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Walpole, Massachusetts
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- This article is about the town of Walpole, Massachusetts. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Walpole, please see the article Walpole (CDP), Massachusetts.
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about 17.9 miles south of Boston and 23.5 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 22,824 at the 2000 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724.
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- This article is about the town of Walpole, Massachusetts. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Walpole, please see the article Walpole (CDP), Massachusetts.
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about 17.9 miles south of Boston and 23.5 miles north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 22,824 at the 2000 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724. The town was named after Sir Robert Walpole, de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain.
History
Walpole started out as a territory that was claimed by the Neponset Native American tribe. The Neponset tribe officially claimed the area that is now Walpole, and some of its surrounding territory in 1635. The town of Dedham was not included in this claim, so they began to negotiate with the Neponset tribe to gain land. In 1636, a deal was made between the town of Dedham and the Neponsets to grant Dedham an area of land now includes the towns of Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Medfield, Norfolk and Dover as well as Dedham. The land given to Dedham in this deal currently includes parts of 16 different towns.
After the territory was bought from Dedham, the saw mill industry began to rise in the area. The first saw mill in Walpole was built near what is now School Meadow Brook and the Neponset river. It was located in the area that is now the Walpole Town Forest. The mill was built and later owned by Joshua Fisher and Major Eleazer Lusher, two wealthy men of Dedham.
Walpole soon wanted to sever its ties with Dedham, so its residents began to petition at Dedham town meetings to become a completely separate town. The request was granted by the town of Dedham in 1724, and the town was officially named Walpole, after Sir Robert Walpole.
After its incorporation, Walpole had a role in the events leading up to the American Revolutionary War. The citizens agreed that the taxes imposed by the British government were unfair. They sent a representative, Joshua Clapp, to the state meetings at Faneuil Hall in Boston. These meetings were to discuss how Massachusetts was going to keep its residents safe and peaceful during the events of the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, Walpole sent 157 men to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. These men were led by Captain Seth Bullard. In December 1777, a British fleet of ships came into Narragansett Bay and anchored in Newport Harbor in Rhode Island. Walpole sent two groups of minutemen, consisting of 65 men in total, to help with the situation. These men were led by Joshua Clapp, and Oliver Clapp. They stayed in Rhode Island to defend the port for three weeks.
Walpole began to grow after the Revolutionary War. By 1860, the town had 1,935 residents. It was mainly an industrial town, and manufactured products such as cotton, lumber, and paper in its many mills. The Neponset River was used for transport between the close towns of Sharon Foxborough, MA and Medfield. It was also used as a water supply and for water power. The Norfolk County railroad also connected the town. It was also part of a railroad network that connected Walpole to Boston and New York City. Many churches were formed in Walpole at this time, including Trinitarian, Unitarian and Methodist ones.
Walpole's first public library was founded in 1872. It was founded by Walpole resident Miss Mary R. Bird. The first library in Walpole was actually founded in 1816 by a group known as "The Ladies' Literary, Moral Society." It was not public, and was built to provide books to Walpole that may, in the words of the society, "afford useful information to the mind and improvement to the heart."
The town grew considerably throughout the 1900s, with an increase of over 3,000 by the 1920s. At a town meeting in 1922, local resident Maude R. Greeves said:
In 1929, Harriet Nevins donated $50,000 for the erection of a public building as a memorial for her parents George Blackburn and Nancy H. Blackburn. Her father, a merchant from Bradford, England, had once lived and done on business in Walpole. Blackburn Memorial Building (more commonly known as "Blackburn Hall") was designed by the architectural firm of Putnam & Cox Company of Boston, built by the F.J. Tetreault Company of Walpole, and dedicated in 1932. The red brick building, which features a neo-classical façade with whitewashed pillars, is still owned by the Town of Walpole and is used for a variety of activities throughout the year including children's theater production.
In keeping with her reputation as a noted animal lover, Harriet Nevins also left $2500 to fund the construction of a fountain for horses and dogs. The fountain is now dry but still stands on School Street in Walpole opposite the Stone School.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 22,824 people, 8,060 households, and 5,972 families residing in the town. The population density was 429.0/km² (165.6/sq mi). There were 8,229 housing units at an average density of 154.7/km² (400.7/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 95.41% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.02% of the population.
There were 8,060 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $74,757, and the median income for a family was $84,458. Males had a median income of $54,243 versus $39,516 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,117. About 1.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Weather and climate
Walpole's climate is humid continental, which is the predominant climate for Massachusetts and New England. Walpole's inland location causes it to experience cooler temperatures than many coastal locations in New England. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy and often snowy.
Walpole's warmest month is July, with an average high temperature of 82.8 °F (28.2 °C) and an average low of 61.6 °F (16.4 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average high temperature of 36.0 °F (2.2 °C) and an average low of 17.7 °F (−7.9 °C).
Much like the rest of the Northeastern seaboard, Walpole receives ample amounts of precipitation year-round. On average, summer months receive slightly less precipitation than winter months. Walpole averages about 46 in (116.8 cm) of rainfall a year. Walpole, like other Massachusetts towns, is very vulnerable to Nor'easter weather systems. The town is sometimes vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms, which infrequently threaten the New England region during the early autumn months.
Education
Walpole’s school system is run by a school committee made up of seven members. The committee appoints a superintendent, who then appoints individual principals in each of Walpole’s public schools. The current school superintendent is Lincoln Lynch, III. Walpole has seven public schools, which include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. There is also one private Catholic school located in Walpole, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Walpole School board.
The four elementary schools in Walpole include Old Post Road School, Elm Street School, Boyden School, and Fisher School. Old Post Road school is located in East Walpole. It has about 500 students attending and serves students in from kindergarten through grade five. Currently, there are three modular classrooms for the fourth grade to accommodate the growing student population. Fisher School was the first built in Walpole, In 1790. It was a one room schoolhouse until 1913, when another building was added. As of 2007, the school has about 470 students attending. Boyden Elementary School was founded in 1854 by Jeremiah Boyden. It was first named South Primary School until 1902, when the town decided to name it after Boyden. It was closed between 1981 and 1988 and was used as a school for troubled boys. It reopened in 1990 and currently has about 460 students and 50 teachers. Elm Street school is Walpole's newest school, which was opened in 1999, and renovated in 2004. It has about 520 students.
Law and government
Walpole, like most New England towns, has a board of selectmen. In this form of government the adult voting population gathers annually in a town meeting to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them. These men had charge of the day-to-day operations; selectmen were important in legislating policies central to a community's police force, highway supervisors, poundkeepers, field drivers, and other officials. However, the larger towns grew, the more power would be distributed among other elected boards, such as fire wardens, and police departments. For example, population increases led to the need for actual police departments, of which selectmen typically became the commissioners. The advent of tarred roads and automobile traffic led to a need for full-time highway maintainers and plowmen, leaving selectmen to serve as Supervisors of Streets and Ways.
In exchange for tax revenue, the city provides its residents with police and fire protection. For separate quarterly payments, the city provides garbage, recycling, water and sewer services.
Laws are enforced by the Walpole Police Department. In 2005, no murders were committed in Walpole, and none have been committed since 2001. Despite having no homicides, nonviolent crime in the town rose in 2005 compared to 2004. As of 2005, there were 58 violent crimes per 100,000 people, a drop from 89 in 2004. There were 13 total violent crimes committed in Walpole in 2005. Eight of these were aggravated assault, one was a robbery, and four were forcible rapes. There were 1,216 non-violent crimes in Walpole per 100,000 people in 2005, which was a rise from 1,158 in 2004. There were 223 thefts, 27 burglaries, 23 motor vehicle thefts, and one arson.
State prison
Walpole is the location of MCI — Cedar Junction, a maximum security prison for males that was originally named "MCI — Walpole" until town residents successfully lobbied in the mid-1980s for the change.
Recreation
Walpole has many parks and athletic fields, which are mostly active during the spring and summer months due to the cold winter climate of Walpole and the surrounding area. Francis William Bird Park is located in Walpole. It is an 89-acre landscaped park, owned and maintained by The Trustees of Reservations. Over three miles of walking and biking paths wind through the park, traversing streams across old granite bridges and passing through rolling, grassy meadows punctuated with mature shade trees, tree groves, and ponds.
Facilities at the park include bike racks, benches, trash receptacles, public restroom (open seasonally), a "tot lot" with children's play equipment, four tennis courts, a basketball backboard, and an outdoor stage.
Bird Park was created and endowed in 1925 by local industrialist Charles Sumner Bird, Sr. and his wife Anna in memory of their eldest son, Francis William Bird who had died seven years earlier in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Landscape architect and town planner John Nolen designed the park. A social reformer, Nolen believed that parks were critical to the health of urban residents and should be designed to provide a place of respite and relaxation in nature. In his original design plan, Nolen wrote that this park should be
"...a sequestered breathing place in the heart of East Walpole...a combination of broad, sun-swept meadow lands, speckled with shadowed glades, higher tree-screened knolls for the lover of shade, the whole set to the music of a babbling stream."
For most of its history, the park was owned and maintained by the Francis William Park Trust. By the later decades of the 20th century, parts of the park suffered badly from vandalism and neglect. The Trustees of Reservations gained possession of this property in 2002. Today the park is in excellent condition and several young ornamental trees such as Cherry and Japanese Maple have been added to the landscape, as have flower beds.
Sports
All Walpole High School teams are nicknamed "Rebels" except for the girls field hockey team who are nicknamed "Porkers." In 2004, the Walpole Boys and Girls high school basketball teams captured the Massachusetts State Titles on the same day in the Fleet Center in Boston. In 2006, the girls' field hockey team, the Porkers, won their 10th State Championship in a 1-0 win over Notre Dame Academy of Worcester. This win set the record for number of overall Championship titles for Massachusetts field hockey.
The boys cross country team won back to back state championships in 1991 and 1992.
Walpole Little League has won the state championship twice: 1991, and 2007. They went to the Little League World Series in 2007 with a record of 19-1. They defeated Shelton, CT 14-4 in five inning mercy rule to advance to the LLWS. In round robin play, Walpole was eliminated with a 1-2 record, after losing to Oregon and Georgia, 1-0 and 8-1 respectively, and finished 21-3.
Media
Walpole is served by The Walpole Times, a weekly newspaper owned by GateHouse Media New England. The Daily News Transcript, a daily newspaper (Monday-Friday) also owned by GateHouse Media is distributed in Walpole as well. WDIS AM 1170 is a radio station located in Norfolk, a neighboring town. Walpole Community Television, established in 1985, airs programming of local interest to all Walpole cable subscribers.
Gallery
Transportation
Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with the Walpole and Plimptonville stops on its Franklin Line.
Notable residents
- Todd Collins, professional football player, quarterback
- Gene Lavanchy, TV news anchor for FOX channel 25 in Boston
- Mike Millbury, professional hockey player, coach, general manager, TV host
- Joe Morgan (manager), professional baseball manager for a variety of teams including the Boston Red Sox
- Dina Rizzo, US Olympian field hockey
- Matt Rodgers, University of Iowa football player, quarterback
- Danny Villa, professional football player, offensive lineman
- Kevin Faulk, professional football player, New England Patriots.
- Roger Turner, Olympic Figure Skater
- Henry Kendall, Businessman, founder Kendall Co.
- Charles Farrell, Actor
- Mary Lavin, Award-winning short story writer. Born in Walpole, moved to Ireland at the age of 10.
See also
External links
- A daily newspaper that covers Walpole.
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