Westborough, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia : W : WE : WES : Westborough, Massachusetts
Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,997 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Westborough, please see the article Westborough (CDP), Massachusetts.
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.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 early English explorer John Oldham followed these trails through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By the 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 long 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 England. Forty-six minutemen from Westborough fought under Captain Edmund Brigham in the Revolutionary War
In the year 1775, Northborough split off as the "north borough" of Westborough, much as Westborough split off from Marlborough some 58 years previous. 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, and 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, and the global headquarters of American Superconductor.
Registered Historic Places
Westborough is home to six Nationally Registered Historic Places:- 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)
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.0 km² (21.6 mi²). 53.1 km² (20.5 mi²) of it is land and 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (5.09%) is water. The average elevation of the town is approximately 300 feet. 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 west of Boston and 12 miles east of Worcester. It is surrounded by 6 different 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.
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 338.6/km² (876.9/mi²). There were 6,773 housing units at an average density of 127.4/km² (330.0/mi²). 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.
School system
Many people are attacted to Westborough because of its school system, which continually performs in the top percentage levels on state and national tests. In 2005, Money Magazine listed Westborough in its Top 100 Best Places to Live as #36 due to the excellent financial support and staffing levels found in the Westborough Public Schools.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, as well as major renovations to the high school, which were completed in 2003.
Graduation rates in the high school are consistently above 95% and a vast majority of these high-school graduates then attend a four-year college with many of them 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.[The State of Education: Westborough, MA], Boston.com, 2005.
- 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%)
Town activities
Leisure and Culture
Westborough's location is beneficial for individuals who enjoy leisure and culture activities. Both in Westborough and within 30 miles of Westborough, the following attractions can be found:[Best Places to Live 2005: Westborough, MA], CNNMoney.com, 2005.- 17 movie theaters
- 1,852 restaurants
- 113 bars
- 104 golf courses
- 50 libraries
- 20 museums
- Swimming, boating, and fishing at Lake Chauncy.
- Hikes on the trails in the Assabet Reservoir
- Summer athletic programs for children organized by the town's Department of Recreation
Religion
Westborough is home to the following religious organizations:- Beth Tikvah Synagogue [(Website)]
- Congregation B'nai Shalom [(Website)]
- Evangelical Congregational Church
- First Baptist Church Westborough [(Website)]
- First United Methodist Church [(Website)]
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church [(Website)]
- New Hope Chapel [(Website)]
- St. Luke the Evangelist and Rectory [(Website)]
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church [(Website)]
- Unitarian Church of Westborough
Notable figures
- 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
References and notes
External links
- [Westborough official website]
- [Westborough official school district website]
- [Money Magazine 100 Best Places to Live 2005]
- [Money Magazine 100 Best Places to Retire 2005]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Maps] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
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