New Braintree is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 999 at the 2010 census.HistoryNew Braintree was first settled in 1709 and was officially incorporated in 1751. The town's lands were formerly a part of the Quaboag Plantation.It has been the home of the Massachusetts State Police Academy since 1992. Governor Michael Dukakis had proposed and began construction of a controversial state prison in the late 1980s on this site, but was met with heavy opposition by the town and a group called C.O.S.T. (Conserve Our Small Town). Governor William Weld was elected and ceased the construction of the prison. The state police training academy now occupies the grounds and buildings of the former Seventh-day Adventist Pioneer Valley Academy. In the photo shown, one can see the school's former boys' and girls' dormitories with the cafeteria in between and the water tower to the right of the boys' dormitory. The school opened its doors in September 1965 and closed in June 1983.GeographyAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and, or 0.72%, is water.New Braintree is bordered by Barre to the north, Oakham to the east, Spencer to the southeast, West Brookfield and North Brookfield to the south, Ware to the southwest and Hardwick to the west.
