Westborough, Massachusetts
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- For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Westborough, please see the article Westborough (CDP), Massachusetts.
| Westborough, Massachusetts | |||
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| Nickname: The Hundredth Town | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Worcester County | ||
| Settled | 1675 | ||
| Incorporated | 1717 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | Open town meeting | ||
| - Board of Selectmen |
George Barrette (chair) Lydia Goldblatt Susan Abladian George Thompson Leigh Emery |
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| Area | |||
| - Town | 21.6 sq mi (56.0 km²) | ||
| - Land | 20.5 sq mi (53.1 km²) | ||
| - Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 300 ft (91 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Town | 17,997 | ||
| - Density | 876.9/sq mi (338.6/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 01581 | ||
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 | ||
| Website: http://www.town.westborough.ma.us/ | |||
Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,997 at the 2000 census. The town is governed under the open town meeting system.
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[edit] History
Before recorded time, the area now known as Westborough was a well travelled crossroads. As early as 7,000 B.C., prehistoric people in dugout canoes followed the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers to their headwaters in search of quartzite for tools and weapons. During the period from 1200-1600 A.D., seasonal migrations brought Nipmuc Indians to hunt and fish near Cedar Swamp and Lake Hoccomocco. Using Fay Mountain as a landmark, Indians crisscrossed Westborough on well worn paths: the old Connecticut Path leading west from Massachusetts Bay; the Narragansett Trail leading south, and the trail (along the present Milk Street) leading to Canada.[1]
The early English explorer John Oldham followed these trails through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By late 1675, a few families had settled near Lake Chauncy, in the "west borough" of Marlborough.
On November 18, 1717, Westborough was incorporated as the hundredth town in Massachusetts, populated by twenty-seven families. Soon large farms were carved out, mills built along the Assabet River and Jack Straw Brook, and taverns flourished. Westborough's first minister, Reverend Ebenezer Parkman, shepherded the growing town of colonists through the years toward independence from Great Britain. Forty-six minutemen from Westborough fought under Captain Edmund Brigham in the Revolutionary War
In 1775, Northborough split off as the "north borough" of Westborough, much as Westborough split off from Marlborough some 58 years before. However, the two towns shared a meetinghouse for some time more.
In 1810 the route from Boston to Worcester was straightened and improved into an official turnpike (the present Route 9), and along its Westborough route, the Wesson Tavern Common, Forbush Tavern and Nathan Fisher's store prospered. The center of commerce shifted downtown in 1824 with the arrival of the steam train through Westborough's center. The railroad brought a new era to the town industry: over the next century, local factories shipped boots and shoes, straw hats, sleighs, textiles, bicycles, and eventually abrasive products, across the nation. Westborough dairies supplied cities with milk and local greenhouses shipped out carnations, while the eight orchards found ready markets for their produce.
The industrial progress of the entire country is indebted to Westborough's most famous native son Eli Whitney Jr. Born in 1765, Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1795 after graduating from Yale, In 1798 he introduced mass production to the United States at his Whitney Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut. Whitney's legacy is apparent in the modern industries located within the town's borders: AstraZeneca, Dover Electric, Proteon, Genzyme, EMC Corporation, IBM, PFPC, the US Headquarters of National Grid (US), and the global headquarters of American Superconductor.
[edit] Registered Historic Places
Westborough is home to six Nationally Registered Historic Places:
- Joseph Lothrop House, now known as 1790 Restaurant & Tavern, corner of Route 9 and Park Street. (added in 1974)
- Jonah Warren House — 64 Warren St. (added December 5, 1998)
- Lyman School for Boys — Junction of Oak St. and South St. (added August 25, 1994)
- Maples Cottage — East of Shrewsbury on Oak St. (added April 25, 1980)
- Nathan Fisher House — East of Shrewsbury on MA 9 (added April 25, 1980)
- West Main Street Historic District — Roughly bounded by Milk, Main, Blake, and Fay streets (added July 16, 1987)
- Expanded to include 83-118 West Main St. (1990)
- Westborough State Hospital — Along Lyman St. North of Chauncy Lake and junction of South St. and MA 9 (added February 21, 1994)
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km²),of which, 20.5 square miles (53.1 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it is water or 5.09 percent. The average elevation of the town is approximately 300 feet (91 m). The town contains numerous bodies of water, including Lake Chauncy, Mill Pond, Lake Hoccomocco, and the Westborough Reservoir. Lake Chauncy is open to swimming, boating, and fishing, and has a public beach open to residents of the town during the summer months.
Westborough is located about 29 miles (47 km) west of Boston and 12 miles (19 km) east of Worcester. It is surrounded by 6 towns: Grafton, Hopkinton, Northborough, Shrewsbury, Southborough, and Upton. Westborough lies at the strategic intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) and Interstate 495, making it easily accessible from all directions. Route 30 (Main Street) and Route 135 (South Street/Milk Street) intersect in a rotary at the town's center, while Route 9 runs nearby serving much of the town's commerce.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 17,997 people (grew to 18,737 in 2004), 6,534 households, and 4,521 families residing in the town. The population density was 876.9 people per square mile (338.6/km²). There were 6,773 housing units at an average density of 330.0 per square mile (127.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.18% White, 1.44% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 8.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races, and 1.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 6,534 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,418, and the median income for a family was $94,610. Males had a median income of $66,157 versus $40,030 for females. The per capita income for the town was $35,063. About 3.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. As of 2005 the labor force was over 9,300 people with an unemployment rate in the town of 3.1%. Additionally in 2004, the number of registered voters in the town reached 11,532.
[edit] Government
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus (D) |
| County Treasurer: | Position Eliminated |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Registrar of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Registrar of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| Sheriff: | Guy W. Glodis (D) |
| State government | |
| Representative(s) in General Court: | George N. Peterson (R) Karyn E. Polito (R) Paul J.P. Loscocco (R) |
| Senator(s) in General Court: | Pamela P. Resor (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Thomas J. Foley (D) |
| Federal government | |
| Member(s) of the U.S. House of Representatives: | James P. McGovern (D-3rd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | Edward Kennedy (D) John Kerry (D) |
[edit] Education
Many people are attracted to Westborough because of its excellent school system, which continually performs in the top percentage levels on state and national tests. In 2005, Money Magazine listed Westborough #36 in its survey of Top 100 Best Places to Live due to the excellent financial support and staffing levels found in the Westborough Public Schools.
In a 2004/2005 study by School Matters, a service of Standard and Poors, Westborough Public School system was rated as one of the top public school systems in Massachusetts that consistently outperformed peer schools on MCAS reading and math proficiency test over the last four years. Westborough was the only school system in Worcester County other than Harvard, MA to achieve this top state wide ranking. Westborough ranked 16 out of 204 school systems rated in the state of Massachusetts in this study.
There are six schools in Westborough: Hastings Elementary School, Armstrong Elementary School, Fales Elementary School, Mill Pond School, Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School, and Westborough High School. While students spend fourth grade and up together at Mill Pond School, then Gibbons Middle School, and then Westborough High School, there are various options depending upon their geographic location in the town for preschool through third grade. The newest additions to the fleet of schools includes the construction of the new Mill Pond School, which first opened in 2002. Major renovations to the high school were completed in 2003.
Graduation rates in the high school are consistently above 95% and the vast majority of these graduates then attend a four-year college with many going to top tier institutions. The high school is known for having excellent extracurricular activities, including sports teams, music and theatre arts options, and a top tier student council, which was ranked the #1 student council in Massachusetts in 2003.
The following facts published as part of the 2005 MCAS tests results give a profile of the academics throughout the Westborough Public Schools.[2]
- Total enrollment (2004-2005): 3,507- ranked 88/328 districts
- Grades Served: K-12
- Racial Make-up: African-American (1.4%), Asian (11.8%), Hispanic (4%), Native American (1%), White (82.8%)
- Gender Make-up of Student Body: Male (51.1%) Female (48.9%)
- Students whose first language is not English: (6.8%)- ranked 79/328 districts
- Students in Special Education: (11.9%)- ranked 285/328 districts
- Students from low-income families: (4.9%)- ranked 246/328 districts
- Dropouts per 100 students: (0.0%)- ranked 1/256 districts
- Average number of Absences per student: 6
- Percent of days the average student attended school: (96.8%)- ranked 9/328 districts
- Students who repeated a grade: (0.6%)- ranked 216/327 districts
- Total Number of Teachers: 272
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 12.9 to 1- ranked 138/328 districts
- Core Academic teachers identified as 'highly qualified': (96.4%)- ranked 173/328 districts
- Teachers licensed in their teaching assignment: 96.7%
- Average Teacher Salary: $51,590- ranked 129/328 districts
- Total School Spending: $33,055,171
- Per-Pupil Spending overall: $9,375- ranked 94/325 districts
- Per-Pupil spending on Regular Education: $8,143- ranked 52/308 districts
- Per-Pupil Spending on Special Education: $18,908- ranked 68/325 districts
- Number of Students per Computer: 4.5- ranked 167/327 districts
- Plans of High School Graduates: Four-year private college (42.5%), Four-year public college (37%), Two-year private college (0%), Two-year public college (6.8%), Other education (0.9%), Joined workforce (7.8%), Military Service (2.3%), Other (0%), Unknown (2.7%)
[edit] Points of interest
- Assabet Reservoir – hiking trails
- Lake Chauncy - swimming, boating, fishing
- Westborough Country Club - semi-private club which features a 9-hole regulation length course with 3,165 yards of golf from the longest tees, for a par of 35. Additional tees can be used when playing an eighteen hole round. Westborough golf course opened in 1921. Jack Negoshian manages the course as the Golf Professional.[3] Open April 1 to November 30.
[edit] Places of worship
Westborough is home to the following religious organizations:
- Beth Tikvah Synagogue
- Chabad of Westborough
- Congregation B'nai Shalom
- Evangelical Congregational Church
- Baptist Church Westborough
- First United Methodist Church
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
- New Hope Chapel
- St. Luke the Evangelist and Rectory
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
- Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society of Westborough
[edit] Notable residents
- Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin and interchangeable parts
- Admiral Louis E. Denfeld, served as Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy
- Esther Forbes, novelist
- Nikki Stone, 1998 Winter Olympics gold medal winner of Women's Aerials Freestyle Skiing
- Andrew Clements, Children's Author, Wrote best selling book, Frindle
[edit] References
- ^ The section about Westborough history is based on notes titled "The Hundredth Town", written by Kristina N. Allen, which in turn are based on her 1984 book "On the Beaten Path", with the exception of the Northborough paragraph which is based on class notes from Mr. Antonio, former principal of the Eli Whitney school who later taught Westborough history at Armstrong school before retiring.
- ^ The State of Education: Westborough, MA, Boston.com, 2005.
- ^ Golf Link
[edit] External links
- Westborough official website
- Westborough official school district website
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
