Natick, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Natick is a town in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only 15 miles (24.1 km) west from Boston
, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston
area. The center of population
of Massachusetts in 2000 was located in Natick.
Native American
tribe and means place of hills. The original settlement, in the community
of South Natick, is a hilly area. Located in the community of West Natick is Captain Tom's Hill, which was the site of a small Indian encampment during King Philips War.
, a Puritan missionary born in Widford, Hertfordshire
, England who received a commission and funds from England's Long Parliament
to settle the Massachusett
Indians on both sides of the Charles River, on land deeded from the settlement at Dedham. They were called Praying Indians – Eliot was best known for attempting to preserve
the culture (minus the religion) of the Native Americans by putting them in thirteen planned towns where they could continue by their own rule, with Natick as the political and spiritual center. Eliot and Praying Indian translators printed America's first written Bible in the Algonquian language.
The colonial government placed such settlements in a ring of villages around Boston as a defensive strategy. Natick was the first and best documented of such settlements. The land was granted by the General Court, part of the Dedham Grant.
A school was set up, a government established, and the Indians were encouraged to convert to Christianity
. In November 1675, during King Philip's War
, the Natick Indians were sent to Deer Island
. Many died of disease and cold, and the Indians who survived found their homes destroyed. The Indian village did not fully recover, and the land held in common by the Indian community was slowly sold off to white settlers to cover debts, and, by 1785, most of the Natick Indians had drifted away.
In 1775, both English and Praying Indian citizens of Natick participated in the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, as well as serving in the Continental Army. The names of the Praying Indian soldiers from Natick are memorialized on a stone marker, along with all of Natick's Revolutionary War veterans, on a stone marker on Pond St near downtown Natick.
The town was officially incorporated in 1781. Henry Wilson
, a U.S. senator born in 1812 who became eighteenth Vice President of the United States
(1873–1875), and who lived most of his life in Natick as a shoemaker and schoolteacher and was known as the "Natick Cobbler", is buried there. He is the namesake of one of Natick's middle schools.
Though Natick was primarily a farming town, the invention of the sewing machine in 1858 led to the growth of several shoe factories. The business flourished and peaked by 1880, when Natick, with twenty-three operating factories, was third in the nation in the quantity of shoes produced. The shoes made in Natick were primarily heavy work shoes with only one or two companies adding lighter dress shoes to their line. Natick was famous for its brogan
, a heavy ankle-high boot worn by soldiers in the American Civil War
. The wound core for a more resilient ball was developed by John W. Walcott and combined with the figure-eight stitching devised by Col. William A. Cutler. It was manufactured by the firm of H. Harwood & Sons in their factory built in 1858 – the first plant in the world for the manufacture of baseballs. In 1988 the H. Harwood & Sons factory was converted into baseball factory condominiums
In 1874, a great fire in downtown Natick demolished 18 business blocks, two shoe factories, the Town Hall, Natick's only fire engine house and the Congregational Church, as well as many private homes. Though no lives were lost, the loss of property was greater in proportion to the town's wealth than the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871. In 1875, Natick's new Central Fire Station was completed on Summer Street and opened with grand ceremony on the same city block where the great fire was first discovered. The Central Fire Station is now the home of a private non-profit community performing arts center called The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN).
Miles 8 through 12 of the Boston Marathon
run through Natick on Patriots Day every year along Route 135/Central St., and thousands of residents and visitors line the road to watch.
, the town has a total area of 16 square miles (41.4 km²), of which, 15.1 square miles (39.1 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 7.04% water, including bodies of water Lake Cochituate
and Dug Pond
.
Natick Center, which is also known as Downtown Natick, is located at the intersection of Central Street and Main Street and serves as the civic and cultural hub of the town.
Many public services and public land use are located downtown. Municipal buildings like the Natick Town Hall, Natick Fire Department, Natick Police Department and Morse Institute Library are located here along East Central Street. Also located directly downtown is the Natick Town Common where many town events and community activities are held. An MBTA Commuter Rail station
links Natick with Boston and Worcester. In the 1990s new downtown construction of a town hall, fire/police station, and enlargement to the library gave the downtown a fresh new look. New municipal buildings exist alongside several historic buildings and churches, the restored Central Fire House, several banks, restaurants and small businesses.
. Housing developers like Martin Cerel lived in South Natick, and thus refrained from building major tract neighborhoods in this part of town.
A common mistake is the belief that South Natick is a separate town or village, but that is not the case. South Natick is simply a section of the town, governed by the Town of Natick. This misconception may be due to street signage such as a sign located in Wellesley
along Route 16
that has the destination listed as "So. Natick." Due to this and many other reasons, it is common to see mail addressed to South Natick, Massachusetts rather than just Natick, Massachusetts.
at the intersection of N. Main and Worcester known as 27/9 which includes business and stores such as http://www.building19.com/locations/NATICK.htm Staples, Super Stop & Shop
, Building 19
, Panera Bread
, Five Guys
, The UPS Store
, and Hair Cuts Ltd. The Wilson Middle School is located behind the Stop & Shop.
. The Natick Mall, as well as the strip mall called Sherwood Plaza with its office Industrial Park behind, are considered to be the commercial hub of West Natick. In addition to its retail development, post World War II housing developments like Westfield, Pelham, and Sherwood as well as the National Guard depot and a golf course on Speen St brought many people to this part of town.
There are many businesses in West Natick along West Central Street as well as another MBTA Commuter Rail station
in addition to the one downtown. The area in West Natick, along Route 135 is the most densely populated section of town, with its thousands of condominiums and apartments clustered across the street from the train station.
as well as many Victorian era houses lining Walnut and Bacon Streets.
North of Route 9, other developments of small Cape-style homes were built in the early and mid 1950s and these houses remain popular with first-time home buyers due to the affordability of the houses. There are two Industrial Parks along north Oak St which contain office buildings on one side of the road, and larger warehouses on the eastern side.
of 2000, there were 32,170 people, 13,080 households, and 8,528 families residing in the town. The population density
was 2,132.9 people per square mile (823.7/km2). There were 13,368 housing units at an average density of 886.3 per square mile (342.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.02% White, 1.63% African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.77% from other races
, and 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.
There were 13,080 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.3% 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 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $81,855, and the median income for a family was $105,056. Males had a median income of $51,964 versus $41,060 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $36,358. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Natick is surrounded, on three sides, by five of the ten most affluent towns in Massachusetts with Wayland
to the north, Weston
to the northeast, Wellesley
to the east, Dover
to the southeast, and Sherborn
to the southwest. In addition to these five very-wealthy communities, Framingham
lies immediately to the west. Similar to Natick but larger in size and population, Framingham is largely middle class and has areas of semi-rural affluence, although Framingham has the issue of urban blight in its downtown area which Natick has managed to avoid.
form of government with a Board of Selectmen and a Town Administrator. The current members of the Board and the dates their terms end are:
These are the remaining elected officers for Middlesex County:
episode Da Boom
when the family sets out to the town after Peter reveals that there is a Twinkie
factory there. (This was at one time true, as a Hostess bakery did once exist on Speen Street, although part of the Factory was in Framingham ) He eventually starts a town on the ruins of the community, naming it New Quahog.
To solvers of the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, the term "Natick" has a particular meaning. It refers to any square on the puzzle grid that a solver cannot fill in correctly except by a lucky guess, because the solver does not know the answer to either the ACROSS clue or to the DOWN clue. See Rex Parker Does the New York Times Crossword.
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge* Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge* Longfellow National Historic Site* Lowell National Historical Park* Minute Man National Historical Park* Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge...
, 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. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only 15 miles (24.1 km) west from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
area. The center of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...
of Massachusetts in 2000 was located in Natick.
Name
The name Natick comes from the language of the MassachusettMassachusett
The Massachusett are a tribe of Native Americans who lived in areas surrounding Massachusetts Bay in what is now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in particular present-day Greater Boston; they spoke the Massachusett language...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe and means place of hills. The original settlement, in the community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
of South Natick, is a hilly area. Located in the community of West Natick is Captain Tom's Hill, which was the site of a small Indian encampment during King Philips War.
History
Natick was first settled in 1651 by John EliotJohn Eliot (missionary)
John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to the American Indians. His efforts earned him the designation “the Indian apostle.”-English education and Massachusetts ministry:...
, a Puritan missionary born in Widford, Hertfordshire
Widford, Hertfordshire
Widford is a village and civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of Hertfordshire in England. After the Second World War it was the home of Arthur Ernest Percival.The "Apostle to the Indians," John Eliot was born in Widford....
, England who received a commission and funds from England's Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
to settle the Massachusett
Massachusett
The Massachusett are a tribe of Native Americans who lived in areas surrounding Massachusetts Bay in what is now the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in particular present-day Greater Boston; they spoke the Massachusett language...
Indians on both sides of the Charles River, on land deeded from the settlement at Dedham. They were called Praying Indians – Eliot was best known for attempting to preserve
the culture (minus the religion) of the Native Americans by putting them in thirteen planned towns where they could continue by their own rule, with Natick as the political and spiritual center. Eliot and Praying Indian translators printed America's first written Bible in the Algonquian language.
The colonial government placed such settlements in a ring of villages around Boston as a defensive strategy. Natick was the first and best documented of such settlements. The land was granted by the General Court, part of the Dedham Grant.
A school was set up, a government established, and the Indians were encouraged to convert to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. In November 1675, 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 Natick Indians were sent to Deer Island
Deer Island (Massachusetts)
Deer Island is a peninsula in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Since 1996 it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Although still an island by name, Deer Island has been connected to the mainland since the former Shirley Gut channel, which once separated the island from the...
. Many died of disease and cold, and the Indians who survived found their homes destroyed. The Indian village did not fully recover, and the land held in common by the Indian community was slowly sold off to white settlers to cover debts, and, by 1785, most of the Natick Indians had drifted away.
In 1775, both English and Praying Indian citizens of Natick participated in the Battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, as well as serving in the Continental Army. The names of the Praying Indian soldiers from Natick are memorialized on a stone marker, along with all of Natick's Revolutionary War veterans, on a stone marker on Pond St near downtown Natick.
The town was officially incorporated in 1781. Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson
Henry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
, a U.S. senator born in 1812 who became eighteenth Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
(1873–1875), and who lived most of his life in Natick as a shoemaker and schoolteacher and was known as the "Natick Cobbler", is buried there. He is the namesake of one of Natick's middle schools.
Though Natick was primarily a farming town, the invention of the sewing machine in 1858 led to the growth of several shoe factories. The business flourished and peaked by 1880, when Natick, with twenty-three operating factories, was third in the nation in the quantity of shoes produced. The shoes made in Natick were primarily heavy work shoes with only one or two companies adding lighter dress shoes to their line. Natick was famous for its brogan
Brogan
Brogan or O'Brogan, is a surname originating in Ireland, anglicized from the original Ó Brógáin. The form McBrogan, is also present sharing the meaning of O'Brogan, essentially "son of Brogan." The name can be traced back to Saint Brogan , Saint Patrick's nephew and scribe, and has many original...
, a heavy ankle-high boot worn by soldiers in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The wound core for a more resilient ball was developed by John W. Walcott and combined with the figure-eight stitching devised by Col. William A. Cutler. It was manufactured by the firm of H. Harwood & Sons in their factory built in 1858 – the first plant in the world for the manufacture of baseballs. In 1988 the H. Harwood & Sons factory was converted into baseball factory condominiums
In 1874, a great fire in downtown Natick demolished 18 business blocks, two shoe factories, the Town Hall, Natick's only fire engine house and the Congregational Church, as well as many private homes. Though no lives were lost, the loss of property was greater in proportion to the town's wealth than the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871. In 1875, Natick's new Central Fire Station was completed on Summer Street and opened with grand ceremony on the same city block where the great fire was first discovered. The Central Fire Station is now the home of a private non-profit community performing arts center called The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN).
Miles 8 through 12 of the Boston Marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
run through Natick on Patriots Day every year along Route 135/Central St., and thousands of residents and visitors line the road to watch.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 16 square miles (41.4 km²), of which, 15.1 square miles (39.1 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 7.04% water, including bodies of water Lake Cochituate
Lake Cochituate
Lake Cochituate is a body of water in Natick, Wayland, and Framingham, Massachusetts. Originally a reservoir serving Boston, it no longer serves that function, and is now a local recreational resource and home to Cochituate State Park.-Description:...
and Dug Pond
Dug Pond
Dug Pond is a small body of water in Natick, Massachusetts. Most notably it is home to Memorial Beach, one of few swimming beaches in Natick, and its eastern shore is the site of Natick High School.-Uses:...
.
Natick Center
Many public services and public land use are located downtown. Municipal buildings like the Natick Town Hall, Natick Fire Department, Natick Police Department and Morse Institute Library are located here along East Central Street. Also located directly downtown is the Natick Town Common where many town events and community activities are held. An MBTA Commuter Rail station
Natick (MBTA station)
Natick is a below-grade MBTA Commuter Rail station serving Downtown Natick/Natick Center, Massachusetts, as well as Wayland and Dover. The station is located on the MBTA's Framingham/Worcester Line...
links Natick with Boston and Worcester. In the 1990s new downtown construction of a town hall, fire/police station, and enlargement to the library gave the downtown a fresh new look. New municipal buildings exist alongside several historic buildings and churches, the restored Central Fire House, several banks, restaurants and small businesses.
South Natick
South Natick, known for its scenic nature, is where the Native American settlers first arrived and began the town on the shores of the Charles RiverCharles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
. Housing developers like Martin Cerel lived in South Natick, and thus refrained from building major tract neighborhoods in this part of town.
A common mistake is the belief that South Natick is a separate town or village, but that is not the case. South Natick is simply a section of the town, governed by the Town of Natick. This misconception may be due to street signage such as a sign located in Wellesley
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
along Route 16
Massachusetts Route 16
Route 16 is an east–west state highway in Massachusetts. It begins in the west at an intersection with Route 12 and Route 193 in Webster, just north of the Connecticut state border...
that has the destination listed as "So. Natick." Due to this and many other reasons, it is common to see mail addressed to South Natick, Massachusetts rather than just Natick, Massachusetts.
North Natick
North Natick is located at the intersections of North Main Street and Worcester Road. It is a primarily residential area but there is a retail strip mallStrip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
at the intersection of N. Main and Worcester known as 27/9 which includes business and stores such as http://www.building19.com/locations/NATICK.htm Staples, Super Stop & Shop
Stop & Shop
The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company is a chain of supermarkets located mostly in the northeastern United States. Its main rivals are Shaw's Star Market and Hannaford in New England, while ShopRite and the A&P family of supermarkets are its main competition in New York and New Jersey.- History :Stop...
, Building 19
Building 19
Building #19 is a chain of discount stores in New England. The store is well-known throughout New England for selling items at drastically discounted prices, although the items are oftentimes factory irregulars or damaged in some other way...
, Panera Bread
Panera Bread
Panera Bread is a chain of bakery–café quick casual restaurants in the United States and Canada that sells breads, sandwiches, soups, salads, and other bakery items. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.-Corporate history:In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co...
, Five Guys
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
, The UPS Store
The UPS Store
The UPS Store is a subsidiary of UPS, with locations in the United States and Canada. Each store offers shipping, postal, online printing, and other business services. In the United States, each store is independently owned and operated by a licensed franchisee of Mail Boxes Etc., Inc...
, and Hair Cuts Ltd. The Wilson Middle School is located behind the Stop & Shop.
East Natick
East Natick is a community of Natick that is located along Oak Street and at the intersection of Oak and Worcester Road. Notable landmarks include Jennings Pond, the Industrial Park on Oak St North, and the Lilja School. A sports and tennis club is located in East Natick off Oak St. in a part of the Industrial Park. The stretch of Route 9 in East Natick as one heads into Wellesley, contains a multitude of ever-changing retail businesses.West Natick
West Natick is a large section of Natick that borders the town of FraminghamFramingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
. The Natick Mall, as well as the strip mall called Sherwood Plaza with its office Industrial Park behind, are considered to be the commercial hub of West Natick. In addition to its retail development, post World War II housing developments like Westfield, Pelham, and Sherwood as well as the National Guard depot and a golf course on Speen St brought many people to this part of town.
There are many businesses in West Natick along West Central Street as well as another MBTA Commuter Rail station
West Natick (MBTA station)
West Natick is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Framingham/Worcester Line. It is located on 249 West Central Street off the corner of Boden Avenue in Natick, Massachusetts. Though the parking lot is only accessible to West Central Street, the station platforms are closer to the...
in addition to the one downtown. The area in West Natick, along Route 135 is the most densely populated section of town, with its thousands of condominiums and apartments clustered across the street from the train station.
Neighborhoods
Natick is a small town, and thus, the various sections of tract development homes are considered neighborhoods. These were houses built by several contractors in the late 1940s until the late 1950s. Listed here, are a few of these sections.Sherwood
One of the earliest post World War II developments in West Natick, the homes are colonial in style, with street names reminiscent of the Robin Hood legend. The homes were built in 1948 and the neighborhood remains popular due to the fact that there's no through traffic, and most of the houses have been enlarged with additions.Walnut Hill
Walnut Hill is a neighborhood located north of downtown. It is known for the private boarding school, Walnut Hill SchoolWalnut Hill School
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is a private boarding school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts.-Boarding School:Walnut Hill was founded in 1893 as a college preparatory school for women and a feeder school to Wellesley College. It became coeducational and arts-focused in the late 1970s...
as well as many Victorian era houses lining Walnut and Bacon Streets.
Wethersfield
The Wethersfield area of Natick is a residential neighborhood North of Route 9. It is a typical 1950s development of Campanelli ranch houses, and remains popular with first time home-buyers, due to the relatively inexpensive nature of slab style houses. This area includes Drury lane and all connecting roads within the boundaries of route 9, Pine st. and Route 27.Oak Street
South of Rte 9, this section began as a summer vacation area, with tiny cottages surrounding Jennings Pond. Over the years, some houses were enlarged, but the area remains quaint, and quiet with no thru-traffic. On the westerly side of South Oak, is a neighborhood of Cape style houses with streets named after World War II Generals.North of Route 9, other developments of small Cape-style homes were built in the early and mid 1950s and these houses remain popular with first-time home buyers due to the affordability of the houses. There are two Industrial Parks along north Oak St which contain office buildings on one side of the road, and larger warehouses on the eastern side.
Little South
Just south of the Natick Common, Cottage Street begins what is commonly called Little South, named so because of its proximity to South Natick. Little South nomenclature extends to the east portions of Everett Street, down to Eliot St. Homes along Cottage St. were primarily built in the early 1950s and are mostly modest, and well maintained. The best known landmarks in Little South are a WWII monument dedicated to the fallen soldiers from Natick, and The Tobin School, a private daycare and elementary school that has two large, attractive buildings off of Cottage St. Everett St. has larger farm homes situated on generous lots. Eliot St., which runs parallel to the Charles River, boasts some of the oldest and nicest homes in Natick. Just before South Natick begins, there is a beautiful Virgin Mary statue on a large rock on the south side of the Charles River, enveloped by graceful pine trees.Demographics
As of the censusCensus
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 32,170 people, 13,080 households, and 8,528 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 2,132.9 people per square mile (823.7/km2). There were 13,368 housing units at an average density of 886.3 per square mile (342.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 90.02% White, 1.63% African American, 0.11% Native American, 3.86% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.77% 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 1.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.
There were 13,080 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 28.3% 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 2.42 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.0% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.3 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $81,855, and the median income for a family was $105,056. Males had a median income of $51,964 versus $41,060 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 $36,358. About 1.7% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Natick is surrounded, on three sides, by five of the ten most affluent towns in Massachusetts with Wayland
Wayland, Massachusetts
Wayland is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,994 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on Cochituate, which is part of Wayland, please see the article Cochituate, Massachusetts.-History:...
to the north, Weston
Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a suburb of Boston located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States in the Boston metro area. The population of Weston, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, is 11,261....
to the northeast, Wellesley
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Wellesley is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of Greater Boston. The population was 27,982 at the time of the 2010 census.It is best known as the home of Wellesley College and Babson College...
to the east, 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 southeast, and Sherborn
Sherborn, Massachusetts
Sherborn is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is in area code 508 and has the ZIP code 01770. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the town population was 4,119. The assessed value of the town for the fiscal year 2005 is $1,008,146,994....
to the southwest. In addition to these five very-wealthy communities, Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
lies immediately to the west. Similar to Natick but larger in size and population, Framingham is largely middle class and has areas of semi-rural affluence, although Framingham has the issue of urban blight in its downtown area which Natick has managed to avoid.
Town
Natick has representative town meetingRepresentative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
form of government with a Board of Selectmen and a Town Administrator. The current members of the Board and the dates their terms end are:
- Charles M. Hughes, Chairman, 2013;
- Carol A. Gloff, Vice Chair, 2014;
- Paul R. Joseph, Clerk, 2013;
- Nicholas S. Mabardy, 2014; and
- Joshua Ostroff, 2012.
County
Mismanagement of Middlesex County's public hospital in the mid 1990s left the county on the brink of insolvency, and in 1997 the Massachusetts legislature stepped in by assuming all assets and obligations of the county. The government of Middlesex County was officially abolished on July 11, 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council or commissioner. However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services.These are the remaining elected officers for Middlesex County:
- Clerk of Courts: Michael A. Sullivan
- County Treasurer: Position Eliminated
- District Attorney: Gerard T. Leone, Jr.
- Register of Deeds: Richard P. Howe, Jr. (North at Lowell), Eugene C. Brune (South at Cambridge)
- Register of Probate: Tara E. DeCristofaro
- County Sheriff: James DiPaola
Public schools
The Natick Public School District operates the following schools:- High school:
- Natick High SchoolNatick High SchoolNatick High School is a public high school serving students in grades 9-12 in Natick, Massachusetts. The school is located on the banks of Lake Cochituate. It enrolled 1189 students as of the 2005-06 school year. Rose Bertucci is currently the interim principal after the retirement of former...
; The High School building on the shore of Dug Pond, was opened in 1954. In order to avoid loss of accreditation, the residents voted approval of a tax override, aka. a "debt exclusion" for construction of a new High School building and related improvements. The new building design is based on a model approved by the state of Massachusetts. This was necessary in order to maximize state reimbursement for design and construction. It's expected to cost over $80 million. The new high school will be built adjacent to the current high school and is scheduled to be complete by the beginning of the 2012/2013 school year.
- Natick High School
- Middle schools:
-
- Kennedy Middle School;
- Wilson Middle School.
- Elementary schools:
-
- Brown Elementary School;
- Lilja Elementary School;
- Memorial Elementary School;
- Bennett-Hemenway (Ben-Hem) Elementary School;
- Johnson Elementary School;
Private schools
- Brandon School and Residential Treatment Center
- The Riverbend School (formerly Eliot Montessori School)
- Walnut Hill SchoolWalnut Hill SchoolWalnut Hill School for the Arts is a private boarding school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts.-Boarding School:Walnut Hill was founded in 1893 as a college preparatory school for women and a feeder school to Wellesley College. It became coeducational and arts-focused in the late 1970s...
- The Tobin School
Notable residents
In alphabetical order:- Horatio Alger, Jr.Horatio Alger, Jr.Horatio Alger, Jr. was a prolific 19th-century American author, best known for his many formulaic juvenile novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to lives of middle-class security and comfort through hard work, determination, courage, and honesty...
, minister, author of children's books with a rags to riches theme, settled in Natick in 1860 and built his family home in South Natick - Thomas S. AllenThomas S. AllenThomas S. Allen , an early figure in Tin Pan Alley, was an American vaudeville composer, manager, and violinist.-Popular songs:...
, American composer - James BamfordJames BamfordV. James Bamford is an American bestselling author and journalist who writes about United States intelligence agencies, most notably the National Security Agency.-Biography:...
, author, journalist who writes about the world of United States intelligence agencies - John CarlsonJohn Carlson (ice hockey)John Carlson is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
player for the Washington CapitalsWashington CapitalsThe Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... - William FinnWilliam FinnWilliam Alan Finn is an American composer and lyricist of musicals. His musical Falsettos received the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Music and Lyrics and for Best Book.-Biography:...
, Tony-winning composer - Keene FitzpatrickKeene FitzpatrickKeene Fitzpatrick was a track coach, athletic trainer, professor of physical training and gymnasium director for 42 years at Yale University , the University of Michigan , and Princeton University...
, legendary track coach at YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and PrincetonPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, 1890–1932 - Darren FlutieDarren FlutieDarren Paul Flutie is a former Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He is the Canadian Football League's third all-time leader in catches, behind Ben Cahoon and Terry Vaughn; he is also third all-time in career receiving yardage behind...
, CFL and NFL veteran who attended Natick High School before going to Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
; 2nd all time in receptions in the CFL. CFL Hall of Famer - Doug FlutieDoug FlutieDouglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, NFL and CFL veteran who attended high school in Natick, before going to Boston CollegeBoston CollegeBoston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
; retired from the New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe 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...
after the 2005–06 season; resides in Natick, 50th Heisman Trophy winner; also played for many other NFL teams, including the Buffalo BillsBuffalo BillsThe Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... - Alison FraserAlison FraserAlison Fraser is an American actress and singer who has appeared in concert at such venues as Carnegie Hall, The White House, Town Hall, The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Tisch Center for the Arts, The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Wilma, The Emelin, Joe's Pub and Symphony space.Fraser is a two...
, Broadway performer and two-time Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
nominee grew up in Natick; graduated from Natick High School (1973) - Alfred S. HartwellAlfred S. HartwellAlfred Stedman Hartwell was a lawyer and American Civil War soldier, who then had another career as cabinet minister and judge in the Kingdom of Hawaii.-Life:Alfred Stedman Hartwell was born June 11, 1836 in South Natick, Massachusetts...
(1836–1912), commanded the 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, sister regiment of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, during the Civil War. He led Union troops into Charleston, South Carolina when it fell and worked for the Freedman's Bureau. Moved to the Kingdom of HawaiiKingdom of HawaiiThe Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
in 1868 and was appointed Chief Justice of the Hawaiian Supreme Court. - Walt HriniakWalt HriniakWalter John Hriniak is a former catcher in American Major League Baseball who — despite a very brief MLB playing career and a batting average of only .253 — became one of the most prominent batting coaches in the game during the last two decades of the 20th century...
, briefly a Major League Baseball player and, more notably, a prominent batting coach. - Harold KushnerHarold KushnerRabbi Harold Samuel Kushner is a prominent American rabbi aligned with the progressive wing of Conservative Judaism, and a popular author.- Education :...
, rabbi and author of many books, especially known for When Bad Things Happen to Good People'. - Harvey LeonardHarvey LeonardHarvey Leonard is the chief meteorologist on WCVB-TV Channel 5 in Boston, Massachusetts. For 25 years, Leonard was previously best known as a meteorologist at WHDH-TV in the same city, a role that brought him much prominence....
, chief meteorologist for WCVB-TVWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by... - Meg Mallon, professional golfer on the LPGALPGAThe LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
Tour and twice winner of the U.S. Women's Open - William NuttWilliam NuttWilliam Nutt was a colonel in the American Civil War, a representative to the Massachusetts General Court from 1871 to 1872 and again in 1901, he was also the chairman of the board of the Natick Five Cents Savings Bank....
, moved to Natick in 1856, went to Kansas to oppose pro-slave forces there in 1858 and was an organizer of the Natick Shoe Strike in 1860. Served with the 55th Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War and rose to the rank of Colonel. - Michael OwenMichael OwenMichael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
former principal dancer, American Ballet Theatre - Rob PattersonRob PattersonRob Patterson is currently a member of the post-industrial band Filter.-Background:Patterson's first major band was the metal, female-fronted Otep. He played on their first two albums, Sevas Tra and House of Secrets.He began playing guitar for Korn in July 2005...
, former guitarist for OtepOtepOtep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
, touring guitarist for KornKornKorn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, currently the guitarist for Filter (band)Filter (band)Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
and engaged to Carmen ElectraCarmen ElectraTara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer... - Rene RancourtRene RancourtRene Rancourt is a professional singer. He has sung the U.S. and Canadian national anthems at Boston Bruins home hockey games for 35 years. Rancourt is such a part of the Bruins' establishment that he is the only person mentioned by name in the Dropkick Murphys' song: "Time to Go". He does not...
, professional singer, sings the national anthem at all home Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
hockey games. - Jonathan RichmanJonathan RichmanJonathan Michael Richman is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. In 1970 he founded The Modern Lovers, an influential proto-punk band. Since the mid-1970s, Richman has worked either solo or with low-key, generally acoustic backing...
, proto-punk rock icon and founder of The Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison... - Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
(June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist, whose novel Uncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
(1852) attacked the cruelty of slavery and received world-wide acclaim. Her novel "Old Town FolksOld Town FolksOld Town Folks is a 1869 novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. This book was based partially on her husband's childhood memories and the residents in his native village of Natick, Massachusetts. This book was one of the first examples of local color writing in New...
" was written while she was living in Natick and tells the story of her husband's family. - Alexander Wheelock ThayerAlexander Wheelock ThayerAlexander Wheelock Thayer , was a librarian and journalist who became the author of the first scholarly biography of Ludwig van Beethoven, still after many updatings regarded as a standard work of reference on the composer.-Life:Originally a librarian at Harvard law school, Thayer became aware of...
, United States consul at TriesteTriesteTrieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
in 1859 and author of a biography of Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
published in 1866 - WabanWabanWaban was a Native American of the Nipmuc group and was the first Native American to be converted to Christianity in Massachusetts.-Life:Waban was born about 1604 at Musketaquid, near the present town of Concord...
, 17th-century tribal chief - Mark WalkerMark WalkerFor the fisher and songwriter with the same name, see Mark Walker . For the Canadian Ethicist, see Mark Alan WalkerGeneral Sir Mark Walker VC KCB was born in Gore Port, Finea, County Westmeath in Ireland...
, Grammy award-winning drummer - Sara WhalenSara WhalenSara Whalen Hess was born on April 28, 1976, in Natick, Massachusetts. Whalen played for the United States Women's National Soccer Team from 1997 to 2000, and was a founding player of WUSA.-Soccer career:...
, Olympic soccer silver medalist - Henry WilsonHenry WilsonHenry Wilson was the 18th Vice President of the United States and a Senator from Massachusetts...
, the eighteenth Vice President of the United States, lived at 33 West Central Street and worked as a shoemaker at his shoe shopHenry Wilson Shoe ShopThe Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is an historic ten footer building located at 181 West Central Street, Route 135 in Natick, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in the 1850s, it was the shoe shop of Henry Wilson, a Senator from Massachusetts and the eighteenth Vice President of the United States...
at 181 West Central Street.
Points of interest
- The Bacon Free Library, which opened in 1881, is located at 58 Eliot Street. This building was a gift to the community under the will of Oliver Bacon who died in 1878. It has been operating as a public library ever since. The library overlooks the Charles River in South Natick. The Natick Historical Society resides in the lower portion of the building.
- Temple Israel of Natick, Natick's oldest Synagogue, is located on Hartford street. It is currently the largest Conservative Synagogue in the area, and serves many communities in the Metro West area.
- The Natick Historical Society, located in the lower level of the Bacon Free Library. Archives and exhibits on John EliotJohn Eliot (missionary)John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to the American Indians. His efforts earned him the designation “the Indian apostle.”-English education and Massachusetts ministry:...
and Praying Indians, natural history collections, life during colonial times, early republic and industrial revolution, memorabilia of famous Natick citizens. - Eliot Church, originally founded as a meetinghouse in 1651, is the fifth structure on the site. The present church dates from the 1830s. A sign erected in front of the church in 1930, on the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, reads,"INDIAN MEETINGHOUSE – On this site John Eliot helped his Indian converts to build their first meetinghouse in 1651, with a 'prophet's chamber' where he lodged on his fortnightly visits to preach to them in their language. His disciple Daniel Takawambait succeeded to the pastoral office in 1698." - The U.S. Army Soldier Systems CenterU.S. Army Soldier Systems CenterThe United States Army Soldier Systems Center is a military research complex and installation in Natick, Massachusetts charged by the U.S. Department of Defense with the research and development of food, clothing, shelters, airdrop systems, and other servicemember support items for the U.S....
(SSC) (Also known as The Natick Army Labs), a complex of military R&D facilities, produces military-use items such as field rations, personal protective field equipment, and specialized uniforms. - Natick CollectionNatick CollectionThe Natick Mall, formerly named the Natick Collection from February 2007 to July 2011, is a large shopping mall owned by General Growth Properties . It is located between routes 9 and 30 in Natick, Massachusetts and is adjacent to Shoppers World in Framingham, Massachusetts...
(formerly the Natick Mall, still its commonly-used name), managed by General Growth PropertiesGeneral Growth PropertiesGeneral Growth Properties, Inc. is a publicly traded real estate investment trust in the United States. It is based in Chicago, Illinois at 110 North Wacker Drive, a historic building designed by architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White...
, Inc. of Chicago, is one of Boston's premier shopping centers and recently completed a major expansion. The newly renovated wing opened 9/7/07. - BJ's Wholesale ClubBJ's Wholesale ClubBJ's Wholesale Club, Inc. , commonly referred to simply as BJ's, is a membership-only warehouse club chain operating on the United States East Coast, as well as in the state of Ohio...
Corporate Headquarters. - Cognex CorporationCognex CorporationCognex Corporation is a manufacturer of machine vision systems, software and sensors used in automated manufacturing to inspect and identify parts, detect defects, verify product assembly, and guide assembly robots. Cognex is headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, USA...
Corporate Headquarters. - MathWorks Corporate Headquarters.
- Boston ScientificBoston ScientificThe Boston Scientific Corporation , is a worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices whose products are used in a range of interventional medical specialties, including interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, neuromodulation, neurovascular intervention,...
Corporate Headquarters. This site used to be the HQ for mini-computer manufacturer Prime ComputerPrime ComputerPrime Computer, Inc. was a Natick, Massachusetts-based producer of minicomputers from 1972 until 1992. The alternative spellings "PR1ME" and "PR1ME Computer" were used as brand names or logos by the company.-Founders:...
, Inc. Before Prime, CarlingCarlingCarling brands are currently owned by the Molson Coors Brewing Company. In South Africa it is distributed by SABMiller.Carling Black Label is the name of a brand of Canadian lager in Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and South Africa...
ran a Black Label brewery there. - The Walnut Hill SchoolWalnut Hill SchoolWalnut Hill School for the Arts is a private boarding school for the arts located in Natick, Massachusetts.-Boarding School:Walnut Hill was founded in 1893 as a college preparatory school for women and a feeder school to Wellesley College. It became coeducational and arts-focused in the late 1970s...
is one of the nation's leading private secondary schools, offering particular emphasis in the studio and performing arts. Walnut Hill graduates more students to the Juilliard SchoolJuilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
than any other secondary school in the world. - The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), located in Natick's historic Central Fire Station, is a favored performance venue for musicians in jazz, folk, classical, and rock genres. TCAN also hosts theatrical productions by the TCAN Players and children's classes in theatre and dance. Artists performing at TCAN have included Judy CollinsJudy CollinsJudith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
, Don McLeanDon McLeanDonald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
, George WinstonGeorge WinstonGeorge Winston is an American pianist who was born in Michigan, and grew up mainly in Miles City, Montana as well as Mississippi and Florida. He attended Stetson University in Deland, Florida and lives in Santa Cruz, California.-Background:...
, Paula PoundstonePaula PoundstonePaula Poundstone is an American stand-up comedian.- Early life :Poundstone was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and her family moved to Sudbury, Massachusetts. Poundstone attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, but dropped out to pursue a show business career...
, RockapellaRockapellaRockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City. Their name is derived from the words "rock" and "a cappella". They sing original vocal music and a cappella covers of pop and rock songs; over time, their sound has evolved from high-energy pop and world music...
, Karla BonoffKarla BonoffKarla Bonoff is an American singer-songwriter, primarily known for her songwriting.As a songwriter, Bonoff's songs have been interpreted by other artists such as "Home" by Bonnie Raitt, "Tell Me Why" by Wynonna Judd, and "Isn't It Always Love" by Lynn Anderson...
, John SebastianJohn SebastianJohn Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...
and Adrian BelewAdrian BelewAdrian Belew is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer...
.
- Casey's DinerCasey's DinerCasey's Diner is a historic ten-stool diner located at 36 South Avenue in Natick, Massachusetts famous for its steamed hot dogs that "snap" when first bitten into. Casey's is one of the oldest operating diners in the United States.-History:...
, constructed in 1922, is one of the oldest operating ten-stool dinersDinersDiners can mean:* Diners Club International, a credit card company* plural of "diner", see Diner * Diners are type of North American restaurant...
in the United States. Casey's Diner is diminutive in size at only 10 feet (3 m) by 20-1/2 feet, and was constructed by the Worcester Lunch Car CompanyWorcester Lunch Car CompanyWorcester Lunch Car Company was a large manufacturer of historic diners based in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1906 to 1957.-History:Philip H. Duprey founded the company in 1906 as the Worcester Lunch Car and Carriage Manufacturing Company. It was named for Worcester, Massachusetts, where the...
in WorcesterWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
, MassachusettsMassachusettsThe 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...
. Famous for its steamed hot dogs, Casey's originated as a horse-drawn lunch wagon that was parked on Natick Common. - The Boden Lane Cemetery is a very small burial site established in 1815. Although the cemetery was established in that year, many of the gravestones are dated even earlier than this date, with some dating back to the Revolutionary War. The cemetery is located on Boden Lane, to the right of Beaver Dam, and directly across the street from the Chabad Center of Natick.
- The Natick Community Organic Farm, located in South Natick on conservation land. It is a certified-organic, fully functioning working open year-round with no admission fee for the public's visits and purchases. The farm welcomes volunteers and runs a bevy of hands-on educational programs for adults and children. The farm has a barn built in 1815, a timber-framed nature center, two greenhouses, two hoophouses, four acres of market gardens, bee hives, woodland walking trails, a composting toilet, and a host of animals including chickens, turkeys, pigs, rabbits, sheep, goats, and cows.
- Henry Wilson Shoe ShopHenry Wilson Shoe ShopThe Henry Wilson Shoe Shop is an historic ten footer building located at 181 West Central Street, Route 135 in Natick, Massachusetts, in the United States. Built in the 1850s, it was the shoe shop of Henry Wilson, a Senator from Massachusetts and the eighteenth Vice President of the United States...
, 181 West Central Street, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
- The station tree is a 500-year-old black oak that the original surveyors used to mark the boundary between Natick and what was then part of Needham. That boundary is now the Natick-Weston town line on Winter Street, near the campus of The Rivers SchoolRivers SchoolThe Rivers School is a private, coeducational, preparatory school, located in Weston, Massachusetts.The school's Middle School program consists of grades 6-8 and the Upper School program is for students in grades 9-12. As of 2009, 451 students from 70 Massachusetts towns attend. The average class...
in Weston, MA. One other notable landmark tree—the Eliot Oak next to the Eliot Church in South Natick—was removed in 1936 after the installation of underground gas lines damaged the root system, ultimately killing it. - The Chabad Center in Natick is a synagogue and Jewish educational center which is dedicated to strengthening Jewish awareness in the Metrowest area. The Hebrew School for the Arts is a breakthrough in typical Hebrew school education. Located at the Chabad Center, Hebrew School for the Arts teaches traditional Judaism while integrating the modern arts of drama.
- Sassamon Trace Golf Course, built atop the former town landfill, is a branch of the Natick Recreation Department.
- Natick's Recycle Center, adjacent to the town-owned golf course, and the High School athletic fields, serves the town's recycle needs.
In popular culture
Natick appears on the Family GuyFamily Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
episode Da Boom
Da Boom
"Da Boom" is the third episode of the second season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on December 26, 1999. The episode features the Griffin family after a nuclear holocaust occurs, due to Y2K on New Year's Eve. The family then travels in...
when the family sets out to the town after Peter reveals that there is a Twinkie
Twinkie
The Twinkie is an American snack cake made and distributed by Hostess Brands. They are marketed as a "Golden Sponge Cake with Creamy Filling".-History:...
factory there. (This was at one time true, as a Hostess bakery did once exist on Speen Street, although part of the Factory was in Framingham ) He eventually starts a town on the ruins of the community, naming it New Quahog.
To solvers of the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle, the term "Natick" has a particular meaning. It refers to any square on the puzzle grid that a solver cannot fill in correctly except by a lucky guess, because the solver does not know the answer to either the ACROSS clue or to the DOWN clue. See Rex Parker Does the New York Times Crossword.
See also
- The Golden TriangleGolden Triangle (Massachusetts)The Golden Triangle is one of the largest retail districts in New England and is located on the borders of Framingham and Natick, Massachusetts, in the heart of the MetroWest region of the state. The district is anchored by the two malls in the area, Shoppers World and the Natick Collection...
- Greater BostonGreater BostonGreater Boston is the area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts surrounding the city of Boston. Due to ambiguity in usage, the size of the area referred to can be anywhere between that of the metropolitan statistical area of Boston and that of the city's combined statistical area which includes...
- MetroWestMetroWestMetroWest is a cluster of cities and towns lying west of Boston and east of Worcester, in the US state of Massachusetts. The name was coined in the 1980s by a local newspaper....
- Representative town meetingRepresentative town meetingA representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
External links
- Natick official website
- Natick Public Schools
- Morse Institute Library
- Bacon Free Library
- Natick Recreation Department's Farm
- Natick Police Department
- Natick Historical Society
- Natick Historical Commission
- A Brief History of Natick
- Natick's Strategic Planning Initiative
- Natick Soldier Systems Center
- Belkin Family Lookout Farm