St Andrew's Hospital campus in Northampton is by far the UK's largest psychiatric hosptial.

Anglia Building Society was formed by amalgamation of Northampton Town and County Building Society with Leicestershire Building Society in 1966 and subsequently merged with Nationwide Building Society in 1987.^[23]

Transport[link]

Northampton is near junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the M1 London to North Yorkshire motorway. The A45 and A43 can be accessed by a partially completed ring road. The A14 is close by to the north.

Northampton railway station is on the Northampton Loop of the West Coast Main Line, and has regular services to London and Birmingham provided by London Midland. Virgin Trains provide one commuter service to London and a departure from Birmingham New Street late at night. These two Virgin Train services are scheduled to be Pendolinos.

Sywell Aerodrome is the nearest airfield which has recently been upgraded with a 1000 metre concrete runway.^[24] For international links, East Midlands Airport and Luton Airport are quickly accessible by the M1; Birmingham International Airport via the M1/M6 and also by train.

In the town, buses are operated by Stagecoach Northants and First Northampton from the Greyfriars bus station. Stagecoach provide travel to outlying villages and towns during the day. National Express cover routes between major towns. There are good local links to Daventry, Wellingborough, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Rushden, Kettering, Corby and Market Harborough.

Northampton is the terminus of an arm of the Grand Union Canal. The arm connects to the River Nene and from that to the River Great Ouse and the North Sea. No longer used for freight, the waterway is now popular with anglers and narrowboaters. Principal outlying villages on the canal include Gayton, Blisworth, Braunston and Stoke Bruerne.

Northampton had a horse-drawn tramway which opened in 1881. The system was extended in stages and taken over by the council in 1897 and named Northampton Corporation Tramways. It was electrified in 1904, but closed in 1934 mainly as a result of competition from motor buses which were introduced in 1929. Two of the original tram shelters are preserved: one at the Racecourse park and another in Kingsthorpe opposite the Cock Hotel.^[25]

Leisure[link]

Formal parks^[26] include: Abington Park; The Racecourse, which used to be home in summer to the Balloon Festival and originally used for horseracing until 1904 and also used as a cricket ground between 1844–1885; Delapré Park; Bradlaugh Fields; Becket's Park, named after Thomas Becket as are nearby Becket's Well and Thomas á Becket pub. There is a park around an Iron Age fort in West Hunsbury.

Billing Aquadrome leisure park is on the eastern outskirts with a caravan site, marina, funfair, bar, riverside restaurant and converted water mill with original workings. Other smaller ones are Thornton's Park and Victoria Park.

The main shopping centre is the Grosvenor Centre built in the 1970s. The town has one of Britain's largest market squares, dating from 1235. Outside the centre the Weston Favell Centre built in the 1970s is in the eastern district together with various out of town retail and leisure parks.

Contemporary culture[link]

The Derngate and Royal theatres are in Guildhall Road, opposite Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. They were renovated and reopened in 2006, at a cost of £15 million. The Deco is a 900-seat theatre/conference centre based on the Grade-II listed former Cannon Cinema, in Abington Square used mainly by the voluntary and charitable sector. It was restored by the Jesus Army as part of their Jesus Centre project.

The Deco and the Northampton Jesus Centre share a Grade II listed Art Deco building, formerly the Cannon cinema

Northampton Market

Northampton Museum and Art Gallery has a world-class collection of historical footwear, and also Italian art, glass and ceramics, plus visiting exhibitions and local history. There is also a smaller historical museum in a former mansion within Abington Park.

The Old Fishmarket^[27] opposite the market square, was renovated by the Northampton Arts Collective. It has three art gallery spaces, retail units, a café, and an arts studio and is host to exhibitions by leading artists and live music, community events and workshops.

An independent contemporary arts gallery and studios, The Sanctuary,^[28] self-funded and supported by the Arts Council has 16 studios. The Avenue Gallery^[29] is at the Avenue campus of Northampton University. Northamptonshire runs an annual county-wide Open Studios^[30] event in which artists' studios are open to the public.

The university spent £3m on its Portfolio Innovation Centre,^[31] and in early 2011 it now houses around 60 creative freelancers, digital media developers, and designers.

Two commercial cinemas are also in the town: Vue (formerly UCI) at Sol Central, Cineworld (formerly UGC, Virgin Cinema and MGM) at Sixfields. There is also the subsidised Forum Cinema at Lings Forum, whose film programme is widely varied and includes art-house and non-mainstream films.

Many local music venues provide events. One venue is The Roadmender, which used to be run and funded by the council and later bought by The Purplehaus group. It is host to mainstream touring bands and one off gigs. Alan Moore's underground magazine Dodgem Logic included a CD "Nation of Saints, 50 Years of Northampton Music" in the first issue, December 2009.^[32]

Sport[link]

The town is home to Premiership rugby union club Northampton Saints, who play at Franklin's Gardens in the St James area. "The Saints" had their greatest moment when they won the Heineken Cup in 2000 at Twickenham, beating Munster 9–8. There are also a number of "Junior" rugby clubs in the area, the most successful of these at producing young players is Northampton Old Scouts RFC^[33] who have produced Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson amongst others.^[33]

League Two football club Northampton Town, known as "The Cobblers" from the town's shoemaking background, are based at Sixfields Stadium. Established in 1897, in their centenary season of 1997 they reached Wembley through the play-offs and beat Swansea City 1–0 with an injury time winning free kick from John Frain. In 2010, they were drawn against premiership team Liverpool in the 2010-11 Football League Cup 3rd round/last 32. They were drawing 2–2 after full-time but won 2–4 on penalties. But they lost out against Ipswich Town 3-1 in the 4th round/last 16. It was the first club to set up a trust for supporters to work with the club as many have done. There is an athletics track adjacent to the ground. There are also three non-league clubs in the United Counties Football League: Northampton Spencer; Northampton Sileby Rangers; and Northampton Old Northamptonian Chenecks.

Northampton Town will also run a professional rugby league team from 2013 to compete in the Championship One and will be based at Sixfields Stadium. The new club, to be called Northampton Rebels, will link with local club Northampton Demons in an effort to further promote rugby league in the area.^[34]

Northamptonshire County Cricket Club, known in limited overs cricket as "The Steelbacks", play at the County Ground, in the Abington area.

Nene Whitewater Centre provides an artificial whitewater course for canoes, kayaks and rafts.

Northampton Swimming Club trained the young Olympic swimmer Caitlin McClatchey.

Collingtree Golf Club hosted the British Masters in 1995.

Northampton International Raceway near Brafield is a leading venue for stock-car racing and hosts the European Championships every July. Speedway racing has been staged at Brafield in the 1950s and again in the 1960s. In the 1950s the team was known as the Flying Foxes and in the 1960s they were known as the Badgers.

Speedway was also staged at the greyhound stadium in Northampton in the pioneer days of the late 1920s.

Education[link]

Until 2004 the county operated a three-tier system involving lower, middle and upper schools. In 2001 the move to a two-tier system began, aiming at improving educational standards.^[35] A complete list of primary and secondary schools in the town and surrounding area is available on the County Council website.^[36]

University[link]

• University of Northampton

Primary and secondary schools[link]

Northampton School for Boys became the top performing comprehensive school in the country in 2007.^[37]

For a complete list see the NCC site.^[36]

Northampton School for Girls was the first school in England to gain Specialist Music College status.^[38]

Independent schools[link]

Independent government reports on all schools can be obtained from the Ofsted website.^[39]

• Great Houghton (co-educational, 1–13)
• Maidwell Hall for boys aged 8–13
• Northampton High School, girls 2–18
• Pitsford School (co-educational, 3–18)
• Overstone Park School (co-educational, 2–18)
• Quinton House School (co-educational, 2–18)
• St Peter's Independent School(co-educational, 5–18)
• Spratton Hall School, co-educational, 4–13

Media[link]

Newspapers The Northampton Chronicle & Echo is the town's only paid-for newspaper and was published daily from Monday-Saturday until May 2012 when it will publish only one edition each Wednesday. There are other free newspapers, but with a town circulation only: The Mercury (Thursday) and Northants on Sunday, both from the publishers of the Chronicle & Echo, and the Herald and Post (Thursday). These free papers are mostly advertising with limited news. The Mercury is one of the oldest newspapers still in circulation first published in 1720. It is the fifth-oldest such newspaper in the UK and the tenth-oldest such in the world.^[40]

Radio Three stations are based in the town, two of which broadcast county-wide. BBC Radio Northampton^[41] broadcasts news, topical items and some music, switching to a regional network after 7 pm. A commercial station, Heart Four Counties (formerly Northants 96 and Heart Northampton), broadcasts mostly popular music. A community radio station, Inspiration FM was awarded a 5 year licence on 24 July 2008 and officially launched on Saturday 24 July 2010.^[42]

Regional TV news is broadcast on the BBC East (terrestrial and satellite) with a main programme, BBC Look East, and on ITV's Anglia News. From 1999–2004, Northants TV (NTV) on cable and later terrestrial showed local ads, sport, and limited local activities.

Film and TV Northampton was the town location in the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances from 1990–1995. Parts of the 2005 film Kinky Boots were made in Northampton and featured shots of the statue outside the Grosvenor Centre in the Town Centre and inside RE Tricker's^[19] shoe factory in St. Michaels Road representing the original factory, in Earls Barton. The third series of BBC Three's Bizarre ER was filmed at Northampton General Hospital.

Notable buildings[link]

Interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

• Northampton's oldest standing building, the Church of The Holy Sepulchre, is one of the largest and best-preserved round churches in England. It was built in 1100 on the orders of the first Earl of Northampton, Simon de Senlis, who had just returned from the first Crusade. It is based on a plan of the original Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
• The current All Saints' Church was built on the site of a great Norman church, All Hallows, which was almost completely destroyed by the Fire of Northampton in 1675. All that remained was the medieval tower and the fine vaulted crypt, but by 1680 All Saints had been rebuilt, with the help of donations from all over England, including 1,000 tons of timber from King Charles II, whose statue can be seen above the portico. Famously, the poet John Clare liked to sit beneath the portico of the church.

All Saints' Church in central Northampton

• The Guildhall in Northampton (see picture at top) was constructed mostly in the 1860s in Victorian Gothic architecture, and extended in the 1990s. It is built on the site of the old town hall.
• 78 Derngate is a Grade II* listed Georgian Town House remodelled by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1916–17. It contains notable Mackintosh interiors (which have been restored) and is his only major domestic commission outside Scotland. It is open to the public.
• The 127.45 m (418 ft 2 in) tall Express Lift Tower is a dominant feature and visible from most of the town. A Terry Wogan radio phone-in during the 1980s to came up with the name "Northampton Lighthouse" as Northampton is one of the furthest places from the sea. It is also known as the "Cobblers' Needle". It was built for testing new lifts at the Express Lifts factory, now closed. Though now redundant, it is a listed building.

Express Lift Tower

• Northampton Castle (now only remaining as a rebuilt postern gate in a wall outside the railway station and the hill on which it stood) was for many years one of the country's most important castles. The country's parliament sat here many times and Thomas Becket was imprisoned here until he escaped.
• The Carlsberg UK brewery.
• Delapre Abbey – former Cluniac nunnery, founded by Simon de Senlis – later the County Records Office and site of the second Battle of Northampton.
• Queen Eleanor's body rested here on its way to London – and the nearby Eleanor cross in Hardingstone, now part of the Delapre area of the town, commemorates this. Out of the twelve originally erected, this cross is one of only three left including others at Geddington and Waltham. The original top of the monument widely thought to have been an ornate cross has apparently been destroyed and replaced several times from as early as 1460.^[43] The last cross is reported to have been knocked off by a low flying aircraft from a nearby airfield during the Second World War. However The Friends of Delapré Abbey charity is raising funds for the restoration of the cross in their tea room inside the abbey. The Cross is also referred to in Daniel Defoe's a "Tour through the whole island of Great Britain" where he describes the Great Fire of Northampton, "...a townsman being at Queen's Croos upon a hill on the south side of the town, about two miles off, saw the fire at one end of the town then newly begun, and that before he could get to the town it was burning at the remotest end, opposite where he first saw it."
• The 1970s Greyfriars Bus Station was built which replaced one in Derngate. In the 2000s it was featured on Channel 4's Demolition programme as the ugliest transport station in the UK and worthy of demolition.
  

  

  Medieval cellars at Northampton & County Club see Northampton's tunnels
• St Andrew's Hospital, opened 1838, and its new building William Wake House, the largest neo-classical structure in England since the Ministry of Defence.
• Northampton & County Club, established 1873, was the old county hospital before becoming a private members' club; the cellars are medieval.
• Holdenby House - a now privately owned 400 year old stately home on the outskirts of Northampton in the village of Holdenby.

Other notable church buildings include: St Edmunds, closed 1978 and demolished 2007 with the bells now in St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington, New Zealand; St Giles; St Matthew's in Phippsville, built 1891-4 has a Henry Moore sculpture of the Madonna ; Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate & St Thomas of Canterbury, the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton and seat of the Bishop of Northampton.

Notable residents[link]

Modern[link]

• Will Alsop^[44] architect, was born, raised, and studied for his Foundation degree in the town. Designed the Sharp Centre for Design in Toronto and North Greenwich tube station on the London Underground Jubilee Line
• Dallas Campbell, TV presenter, studied Drama and English at the University of Northampton between 1989~1992^[45]
• Judy Carne, actress, born Joyce Botterill 27 April 1939 in the town.
• Alan Carr, comedian, attended what is now Weston Favell School, but was not born locally. His father Graham Carr managed Northampton Town FC^[46]
• Andrew Collins journalist and broadcaster, grew up in the town and wrote about it in his memoir Where Did It All Go Right?
• Delia Derbyshire (deceased), who produced the original Doctor Who theme tune, spent her final years in the town
• Marcia Matilda Falkender, Baroness Falkender, formerly Marcia Williams, private secretary to Prime Minister Harold Wilson was educated at Northampton High School for Girls
• Anne Fine – Author of Madame Doubtfire attended Northampton High School for Girls^[47]
• 'Whispering' Bob Harris was born in the town
• Joan Hickson, who played Miss Marple, comes from Kingsthorpe
• Ruaridh Jackson, who plays rugby union for Glasgow Warriors and Scotland, was born in the town
• Lesley Joseph Birds of a Feather actress grew up in the town
• Robert Llewellyn, actor, (Kryten from Red Dwarf) was born here and lived at 47 Booth Rise until the age of 13^[48]
• Tim Minchin comedian, actor and musician was born here
• Alan Moore, writer of V for Vendetta, Watchmen, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Voice of the Fire, a fictionalised history of the town, is a lifelong resident
• James Morrison singer/songwriter lived in the town for 18 months and went to Kingsthorpe Middle School
• Nanette Newman, actress and author, wife of Bryan Forbes was born here
• Anna Murby, former BBC radio presenter attended Campion School, Bugbrooke
• Des O'Connor, television presenter and singer, evacuated to the town during WWII and briefly played for Northampton Town FC
• Myrea Pettit, fantasy artist of fairies, flowers and butterflies learned her craft in the county
• Former Blue Peter presenter Peter Purves lived for a number of years at the old rectory in Cogenhoe^[49]
• Derek Redmond, Olympic runner, was born and raised here and attended Roade Comprehensive School, now Roade Sports College, where the sports hall is named after him
• Norman Smiley, professional wrestler, was born here
• Matt Smith, actor, who plays the eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who went to Northampton School for Boys^{[50][51][52][53][54]}
• Diana, Princess of Wales (Diana Spencer) is buried at Althorp, the country estate of Earl Spencer where Charles Spencer, the current and 9th Earl Spencer (b.1964) is her brother. In 1989, the Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles & Diana, made an official visit to Northampton and Diana was made an Honorary Freeman of the Borough.^[55] The Royal Pioneer Corps from the former Simpson Barracks, which were located at Wootton in the south of the town, stood guard of honour on the day.^[56] There is a bronze plaque in her memory on the outside of the Guildhall 1992 extension
• Graeme Swann, cricketer was born in Northampton and played for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club from 1998–2004 before moving to Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. He currently plays in both the England Test and One Day International teams
• Michael Underwood, TV presenter, lives in the town and attended what is now Weston Favell School
• Marc Warren, played Danny Blue in the BBC's Hustle series, was born in Kingsthorpe
• Jo Whiley, a former BBC Radio 1 presenter, now presenting on BBC Radio 2, attended Campion School, Bugbrooke
• Stuart Pearson Wright, award winning artist, was born here in 1975

Historical[link]

• Robert Adams Sculptor and designer born in the Far Cotton area of the town
• William Alwyn, composer born in the town
• Sir Malcolm Arnold composer
• George Baker (topographer)
• Margaret Bondfield Labour MP for Northampton in 1923, first woman Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom and one of the first three female Labour MPs
• John de Bothby, former Lord Chancellor of Ireland, spent his last years as vicar of the church of The Holy Sepulchre, Northampton c.1380.
• Elizabeth Bowen, 20th century Anglo-Irish writer, lived here after her marriage
• Charles Bradlaugh radical MP and member for the town
• Anne Bradstreet (1612–1672) a puritan poet later based in Massachusetts
• Alban Butler (1710–1773) the author of Lives of the Saints
• John Clare, the poet, was detained in Northampton County Lunatic Asylum, now St Andrew's Hospital, and remained until his death in 1864
• Francis Crick, scientist, born in the town in 1916. With James D. Watson discovered the structure of DNA and Nobel Prize winner. In December 2005, a public sculpture called Discovery by Lucy Glendinning was erected in Abington Street as a memorial to him^[57]
• Philip Doddridge (1702–1751) was an English Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter.
• Errol Flynn acted in the Northampton Repertory Theatre 1933–34
• Violet Gibson, would-be assassin of Benito Mussolini, is buried in Kingsthorpe
• James Harrington (1611–1677), philosopher and author of "Oceana", was born at nearby Upton Hall
• Jerome K. Jerome, author of Three Men in a Boat and other works, died here in 1927
• Spencer Perceval was a local MP and Prime Minister. Shot in the House of Commons by assassin John Bellingham in 1812
• Pickering Phipps Brewer and local MP
• Edmund Rubbra composer born in the town
• Charles ("C.T.") Studd Victorian cricketer and pioneer missionary who played in the first Ashes test, was born at Spratton
• Walter Tull, Northampton Town FC player who became Britain's first black army officer in the First World War.
• James Hervey 18th century philosopher.

Musical[link]

• Bauhaus
• VV Brown, artist-songwriter-producer
• New Cassettes, indie rock band formed in 2005
• The Departure, rock band who have gone on to gain mainstream success
• Pat Fish, leader of the Jazz Butcher
• Rebecca Hunter singer from pop group allSTARS*
• James Chapman, Northampton-based Mercury-nominated musician
• Moom, progressive rock band formed in 1992
• Medium 21, alternative rock band formed in 1999
• Slipstream, alternative band formed in 1994
• Faye Tozer, singer from pop group Steps

Related towns[link]

Northampton is twinned with:

• Marburg, Hessen, Germany
• Poitiers, Vienne, France