Needham, Massachusetts

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Needham, Massachusetts
Town
Town Hall
Flag of Needham, Massachusetts
Flag		 Official seal of Needham, Massachusetts
Seal
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Norfolk
Settled 1680
Incorporated 1711
Government
 • Type Representative town meeting
Area
 • Total 12.7 sq mi (32.9 km2)
 • Land 12.6 sq mi (32.7 km2)
 • Water 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2)
Elevation 162 ft (49 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 28,886
 • Density 2,292.5/sq mi (883.4/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02492 / 02494
Area code(s) 781
FIPS code 25-44105
GNIS feature ID 0618325
Website www.needhamma.gov

Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. A suburb of Boston, its population was 28,886 at the 2010 census. It is home to the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, an engineering school.

History

Early settlement

Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a tract of land measuring 4 miles (6.4 km) by 5 miles (8.0 km) from Chief Nehoiden for the sum of 10 pounds, 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land, and 40 shillings worth of corn. It was officially incorporated in 1711. Originally part of the Dedham Grant, Needham split from Dedham and was named after the village of Needham Market in Suffolk, England, a neighbor of the English town of Dedham. By the 1770s settlers in the western part of the town who had to travel a long distance to the meeting house on what is now Central Avenue sought to form a second parish in the town. Opposition to this desire created conflict, and in 1774 a mysterious fire destroyed the extant meeting house. Some time afterwards the West Parish was formed.

Growth and industry

In 1857 the City of Boston began a project to fill in the Back Bay with landfill by filling the tidewater flats of the Charles River. The fill to reclaim the bay from the water was obtained from Needham, Massachusetts from the area of present-day Route 128. The firm of Goss and Munson, railroad contractors, built 6 miles (9.7 km) of railroad from Needham and their 35-car trains made 16 trips a day to Back Bay.[1] The filling of present-day Back Bay was completed by 1882; filling reached Kenmore Square in 1890, and finished in the Fens in 1900. The project was the largest of a number of land reclamation projects, beginning in 1820, which, over the course of time, more than doubled the size of the original Boston peninsula.

In 1865, William Carter established a knitting mill company in Needham Heights that would eventually become a major manufacturer and leading brand of children's apparel in the United States. The site of Mill #1 currently houses the Avery Manor assisted living center, while Mill #2 stood along the shores of Rosemary Lake. By the 1960s, the company owned seven mills in Massachusetts and the south. The Carter family sold the business in 1990, after which Carter's, Inc. moved its headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia.[2]

In the late 1860s William Emerson Baker moved to Needham. A notably wealthy man due to his having improved the mechanical sewing machine, Baker assembled a parcel of land exceeding 800 acres (3.2 km2) and named it Ridge Hill Farm.[2] He built two man made lakes on his property, including Sabrina lake near present-day Locust Lane. Baker turned part of his property into an amusement park with exotic animals, subterranean tunnels, trick floors and mirrors. In 1888 he built a sizable hotel, near the intersection of present-day Whitman Road and Charles River Street, called the Hotel Wellesley which had a capacity of over 300 guests. The hotel burned to the ground on December 19, 1891.[3]

In 1891, George Walker, Boston owner of a lithograph company, and Gustavos Gordon, scientist, formed Walker-Gordon Laboratories to develop processes for the prevention of contamination of milk and to answer the call by enlightened physicians for better babies' milk formulas. This plant was located in the Charles River Village section of Needham with another large facility in New Jersey. The scientific dairy production facilities of the Walker-Gordon Dairy Farm were widely advertised and utilized modern advancements in the handling of milk products.[4]

Incorporation of Welleslley

In 1881 the West Parish was separately incorporated as the town of Wellesley. The following year, Needham and Wellesley high schools began playing an annual football game on Thanksgiving, now the second-longest running high school football rivalry in the United States[5] (and longest such contest on Thanksgiving). Also the longest running public high school rivalry. In 2013 Wellesley broke a 3-year Thanksgiving game losing streak to the Needham Rockets, defeating them 22-6. The Wellesley Raiders now hold a 60-57-9 advantage in the historic rivalry.[3]

With the loss of the West Parish to Wellesley, the town lost its town hall and plans to build a new one began in 1902 with the selection of a building committee. The cornerstone was laid by the Grand Lodge of Masons on September 2, 1902 and the building was dedicated on December 22, 1903. The total cost for the hall was $57,500 including furnishings. Because it was located on the town common, the cost did not include land as none was purchased.[6] In 2011, the town hall was extensively refurbished and expanded. In the process, the second-floor meeting hall was restored to its original function and beauty.

Recent history

Needham's population grew by over 50 percent during the 1930s.[7]

In 2005, Needham became the first city in the United States to raise the age to legally buy tobacco products to 21.[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²), of which 12.6 square miles (32.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it is water.

Needham's area is roughly in the shape of an acute, northward-pointing triangle. The Charles River forms nearly all of the southern and northeastern boundaries, the town line with Wellesley forming the third, northwestern one. In addition to Wellesley on the northwest, Needham borders Newton and the West Roxbury section of Boston on the northeast, and Dover, Westwood, and Dedham on the south. The majority of Cutler Park is in Needham and is located along the Charles River and the border with Newton and West Roxbury. Needham is elevated at sea level, but is a very hilly town.

Demographics

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See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
Historical population
Year Pop. ±%
1850 1,944 —    
1860 2,658 +36.7%
1870 3,607 +35.7%
1880 5,252 +45.6%
1890 3,035 −42.2%
1900 4,016 +32.3%
1910 5,026 +25.1%
1920 7,012 +39.5%
1930 10,845 +54.7%
1940 12,445 +14.8%
1950 16,313 +31.1%
1960 25,793 +58.1%
1970 29,748 +15.3%
1980 27,901 −6.2%
1990 27,557 −1.2%
2000 28,911 +4.9%
2010 28,886 −0.1%
* = population estimate. Template:Historical populations/Massachusetts municipalities references

As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 28,886 people, 10,341 households, and 7,792 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,292.7 people per square mile (885.2/km²). There were 10,846 housing units at an average density of 860.1 per square mile (332.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.3% White, 1.4% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 7.1% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.

In the 2010 census, nearly 65% of Needham residents are religious, with the remainder identifying as unaffiliated. Catholics made up 53%, Jews 3%, Presbyterians 2%, Episcopalians 2%, other Christians 1.5%, Baptists nearly 1%, Muslims nearly 1%, Methodists .5%, Pentecostals nearly .5%, Lutherans nearly .5%, and Orthodox and Mormons less than 1%.

There were 10,341 households out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were married couples living together, 6.9% have a female householder with no husband present and 26.7% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the town the population was laid out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

According to a 2007 estimate,[10] the median income for a household in the town was $116,867, and the median income for a family was $144,042. Males had a median income of $76,459 versus $47,092 for females. The per capita income for the town was $56,776. About 1.6% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Needham uses the old style Town government with a representative Town Meeting. Also, the populace of Needham elects a Board of Selectmen, which is essentially the executive branch of the town government.

Economy

Needham is primarily a bedroom community and commuter suburban district located outside of Boston.

The northern side of town beyond the I-95/Route 128 beltway, however, was developed for light industry shortly after World War I, such as the Coca-Cola plant. Some of this industry remains: Needham has been home to a Coca-Cola bottling plant since 1986.[11] Trader Joe's also operates a packing plant in Needham. More recently, Needham has begun to attract high technology and Internet firms, such as PTC and Trip Advisor, to this part of town.

Education

The Town of Needham operates one high school, Needham High School, which underwent a $62-million renovation that was completed in 2009,[12] two middle schools, William F. Pollard Middle School, for seventh and eighth grade, and High Rock School, for sixth grade only, and five elementary schools for grades K-5, which are John Eliot Elementary School, Hillside Elementary School, William Mitchell Elementary School, Newman Elementary School and Broadmeadow Elementary School.[13] Needham is also home to private schools such as St. Joseph's Elementary School, St. Sebastian's School, and Monsignor Haddad Middle School.

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is located in Needham.

Needham Junction MBTA Station

Transportation

The I-95/Route 128 circumferential highway that circles Boston passes through Needham, with three exits providing access to the town. Massachusetts Route 135 also passes through the town.

Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with four stops in Needham on its Needham Line Needham Heights, Needham Center, Needham Junction and Hersey.

Media

Needham is part of the Greater Boston media market.

In addition to the Boston Globe (and its Your Town Needham website) and Boston Herald newspapers, there are two local weekly newspapers, the Needham Times[14] (published by Gatehouse Media, Inc.[15]) and Needham Hometown Weekly (published by Hometown Publications, LLC), and a website owned by AOL called Needham Patch.[16]

The studios of television stations WCVB (5 Boston, ABC) and WUNI (27 Worcester, Univision) are located in Needham, as are the transmitters of WCVB, WBZ-TV (4 Boston, CBS), WGBH-TV (2 Boston, PBS), WGBX-TV (44 Boston, PBS), WFXT (25 Boston, Fox), WSBK (38 Boston, independent), WLVI (56 Cambridge, CW), and WYDN (48 Worcester, Daystar Television). The television towers are also the sites of many area FM stations' transmitters.

The Public-access television cable TV channel, "The Needham Channel" provides local news and airs important events, such as town meeting information, school announcements, and local high school sports, in addition to eclectic resident produced and sponsored programming. Some examples of these programs include The Real Sports Report, On the Contrary, Healthy Cooking, Needham Channel News, and Inside Talk.

Boston radio station WEEI (850 AM) transmits from a three-tower site south of the town recycling transfer station. Needham has one radio station studio location, that of Concord-licensed 1120 WBNW located at 144 Gould Street.

Notable people

Academics

Actors

Artists

Business

Music

Sports

Aly Raisman

Television

Literature

Other

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Needham Historical Society, Images of America: Needham, Dover, NH, Arcadia Publishing, pp. 15–17.
  5. ↑ The oldest rivalry is that of New London, Connecticut vs. Norwich Free Academy, dating to 1875. [1]
  6. ↑ Clarke p. 192
  7. ↑ Schaeffer, K. H. and Elliott Sclar. Access for All: Transportation and Urban Growth. Columbia University Press, 1980. Accessed on Google Books. 86. Retrieved on January 16, 2010. ISBN 0-231-05165-4, ISBN 978-0-231-05165-1.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Many companies food and restaurant companies call Needham home http://www.wickedlocal.com/needham/news/business/x1944245277
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Needham Public Schools
  14. ↑ http://needham.wickedlocal.com
  15. ↑ http://www.gatehousemedia.com/
  16. ↑ http://needham.patch.com/
  17. ↑ "Accent on Humor", Boston Globe, November 13, 2010.

External links

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