Watertown, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
The Town of Watertown is a city in Middlesex County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.
to trap herring at the site of the current Watertown dam. The annual fish migration, as both alewife
and blueback herring
swim upstream from their adult home in the sea to spawn in the fresh water where they were hatched, still occurs every spring.
Watertown, first known as Saltonstall Plantation, was one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay
settlements. It was begun early in 1630 by a group of settlers led by Sir Richard Saltonstall
and the Rev. George Phillips and officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.
The first buildings were upon land now included within the limits of Cambridge
known as Gerry's Landing. For its first quarter century Watertown ranked next to Boston
in population and area. Since then its limits have been greatly reduced. Thrice portions have been added to Cambridge, and it has contributed territory to form the new towns of Weston
(1712), Waltham
(1738), Belmont
(1859), and Lincoln
(1754). In 1632 the residents of Watertown protested against being compelled to pay a tax for the erection of a stockade
fort at Cambridge; this was the first protest
in America against taxation without representation and led to the establishment of representative government in the colony. As early as the close of the 17th century Watertown was the chief horse
and cattle
market in New England
and was known for its fertile gardens and fine estates. Here about 1632 was erected the first grist mill in the colony, and in 1662 one of the first woolen mills
in America was built here.
The Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, after adjournment from Concord
, met from April to July 1775 in the First Parish Church, the site of which is marked by a monument. The Massachusetts General Court
held its sessions here from 1775 to 1778. Committees met in the nearby Edmund Fowle House
. Boston town meetings were held here during the siege of Boston
, when many Boston families made their homes in the neighborhood. For several months early in the American Revolution
the Committees of Safety
and Correspondence
made Watertown their headquarters and it was from here that General Joseph Warren
set out for Bunker Hill
.
From 1832 to 1834 Theodore Parker
conducted a private school here and his name is still preserved in the Parker School, though the building no longer operates as a public school.
The Watertown Arsenal
operated continuously as a military munitions and research facility from 1816 until 1995, when the Army sold the property, by then known as the Army Materials Technology Laboratory, to the town of Watertown. The Arsenal is notable for being the site of a 1911 strike
prompted by the management methods of operations research pioneer Frederick Winslow Taylor
(Taylor and 1911 Watertown Arsenal Strike). Taylor's method, which he dubbed "Scientific Management," broke tasks down into smaller components. Workers no longer completed whole items; instead, they were timed using stopwatches as they did small tasks repetitively, as Taylor attempted to find the balance of tasks that resulted in the maximum output from workers. The strike and its causes were controversial enough that they resulted in Congressional hearings in 1911; Congress passed a law in 1915 banning the method in government owned arsenals. Taylor's methods spread widely, influencing such industrialists as Henry Ford, and the idea is one of the underlying inspirations of the factory (assembly) line industrial method. The Watertown Arsenal was the site of a major superfund clean-up in the 1990s, and has now become a center for shopping, dining and the arts, with the opening of several restaurants and a new theatre. The site includes the Arsenal Center for the Arts
, a regional arts center
that opened in 2005. The Arsenal is now owned by Harvard University, and the Harvard Business School publishing arm has a presence there. Arsenal Street also features two shopping malls across the street from one another, with the Watertown Mall on one side, and the Arsenal Mall
on the other.
The Perkins School for the Blind
, founded in 1829, has been located in Watertown since 1912.
The Stanley Brothers built the first of their steam-powered cars, which came to be known as Stanley Steamer
s, in Watertown in 1897.http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11210/Stanley_Steamer%20Rocket/default.aspx
In 1988, Watertown Square became the new location for the Armenian Library and Museum of America
, said to host the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in North America.
, along Belmont Street; to the south, it is bordered by Newton
and Brighton - the border being largely formed by the Charles River
. However, in Watertown Square, the nexus of the town, the town's border extends south of the Charles to encompass the neighborhood surrounding Casey Playground. To the East lies the City of Cambridge
, the border to which is almost entirely the well-known Mount Auburn Cemetery
, most of which is actually in Watertown (though commonly believed to be in Cambridge). To the west lies the more expansive city of Waltham
, but there is no clear geographic feature dividing the two municipalities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), of which 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km² or 1.20%) is water.
of 2000, there were 32,986 people, 14,629 households, and 7,329 families residing in the city. The population density
was 8,025.7 people per square mile (3,098.8/km²). There were 15,008 housing units at an average density of 3,651.5 per square mile (1,409.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.42% White, 1.73% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races
, and 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 14,629 households out of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples
living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 39.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $59,764, and the median income for a family was $67,441. Males had a median income of $46,642 versus $39,840 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $33,262. About 4.5% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
in the United States, with the third-largest Armenian community in the United States
, estimated as numbering 7,000 to over 8,000 as of 2007. Watertown ranks only behind the California cities of Glendale
and Fresno
.
Watertown is also the venue for the publication of long-running Armenian newspapers in English and Armenian
, including:
Hairenik Association also runs a web radio
and a web TV station
.
area continue to rise, Watertown has gained in appeal as an attractive, affordable alternative to more expensive communities such as Cambridge
, Brookline
, Belmont
, and Boston proper. Close to Soldiers Field Road
and the Massachusetts Turnpike
, major arteries into downtown Boston, Watertown has easy access to both Boston nightlife and more suburban communities such as Newton
. Watertown Square is the terminus of several MBTA
bus
and trackless trolley
routes. The former A-Watertown branch of the MBTA Green Line ran to Watertown until 1969.
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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 31,915 at the 2010 census.
History
Archeological evidence suggests that Watertown was inhabited for thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from England. Two Native American tribes, the Pequossette and the Nonantum, had settlements on the banks of the river later called the Charles. The Pequossette built a fishing weirWeir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
to trap herring at the site of the current Watertown dam. The annual fish migration, as both alewife
Alewife
The alewife is a species of herring. There are anadromous and landlocked forms. The landlocked form is also called a sawbelly or mooneye...
and blueback herring
Blueback herring
The blueback herring is an anadromous species of herring from the east coast of North America from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to the St. John’s River in Florida. Blueback herring form schools and are believed to migrate offshore to overwinter near the bottom.This fish has, in the past, been used as...
swim upstream from their adult home in the sea to spawn in the fresh water where they were hatched, still occurs every spring.
Watertown, first known as Saltonstall Plantation, was one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
settlements. It was begun early in 1630 by a group of settlers led by Sir Richard Saltonstall
Richard Saltonstall
Sir Richard Saltonstall led a group of English settlers up the Charles River to settle in what is now Watertown, Massachusetts in 1630....
and the Rev. George Phillips and officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents.
The first buildings were upon land now included within the limits of Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
known as Gerry's Landing. For its first quarter century Watertown ranked next to 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...
in population and area. Since then its limits have been greatly reduced. Thrice portions have been added to Cambridge, and it has contributed territory to form the new towns of 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....
(1712), Waltham
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
(1738), Belmont
Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...
(1859), and Lincoln
Lincoln, Massachusetts
Lincoln is a town in the historic area of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,362 at the 2010 census, including residents of Hanscom Air Force Base that live within town limits...
(1754). In 1632 the residents of Watertown protested against being compelled to pay a tax for the erection of a stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
fort at Cambridge; this was the first protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
in America against taxation without representation and led to the establishment of representative government in the colony. As early as the close of the 17th century Watertown was the chief horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
market in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
and was known for its fertile gardens and fine estates. Here about 1632 was erected the first grist mill in the colony, and in 1662 one of the first woolen mills
Textile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
in America was built here.
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, met from April to July 1775 in the First Parish Church, the site of which is marked by a monument. The Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
held its sessions here from 1775 to 1778. Committees met in the nearby Edmund Fowle House
Edmund Fowle House
The Edmund Fowle House is located at 28 Marshall St., Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, and is the second oldest surviving house in Watertown . Watertown was the seat of Massachusetts government during the British occupation of Boston in the American Revolution...
. Boston town meetings were held here during the siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
, when many Boston families made their homes in the neighborhood. For several months early in the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
the Committees of Safety
Committee of Safety (American Revolution)
Many Committees of Safety were established throughout Colonial America at the start of the American Revolution. These committees started to appear in the 1760s as means to discuss the concerns of the time, and often consisted of every male adult in the community...
and Correspondence
Committee of correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence were shadow governments organized by the Patriot leaders of the Thirteen Colonies on the eve of American Revolution. They coordinated responses to Britain and shared their plans; by 1773 they had emerged as shadow governments, superseding the colonial legislature...
made Watertown their headquarters and it was from here that General Joseph Warren
Joseph Warren
Dr. Joseph Warren was an American doctor who played a leading role in American Patriot organizations in Boston in early days of the American Revolution, eventually serving as president of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress...
set out for Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War...
.
Theodore Parker
Theodore Parker was an American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church...
conducted a private school here and his name is still preserved in the Parker School, though the building no longer operates as a public school.
The Watertown Arsenal
Watertown Arsenal
The Watertown Arsenal was a major American arsenal located on the northern shore of the Charles River in Watertown, Massachusetts. Its site is now registered on the ASCE's List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks and on the U.S.'s National Register of Historic Places, and it is home to the...
operated continuously as a military munitions and research facility from 1816 until 1995, when the Army sold the property, by then known as the Army Materials Technology Laboratory, to the town of Watertown. The Arsenal is notable for being the site of a 1911 strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
prompted by the management methods of operations research pioneer Frederick Winslow Taylor
Frederick Winslow Taylor
Frederick Winslow Taylor was an American mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He is regarded as the father of scientific management and was one of the first management consultants...
(Taylor and 1911 Watertown Arsenal Strike). Taylor's method, which he dubbed "Scientific Management," broke tasks down into smaller components. Workers no longer completed whole items; instead, they were timed using stopwatches as they did small tasks repetitively, as Taylor attempted to find the balance of tasks that resulted in the maximum output from workers. The strike and its causes were controversial enough that they resulted in Congressional hearings in 1911; Congress passed a law in 1915 banning the method in government owned arsenals. Taylor's methods spread widely, influencing such industrialists as Henry Ford, and the idea is one of the underlying inspirations of the factory (assembly) line industrial method. The Watertown Arsenal was the site of a major superfund clean-up in the 1990s, and has now become a center for shopping, dining and the arts, with the opening of several restaurants and a new theatre. The site includes the Arsenal Center for the Arts
Arsenal Center for the Arts
The Arsenal Center for the Arts is a community arts center located in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, on the former property of the Watertown Arsenal....
, a regional arts center
Arts centre
An art centre or arts center is distinct from an art gallery or art museum. An arts centre is a functional community centre with a specific remit to encourage arts practice and to provide facilities such as theatre space, gallery space, venues for musical performance, workshop areas, educational...
that opened in 2005. The Arsenal is now owned by Harvard University, and the Harvard Business School publishing arm has a presence there. Arsenal Street also features two shopping malls across the street from one another, with the Watertown Mall on one side, and the Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall
Arsenal Mall is a small enclosed shopping mall located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Its anchor stores include The Home Depot, Marshalls, Forever 21, and Old Navy. The mall, managed by Simon Property Group, features 56 stores and a food court....
on the other.
The Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins School for the Blind
Perkins School for the Blind, located in Watertown, Massachusetts, is the oldest schools for the blind in the United States. It has also been known as the Perkins Institution for the Blind.-History:...
, founded in 1829, has been located in Watertown since 1912.
The Stanley Brothers built the first of their steam-powered cars, which came to be known as Stanley Steamer
Stanley Steamer
The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of steam-engine vehicles; it operated from 1902 to 1924. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced.-Early history:...
s, in Watertown in 1897.http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11210/Stanley_Steamer%20Rocket/default.aspx
In 1988, Watertown Square became the new location for the Armenian Library and Museum of America
Armenian Library and Museum of America
Armenian Library and Museum of America , located in Watertown, Massachusetts, United States, is an institution that has the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in North America.-History:...
, said to host the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in North America.
Geography
Watertown is located at 42°22′17"N 71°10′55"W (42.371296, -71.181961). To the north, it is bordered by the town of BelmontBelmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...
, along Belmont Street; to the south, it is bordered by Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
and Brighton - the border being largely formed by the Charles River
Charles 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...
. However, in Watertown Square, the nexus of the town, the town's border extends south of the Charles to encompass the neighborhood surrounding Casey Playground. To the East lies the City of Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, the border to which is almost entirely the well-known Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery
Mount Auburn Cemetery was founded in 1831 as "America's first garden cemetery", or the first "rural cemetery", with classical monuments set in a rolling landscaped terrain...
, most of which is actually in Watertown (though commonly believed to be in Cambridge). To the west lies the more expansive city of Waltham
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
, but there is no clear geographic feature dividing the two municipalities.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.9 km²), of which 4.1 square miles (10.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km² or 1.20%) is water.
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 32,986 people, 14,629 households, and 7,329 families residing in the city. 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 8,025.7 people per square mile (3,098.8/km²). There were 15,008 housing units at an average density of 3,651.5 per square mile (1,409.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.42% White, 1.73% African American, 0.16% Native American, 3.87% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.85% 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 1.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 14,629 households out of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% 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, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.9% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 39.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 86.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $59,764, and the median income for a family was $67,441. Males had a median income of $46,642 versus $39,840 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 city was $33,262. About 4.5% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Armenian population
Watertown is a major center of the Armenian diasporaArmenian diaspora
The Armenian diaspora refers to the Armenian communities outside the Republic of Armenia and self proclaimed de facto independent Nagorno-Karabakh Republic...
in the United States, with the third-largest Armenian community in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, estimated as numbering 7,000 to over 8,000 as of 2007. Watertown ranks only behind the California cities of Glendale
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city population is 191,719, down from 194,973 at the 2000 census. making it the third largest city in Los Angeles County and the 22nd largest city in the state of California...
and Fresno
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
.
Watertown is also the venue for the publication of long-running Armenian newspapers in English and Armenian
Armenian language
The Armenian language is an Indo-European language spoken by the Armenian people. It is the official language of the Republic of Armenia as well as in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The language is also widely spoken by Armenian communities in the Armenian diaspora...
, including:
- Baikar Association Inc's
- Armenian Mirror-SpectatorArmenian Mirror-SpectatorThe Armenian Mirror-Spectator is a newspaper published by the Baikar Association, in Watertown, Massachusetts.The original raison d'être for the newspaper was to create a vehicle to bridge the growing generation gap between Armenian-Americans since the 1920s...
- BaikarBaikarBaikar is an Armenian language weekly published by the Baikar Association Inc., in Watertown, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, USA....
- Armenian Mirror-Spectator
- Hairenik Association Inc'sHairenik AssociationHairenik Association is a publishing house fully owned and operated by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation located in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA.-Publications:Its publications have included:...
- Armenian WeeklyArmenian WeeklyArmenian Weekly Armenian Weekly Armenian Weekly (originally Hairenik Weekly is an English Armenian publication published by Hairenik Association Inc (Հայրենիք Հաստատուբիւն in Armenian) in Watertown, Massachusetts in the United States...
- Armenian ReviewArmenian ReviewArmenian Review is an English language multidisciplinary, peer reviewed journal published since 1948 and dedicated to exploring issues related to Armenia and Armenians...
- HairenikHairenikHairenik is an Armenian language weekly newspaper published in Watertown, Massachusetts in the United States.The newspaper, serving the Armenian American community, was established as a weekly in on May 1, 1899, making it one of the longest-running Armenian publications...
- Armenian Weekly
Hairenik Association also runs a web radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
and a web TV station
Internet television
Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
.
Transportation
As property values within the Boston metropolitanGreater 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 continue to rise, Watertown has gained in appeal as an attractive, affordable alternative to more expensive communities such as Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Brookline
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
, Belmont
Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...
, and Boston proper. Close to Soldiers Field Road
Soldiers Field Road
Soldiers Field Road is a major crosstown parkway in Boston, Massachusetts, running west to east from U.S. Route 20 in the neighborhood of Brighton to the Boston University Bridge...
and the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
, major arteries into downtown Boston, Watertown has easy access to both Boston nightlife and more suburban communities such as Newton
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
. Watertown Square is the terminus of several MBTA
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
and trackless trolley
Boston-area trackless trolleys
There are currently four trolleybus routes in the Boston, Massachusetts area, all run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Harvard Square area, and all former streetcar lines...
routes. The former A-Watertown branch of the MBTA Green Line ran to Watertown until 1969.
Notable residents
- Richard BakalyanRichard BakalyanRichard Bakalyan is an Born in Iran character actor who started his career playing juvenile delinquents he served them treats and candys in his ice cream van in his first several films. He had some fun experience having served a year's probation at age 15...
(1931-), actor - BostonBoston (band)Boston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
, the Boston-based rock group led by Tom ScholzTom ScholzDonald Thomas "Tom" Scholz is an American rock musician, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, inventor, and mechanical engineer, best known as the founder of the hard rock band Boston. He is also the inventor of the Rockman guitar amplifier...
, recorded the majority of the (17x) Platinum self-titled album "Boston"Boston (album)The album soared, with three singles becoming Top 40 hits. All eight of the songs on the album still receive regular airplay on classic rock radio to this day, across the country...
at the Foxglove Studio in Watertown. - Charles BrighamCharles BrighamCharles Brigham , was a prominent American architect.- Life :Born, raised, and educated in Watertown, Massachusetts, he apprenticed to the Boston architect Gridley J.F. Bryant. Brigham served as a sergeant in the Union Army during the American Civil War, then began work for John Hubbard Sturgis...
(1841–1925), nationally known architect and designer the Watertown town seal. - Benjamin Robbins CurtisBenjamin Robbins CurtisBenjamin Robbins Curtis was an American attorney and United States Supreme Court Justice.Curtis was the first and only Whig justice of the Supreme Court. He was also the first Supreme Court justice to have a formal legal degree and is the only justice to have resigned from the court over a matter...
(1809—1874), American jurist. Dissented in the Dred ScottDred ScottDred Scott , was an African-American slave in the United States who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom and that of his wife and their two daughters in the Dred Scott v...
case and defended Andrew JohnsonAndrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States . As Vice-President of the United States in 1865, he succeeded Abraham Lincoln following the latter's assassination. Johnson then presided over the initial and contentious Reconstruction era of the United States following the American...
during the president's impeachment trial. - Convers FrancisConvers FrancisConvers Francis was a Unitarian minister from Watertown, Massachusetts.-Life and work:He was born the son of Susannah Rand Francis and Convers Francis, and named after his father. His sister, Lydia Maria, later became an important reformer.Francis studied to become a minister at Harvard Divinity...
(1795–1863), a minister ordained at the Watertown Unitarian Church, who, along with Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
, Henry David ThoreauHenry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, philosopher, abolitionist, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, and leading transcendentalist...
and others, had an important role in transcendentalismTranscendentalismTranscendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the New England region of the United States as a protest against the general state of culture and society, and in particular, the state of intellectualism at Harvard University and the doctrine of the Unitarian...
. - Frederick C. CrawfordFrederick C. CrawfordFrederick Coolidge Crawford was an American industrialist and philanthropist. He was also the president of Thompson Products, Inc...
(1891–1994), American Industrialist, founder of TRWTRWTRW Inc. was an American corporation involved in a variety of businesses, mainly aerospace, automotive, and credit reporting. It was a pioneer in multiple fields including electronic components, integrated circuits, computers, software and systems engineering. TRW built many spacecraft,...
and Crawford Auto-Aviation MuseumCrawford Auto-Aviation MuseumThe Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, is a museum in the University Circle neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Part of the Western Reserve Historical Society, it was founded by industrialist, Frederick C. Crawford, of TRW and opened in 1965... - Jeff DaRosaJeff DaRosaJeffrey DaRosa is a rock multi-instrumentalist. Growing up in Watertown, Massachusetts and Somerville, Massachusetts , DaRosa later moved to New York, where he joined The Exit...
(1982-), Musician, member of Dropkick MurphysDropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American punk rock band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for the label, and making a name for themselves locally through constant playing and yearly St....
and former member of the ExitThe ExitThe Exit is a New York City-based band indie/punk/reggae group, formed in 2000. The band's music blends '80s dub and reggae with '90s punk and indie rock. The band's members include Ben Brewer on lead guitar and vocals, and Gunnar Olsen on drums. Jeff DaRosa was formerly the band's lead vocals and... - Eliza DushkuEliza DushkuEliza Patricia Dushku is an American actress known for her television roles, including recurring appearances as Faith on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff series Angel. She starred in two Fox series, Tru Calling and Dollhouse...
(1980-), film and TV actress, grew up in Watertown and graduated from Watertown High School - Hrach GregorianHrach GregorianHrach Gregorian, PhD. is an American political consultant, educator, and writer. His work in both the private and public sectors has been mainly focused in the field of international conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding...
(1950-), PhD, grew up in Watertown, 1968 Watertown High School graduate. Faculty member at several universities, business executive, writer and teacher on international conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding. - Thomas Hastings (colonist)Thomas Hastings (colonist)Thomas Hastings was a prominent English immigrant to New England, one of the approximately 20,000 immigrants who came as part of the Great Migration. A Deacon of the church, among his many public offices he served on the Committee of Colony Assessments in 1640 and as Deputy for Watertown to the...
(c1605-1685), English immigrant ancestor of Rev. Theodore ParkerTheodore ParkerTheodore Parker was an American Transcendentalist and reforming minister of the Unitarian church...
, among others. - Helen KellerHelen KellerHelen Adams Keller was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree....
(1880–1968), attended the Perkins Institute for the Blind. - Stephen P. MugarStephen P. MugarStephen P. Mugar, 1901-1982, founder of the Star Market chain of supermarkets in New England, philanthropist and most prominent member of the Mugar family of Greater Boston, was born March 5, 1901, in Kharpert in the former Ottoman Empire now Turkey, of Armenian parents and died October 16, 1982,...
(1901–82), founder of Star MarketStar MarketStar Market was a New England chain of supermarkets owned by the Mugar family and based in Greater Boston. The company was sold to The Jewel Companies, Inc. in 1964, and was later sold to Investcorp, which sold the chain to Shaw's Supermarkets...
, philanthropist. - Chris Nowinski (1978-), former World Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling EntertainmentWorld Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
wrestler (maintains a house here). - Charles PrattCharles PrattCharles Pratt was a United States capitalist, businessman and philanthropist.Pratt was a pioneer of the U.S. petroleum industry, and established his kerosene refinery Astral Oil Works in Brooklyn, New York. An advertising slogan was "The holy lamps of Tibet are primed with Astral Oil." He...
(1830–91), wealthy oil industry pioneer and philanthropist. - Charles Sumner TainterCharles Sumner TainterCharles Sumner Tainter was an American scientific instrument maker, engineer and inventor, best known for his collaborations with Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell, Alexander's father-in-law Gardiner Hubbard, and for his significant improvements to Thomas Edison's phonograph, resulting in the...
(1854–1940), inventor, associate and nephew of Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone.... - Jerry YorkJerry YorkJerry York is the Men's Hockey Coach at Boston College. He graduated from Boston College High School in 1963 and BC in 1967. York is currently the winningest active coach in NCAA hockey, and is 2nd on the all-time list with 889 wins behind retired Coach Ron Mason...
, 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...
Men's Head Ice Hockey Coach. - Kevin YoukilisKevin YoukilisKevin Edmund Youkilis , also known as "Youk" , is an American professional baseball player with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...
, Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
First Baseman.
Politicians
- George BachrachGeorge BachrachGeorge A. Bachrach is an American politician, attorney, and educator who currently teaches journalism at Boston University.A 1973 graduate of Trinity College and a 1976 graduate of Boston University School of Law...
, State Senator representing Greater Boston Area; Democratic candidate for Governor in 1994 and 1998 - Rachel Kaprielian, head of Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles and former state representative
- Thomas ReillyThomas ReillyThomas F. Reilly is an American attorney and politician who served as the 45th Massachusetts Attorney General. He was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents....
, Massachusetts attorney general (Jan. 1999 to Jan. 2007) - Steven A. Tolman, State Senator
- Warren Tolman, Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate in 2002
Sports
- The Watertown High School Raiders won the Division III State Championship for basketball during the 2006–07 and 2008-09 seasons.
- Watertown Raiders field hockey has won numerous state championships from the 1980s up to the present decade.
- Watertown Pop Warner football won back-to-back eastern Mass. state championships for division II in 2007 and 2008.
- Watertown youth hockey won the state championship for youth hockey division II in 2005-06.
Culture
- Armenian Library and Museum of AmericaArmenian Library and Museum of AmericaArmenian Library and Museum of America , located in Watertown, Massachusetts, United States, is an institution that has the largest collection of Armenian artifacts in North America.-History:...
is at 65 Main Street in the former Coolidge Bank building. - Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library is located on the campus of the Perkins School for the Blind.
- Watertown Free Public Library is located at 123 Main Street in a newly renovated and expanded building.
- New Repertory TheatreNew Repertory TheatreThe New Repertory Theatre is a Boston-area Regional theater company based in Watertown, Massachusetts.The New Repertory Theatre " is the third largest theatre in the Greater Boston area. It presents world premieres, contemporary and classic works in intimate settings." The artistic director is...
is the resident professional theatre company at the Arsenal Center for the Arts, located at 321 Arsenal Street
Further reading
- 1871 Atlas of Massachusetts. by Wall & Gray. Map of Massachusetts. Map of Middlesex County.
- History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Volume 1 (A-H), Volume 2 (L-W) compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879-1880.
- Watertown article by Francis S. Drake in volume 2, pages 433-460.
- An Historical Sketch of Watertown, in Massachusetts, by Convers Francis, published in 1830.
- Bond, Dr. Henry, Genealogies of Watertown, Massachusetts, Boston: Higginson Book Company (undated modern reprint of 1860 edition).
- Thompson, Roger, Divided We Stand, Watertown, Massachusetts 1630-1680, Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2001.
- Tourtellot, Arthur B., The Charles (Rivers of America series), New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., 1941.
- Fischer, David Hackett, Albion's Seed, Four British Folkways in America, New York: Oxford University Press, 1989.
