Westwood, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Westwood is a town in Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...

, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 14,618 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...

. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its list of the Best Streets in the Boston area. It is currently the 20th wealthiest town in Massachusetts.

History

Westwood was first settled in 1640 and was part of the town of Dedham
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...

 (it was originally called 'West Dedham') until it was officially incorporated in 1897. It was the last town to split from the original town of Dedham.

It was originally to have been named the "Town of Nahatan:"

In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Boston Magazine listed Gay Street in Westwood on its list of the Best Streets in the Boston area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.7 km²), of which, 11 square miles (28.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (1.35%) is water.

Adjacent towns

Westwood is located in eastern Massachusetts, bordered by:
  • the town of Needham
    Needham, Massachusetts
    Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census.- History :...

     to the north
  • the town of Dedham
    Dedham, Massachusetts
    Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...

     to the east
  • the town of Canton
    Canton, Massachusetts
    Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,561 at the 2010 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles southwest of downtown Boston.- History :...

     to the southeast
  • the town of Norwood
    Norwood, Massachusetts
    Norwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 28,602. The community was named after Norwood, England...

     to the south
  • the town of Walpole
    Walpole, Massachusetts
    Walpole is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located about south of Boston and north of Providence, Rhode Island. The population was 24,070 at the 2010 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham until officially incorporated in 1724...

     to the southwest
  • the town of Dover
    Dover, Massachusetts
    Dover is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,589 at the 2010 census.Located about southwest of downtown Boston, Dover is a residential town nestled on the south banks of the Charles River. Almost all of the residential zoning requires or larger...

     to the west

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 14,117 people, 5,122 households and 3,867 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 1,286.7 people per square mile (496.9/km²). There were 5,251 housing units at an average density of 478.6/sq mi (184.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.98% White, 0.50% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 5,122 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $87,394, and the median income for a family was $103,242. Males had a median income of $71,801 versus $46,194 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $41,553. About 1.3% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town of Westwood operates under a home rule
Devolution
Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...

 charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...

. This means that the town is given a degree of autonomy in regards to internal affairs. The charter mandates a board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...

, open town meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....

, and executive secretary form of government. Selectmen and other town officials are elected through an open town meeting or formal election; but the board of selectmen appoints secretaries on its own who manage public safety, recreation, and other services. The board calls for an open town meeting (usually yearly) to consider issues beyond the scope of its governance. In many cases the issue is discussed formally among residents and town officials before general voting takes place. The board of selectmen has three members who serve overlapping three-year terms. Patrick Ahearn, Nancy Hyde, and Phil Shapiro are currently Westwood's selectmen. On April 28, 2009, Hyde ran unopposed, and was elected to her third consecutive three-year term. Ahearn's term will be up in 2010, Shapiro's in 2011, and Hyde's in 2012.

Public schools

Westwood has five public elementary schools:
  • Deerfield
  • Downey
  • Paul R. Hanlon (originally Pine Hill)
  • Martha Jones
  • William E. Sheehan (originally Pond Plain)


Westwood has one public middle school (Edmund W. Thurston), and one public high school (Westwood High School
Westwood High School (Massachusetts)
Westwood High School, or WHS is a public four-year high school located in Westwood, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is fed by E.W. Thurston Middle School, Westwood, Massachusetts.- History :...

).

A new Westwood High School was recently constructed at a cost of $45M, and the old school, built in 1957, was demolished. The gymnasium and swimming facility from the old school were refurbished and are now part of the new high school campus. The school facilities also include a new multi-use artificial turf field (named after former Westwood High School principal and teacher Charles Flahive) with a synthetic track, both of which are open to the public.

Private schools

Westwood is home to Xaverian Brothers High School
Xaverian Brothers High School
Xaverian Brothers High School , founded in 1963 by the Xaverian Brothers, is a private, Catholic secondary school for boys on a campus in Westwood, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston....

, a Catholic prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...

 for boys.

Points of interest

  • Hale Reservation - A Home to North Beach, Membership Beach, several walking trails, and other outdoor areas.
  • Westwood Library - On April 7, 2010, Library Trustees hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the town's new library. The expected completion date for the new library is summer 2012.

Houses of worship

  • First Baptist Church of Westwood, 808 High Street (Association: American Baptist)
  • First Parish of Westwood United Church
    First Parish Westwood Meeting House
    The Meeting House of First Parish of Westwood is the oldest Meeting House in continuous use Norfolk County, Massachusetts. The church celebrated its 200 year of its Meeting House on September 27, 2009. Meeting House Timeline....

    , 340 Clapboardtree Street (Association: United Church of Christ, Unitarian Universalist Association).
  • Temple Beth David, 7 Clapboardtree Street (Association: Union for Reform Judaism)
  • St. Denis Parish, 157 Washington Street (Association: Catholic Archdiocese of Boston)
  • St. John's Episcopal Church, 95 Deerfield Avenue (Association: Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Massachusetts) stjohnswestwood.org
  • St. Margaret Mary Parish, 845 High Street (Association: Catholic Archdiocese of Boston)
  • St. Timothy Catholic Church, 650 Nichols Street (Association: Catholic Archdiocese of Boston)


Westwood has an active Interfaith Council.

Transportation

  • Commuter rail
    Regional rail
    Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...

     service from Boston's South Station
    South Station
    South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...

     is provided by the MBTA with the Route 128 station
    Route 128 (MBTA station)
    Route 128 is a station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Providence/Stoughton MBTA Commuter Rail line, with inbound service to Back Bay and South Station in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton or TF Green Airport. It is also known as "University Park" station...

     on its Providence/Stoughton Line
    Providence/Stoughton Line
    The Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and T. F. Green Airport, Rhode Island...

    , and the Islington station
    Islington (MBTA station)
    Islington is a station on the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin Line from Franklin, Massachusetts to Boston, Massachusetts.-External links:*...

     on its Franklin Line
    Franklin Line
    The Franklin Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts. Most Franklin Line trains connect to the Providence/Stoughton Line at Readville though some weekday trains use the Fairmount Line to access South Station...

  • Amtrak
    Amtrak
    The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

     trains to Providence
    Providence, Rhode Island
    Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

    , New Haven
    New Haven, Connecticut
    New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

    , New York City
    New York City
    New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

     and Washington DC also stop at the Route 128 station.

Trivia

  • The remains of a cave
    Cave
    A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

     sit along Route 109, that King Philip
    Metacomet
    Metacomet , also known as King Philip or Metacom, or occasionally Pometacom, was a war chief or sachem of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in King Philip's War, a widespread Native American uprising against English colonists in New England.-Biography:Metacomet was the second son of Massasoit...

     and his men hid inside during King Philip's War
    King Philip's War
    King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...

    . The massive rock that once contained the cave was known as the Oven's Mouth. It was blown up along with most of the cave in the 1950s to straighten out Route 109.
  • Maj. Robert Steele, the Continental Army drummer boy during the Battle of Bunker Hill
    Battle of Bunker Hill
    The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...

    , is buried in the old Westwood Cemetery off Route 109.
  • Westwood is home of the oldest animal pound in the United States.
  • Westwood was a dry town until 2005. Restaurants can now apply for liquor licenses.
  • Westwood is home to the Hale Reservation, an area of open space donated by Robert Sever Hale. Hale Reservation spans over 1200 acre (486 ha) in Westwood and Dover, MA.

Notable residents, past and present

  • Dicky Barrett
    Dicky Barrett
    Richard Michael Barrett , better known as Dicky Barrett, is the frontman of Ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and the announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live...

     - lead singer of the ska-core band, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  • Bishop Christopher Coyne
    Christopher J. Coyne
    Bishop Christopher J. Coyne is the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana. He was appointed administrator by the Pope on September 21, 2011, upon the early retirement of Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein on grounds of ill health.Bishop Coyne was born in Woburn,...

     - Served as parish priest of St. Margaret Mary Church
  • Jon Finn
    Jon Finn
    Jonathan M. Finn is an American rock musician and guitarist. He is the founder and leader of the Jon Finn Group, and is a professor at the Berklee College of Music; he joined the guitar faculty there in 1988...

     - award-winning guitarist, rock musician
  • Kenny Florian
    Kenny Florian
    Kenneth Alan Florian is a Peruvian-American mixed martial artist who competes as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, and is known for his cerebral approach to the sport based on his meticulous game plans and...

     - Mixed Martial Arts
    Mixed martial arts
    Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...

     (MMA) fighter
  • John Harrington
    John Harrington (Red Sox CEO)
    John L. Harrington is an American business manager. He was the CEO of the Boston Red Sox.-Early life and career:He graduated from Boston College in 1957, and received his MBA from Boston College in 1966. After college, he was an officer in the U.S. Navy, then worked for both the General Accounting...

     - former CEO of the Boston Red Sox
    Boston Red Sox
    The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

  • Peter S. Pezzati
    Peter S. Pezzati
    Peter S. Pezzati aka Pietro Pezzati was an American portrait painter who was located in the Boston area. His art was rooted in the Renaissance tradition. His artwork included landscapes, pen and ink drawings, watercolors, pastel and oil portraits.-Early life:He was born Peter S...

     - portrait painter
  • Barry Reed - American trial lawyer and bestselling author
  • Robert B. Rheault
    Robert B. Rheault
    Robert B. Rheault is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces who served as commander of the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and the Fifth Special Forces Group in Vietnam from May to July 1969...

     - American military officer and commander of all US Army Special Forces in Vietnam in 1969
  • Robert Steele (Drum Major)
    Robert Steele (Drum Major)
    Drum Major Robert Steele was an America Revolutionary War drummer and Drum Major.Steele was born in 1760 in Massachusetts. A month after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, at the age of fifteen, he joined the Continental Army as a drummer boy...

     - drummer boy for the Continental Army during the Battle of Bunker Hill of the Revolutionary War
    American Revolution
    The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...

    , is buried in the Old Westwood Cemetery.
  • Mike Woicik
    Mike Woicik
    Mike Woicik is an American football strength and conditioning coach for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He holds the record for Super Bowl rings won by a coach with six, winning three with the Cowboys and three with the New England Patriots...

     - Strength and conditioning coach for the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

    , and the only person with six Super Bowl
    Super Bowl
    The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...

    rings.

External links

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