Millbury, MA

Millbury is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,821 at the 2010 census. Millbury is home to the University of Massachusetts Amherst and numerous other businesses and organizations.

The area that now comprises Millbury has been settled since at least 1636 when Samuel de Champlain passed through on his way to explore New England. The first mill in what would become Millbury was built in 1639 by Thomas Dudley, one of the founders of Boston. In 1793, during the American Revolution, British forces burned down much of the town. After the war ended, reconstruction began and by 1800 Millbury had a population of 1,200.

In 1826, Elias Hasket Derby founded the Derby Silk Company in what would become known as Derby Village (now part of downtown Millbury). The company became one of the largest employers in town and helped spur growth throughout the area. In 1853, Charles Follen McKim designed a house for Elias Hasket Derby on Maple Street (now part of UMass Amherst's campus). The house is considered one of McKim's finest works and is still standing today (it was recently renovated).

During the late 19th century and early 20th century, many wealthy families moved to Millbury – among them werethe Cabots (who built Cabot House),the Whitneys (whose estate Whitney Hall is now a museum),andthe du Ponts (whose du Pont Estate now houses UMass Amherst's School for Advanced Study). As these families grew richer and more influential, they began to demand better housing options than what was available in downtown Millbury. This led to the development of suburbs such as Easton and Northampton – both which are still very much part of Millbury today.

Today there are several major real estate companies based out of Millbury: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/National Realty Corporation; Douglas Elliman Real Estate; Brown Harris Stevens; RENTCafé; Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage; Keller Williams Realty USA; Century 21 Real Estate LLC.; Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate; John Aarons & Associates Inc.; Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices/American Homes 4 Rent Inc.; CBRE Group Inc.; Redfin Corporation