Westborough, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Westborough is a town in Worcester County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting
system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various administrative positions, and calling a town meeting of citizens annually and whenever the need arises.
, prehistoric people in dugout canoes followed the Sudbury
and Assabet
Rivers to their headwaters in search of quartzite
for tools and weapons. During the period from 1200-1600 A.D.
, seasonal migrations brought Nipmuc Indians
to hunt and fish near Cedar Swamp and Lake Hoccomocco. Using Fay Mountain as a landmark, Indians crisscrossed Westborough on well worn paths: the old Connecticut Path
leading west from Massachusetts Bay
; the Narragansett Trail leading south, and the trail (along the present Milk Street) leading to Canada
.
The early English explorer John Oldham followed these trails through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By late 1675, a few families had settled near Lake Chauncy, in the "west borough" of Marlborough
.
On November 18, 1717, Westborough was incorporated as the hundredth town in Massachusetts, populated by twenty-seven families. Soon large farms were carved out, mills built along the Assabet River and Jackstraw Brook, and taverns flourished. Westborough's first minister, Reverend Ebenezer Parkman, shepherded the growing town of colonists through the years toward independence from Great Britain
. Forty-six minutemen from Westborough fought under Captain Edmund Brigham in the Revolutionary War
.
In 1775, Northborough
split off as the "north borough" of Westborough, much as Westborough split off from Marlborough some 58 years before. However, the two towns shared a meetinghouse for some time more.
In 1810 the route from Boston to Worcester
was straightened and improved into an official turnpike
(the present Route 9
), and along its Westborough route, the Wesson Tavern Common, Forbush Tavern and Nathan Fisher's store prospered. The center of commerce shifted downtown in 1824 with the arrival of the steam train through Westborough's center. The railroad brought a new era to the town industry: over the next century, local factories shipped boots and shoes, straw hats, sleighs, textiles, bicycles, and eventually abrasive products, across the nation. Westborough dairies supplied cities with milk and local greenhouses shipped out carnations, while the eight orchards found ready markets for their produce.
The industrial progress of the entire country is indebted to Westborough's most famous native son Eli Whitney Jr
. Born in 1765, Whitney invented the cotton gin
in 1795 after graduating from Yale
, In 1798 he introduced mass production
to the United States at his Whitney Arms Company in New Haven
, Connecticut
. Whitney's legacy is apparent in the modern industries located within the town's borders: AstraZeneca
, Dover Electric, Proteon, Genzyme
, EMC Corporation
, IBM
, PFPC, the US Headquarters of National Grid USA, Bose Corporation and the global headquarters of American Superconductor
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km2),of which, 20.5 square miles (53.1 km2) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of it is water or 5.09 percent. Westborough is drained by the Sudbury
and Assabet
rivers. The town contains numerous bodies of water, including Lake Chauncy, Mill Pond, Lake Hoccomocco, and the Westborough Reservoir. Lake Chauncy is open to swimming, boating, and fishing, and has a public beach open to residents of Westborough and Northborough during the summer months. The average elevation
of the town is approximately 300 feet (91 m).
.
It is bordered by six towns:
of 2000 shows there were 17,997 people, 6,534 households, and 4,521 families residing in the town. The population density
was 876.9 people per square mile (338.6/km2). There were 6,773 housing units at an average density of 330.0 per square mile (127.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 88.18% White, 1.44% Black or African American
, 0.13% Native American, 8.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.79% from other races
, 1.35% from two or more races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 6,534 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,418, and the median income for a family was $94,610. Males had a median income of $66,157 versus $40,030 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $35,063. About 3.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. As of 2005 the labor force was over 9,300 people with an unemployment rate in the town of 3.1%. Additionally in 2004, the number of registered voters in the town reached 11,532.
The Mill Pond School is the newest school addition to Westborough. The Mill Pond School consists of grade 4 to 6, then Gibbons Middle School which consists of grades 7 and 8, and then Westborough High School. There are three options depending upon residents' geographic location in the town for preschool through third grade. Graduation rates in the high school are consistently above 95% and the vast majority of these graduates attend a four-year college.
Westborough receives an extremely low education reimbursement from the Commonwealth (10th from the bottom) based upon a formula which was set in 1993. The district is working with state legislators to attempt to re-formulate Chapter 70 funding so that it is more equitable.
In a 2004/2005 study by School Matters, a service of Standard and Poors, Westborough Public School system was rated as one of the top public school systems in Massachusetts that consistently outperformed peer schools on MCAS reading and math proficiency test over the last four years. Westborough was the only school system in Worcester County other than Harvard, MA to achieve this top state wide ranking. Westborough ranked 16 out of 204 school systems rated in the state of Massachusetts in this study. In 2005, Money Magazine
listed Westborough #36 in its survey of Top 100 Best Places to Live, citing the financial support and staffing levels found in the Westborough Public Schools.
The following facts published as part of the 2005 MCAS
tests results give a profile of the academics throughout the Westborough Public Schools.
(Interstate 90
) and Interstate 495
, making it easily accessible from all directions, and providing an ideal location for both residents and businesses.
Route 30
(Main Street) and Route 135
(South Street/Milk Street) intersect in a rotary
at the town's center, while Route 9
runs nearby serving much of the town's commerce.
Growing traffic problems on Route 30
(Main Street) have recently become a major issue in town. There have recently been many construction projects to ease the traffic congestion downtown. The Bay State Commons shopping area has recently opened, and people say that traffic is even worse when commuters are heading west after a workday.
Westborough is served
by a commuter rail station on the Framingham/Worcester Line
Westborough currently does not provide any public transportation apart from public school buses and free transportation for senior citizens.
Broadcast:
Cablecast (Public, educational, and government access
(PEG) cable tv channels):
Money Magazine & CNNmoney.com 2007 Best Places to Live: 73/100
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...
, 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 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various administrative positions, and calling a town meeting of citizens annually and whenever the need arises.
History
Before recorded time, the area now known as Westborough was a well travelled crossroads. As early as 7,000 B.C.Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
, prehistoric people in dugout canoes followed the Sudbury
Sudbury River
The Sudbury River is a tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.Originating in the Cedar Swamp in Westborough, Massachusetts, near the boundary with Hopkinton, it meanders generally northeast to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock in...
and Assabet
Assabet River
The Assabet River is a small river about west of Boston, Massachusetts. The river is long. The , headquartered in West Concord, Massachusetts, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the natural and recreational features of the Assabet River and...
Rivers to their headwaters in search of quartzite
Quartzite
Quartzite is a hard metamorphic rock which was originally sandstone. Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts. Pure quartzite is usually white to gray, though quartzites often occur in various shades of pink...
for tools and weapons. During the period from 1200-1600 A.D.
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
, seasonal migrations brought Nipmuc Indians
Nipmuc Nation
Nipmuc Nation is a self-identifier used by Chaubunagungamaug Nipmuc of Worcester County, Massachusetts. Most of group's over 500 members live in and around Chaubunagungamaug Reservation, Hassanamisco Reservation and the city of Worcester....
to hunt and fish near Cedar Swamp and Lake Hoccomocco. Using Fay Mountain as a landmark, Indians crisscrossed Westborough on well worn paths: the old Connecticut Path
Old Connecticut Path
The Old Connecticut Path was the Native American trail that led westward from the area of Massachusetts Bay to the Connecticut River Valley, the very first of the North American trails that led west from the settlements close to the Atlantic seacoast, towards the interior. The earliest colonists of...
leading west from 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,...
; the Narragansett Trail leading south, and the trail (along the present Milk Street) leading to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The early English explorer John Oldham followed these trails through Westborough in 1633, and settlers in search of fertile farmlands followed not long after. By late 1675, a few families had settled near Lake Chauncy, in the "west borough" of Marlborough
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
.
On November 18, 1717, Westborough was incorporated as the hundredth town in Massachusetts, populated by twenty-seven families. Soon large farms were carved out, mills built along the Assabet River and Jackstraw Brook, and taverns flourished. Westborough's first minister, Reverend Ebenezer Parkman, shepherded the growing town of colonists through the years toward independence from Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
. Forty-six minutemen from Westborough fought under Captain Edmund Brigham in the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
In 1775, Northborough
Northborough, Massachusetts
Northborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The official spelling of the town's name is "Northborough", but the shorter spelling "Northboro" is also used...
split off as the "north borough" of Westborough, much as Westborough split off from Marlborough some 58 years before. However, the two towns shared a meetinghouse for some time more.
In 1810 the route from Boston to Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester 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....
was straightened and improved into an official turnpike
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
(the present Route 9
Route 9 (Massachusetts)
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
), and along its Westborough route, the Wesson Tavern Common, Forbush Tavern and Nathan Fisher's store prospered. The center of commerce shifted downtown in 1824 with the arrival of the steam train through Westborough's center. The railroad brought a new era to the town industry: over the next century, local factories shipped boots and shoes, straw hats, sleighs, textiles, bicycles, and eventually abrasive products, across the nation. Westborough dairies supplied cities with milk and local greenhouses shipped out carnations, while the eight orchards found ready markets for their produce.
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
. Born in 1765, Whitney invented the cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
in 1795 after graduating from Yale
Yale University
Yale 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...
, In 1798 he introduced mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
to the United States at his Whitney Arms Company in New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Whitney's legacy is apparent in the modern industries located within the town's borders: AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca plc is a global pharmaceutical and biologics company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's seventh-largest pharmaceutical company measured by revenues and has operations in over 100 countries...
, Dover Electric, Proteon, Genzyme
Genzyme
Genzyme Corporation is a fully owned subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis. Before its acquisition, Genzyme was an American biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 2010, Genzyme was the world’s third-largest biotechnology company, employing more than 11,000 people around the world...
, EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation
EMC Corporation , a Financial Times Global 500, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, develops, delivers and supports information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure hardware, software, and services. EMC is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA.Former Intel executive Richard Egan and his...
, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
, PFPC, the US Headquarters of National Grid USA, Bose Corporation and the global headquarters of American Superconductor
American Superconductor
American Superconductor is an American energy technologies company based in Devens, Massachusetts specializing in the design and manufacture of power systems and superconducting wire...
.
Registered Historic Places
Westborough is home to several listings on the National Register of Historic Places:- Nathan Fisher HouseNathan Fisher HouseNathan Fisher House is a historic house in Westborough, Massachusetts.The house was built in 1820 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
— East of Shrewsbury on MA 9Route 9 (Massachusetts)Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
(added April 25, 1980) - Joseph Lothrop HouseJoseph Lothrop HouseJoseph Lothrop House is a historic house at 208 Turnpike Road in Westborough, Massachusetts. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as being in the "Shrewsbury vicinity", but Massachusetts cultural inventory identifies its location in Westborough.The house was built in 1825 and...
, now known as 1790 Restaurant & Tavern, corner of Route 9 and Park Street. (added in 1974) - Lyman School for BoysLyman School for BoysThe Lyman School for Boys was established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts about 1886 and was closed in 1971. It was the first reform school, or training school in the United States, replacing the State Reform School near the same site, which was opened in 1846...
— Junction of Oak St. and Milk St.Route 135 (Massachusetts)Route 135 is a state highway in eastern Massachusetts, running from U.S. Route 20 in Northborough east to Interstate 95 in Dedham. The first of the Boston Marathon, from Hopkinton to Wellesley, follow Route 135.-Route description:...
(added August 25, 1994) - Maples CottageMaples CottageMaples Cottage is a historic cottage in Westborough, Massachusetts.The cottage was built in 1830 and added to the National Historic Register in 1980....
— East of Shrewsbury on Oak St. (added April 25, 1980) - Vintonville Historic DistrictVintonville Historic DistrictVintonville Historic District is a historic district roughly bounded by Cottage, Green, Pine, Brigham, Beach Streets, and rear of properties along the east side of South Street in Westborough, Massachusetts....
— Roughly bounded by Cottage, Green, Pine, Brigham, Beach Streets, and rear of properties along the east side of South Street (added August 23, 2006) - Jonah Warren HouseJonah Warren HouseJonah Warren House is a historic house at 64 Warren Street in Westborough, Massachusetts.The house was built in 1720 and added to the National Historic Register in 1998....
— 64 Warren Street (added December 5, 1998) - West Main Street Historic District — Roughly bounded by Milk, Main, Blake, and Fay streets (added July 16, 1987)
- Expanded to include 83-118 West Main Street (1990)
- Westborough State HospitalWestborough State HospitalWestborough State Hospital or "Westborough Insane Hospital" is a historic hospital along Lyman Street, north of Chauncy Lake and junction of Milk Street and MA Route 9 Westborough, Massachusetts, which sat on more than 600 acres....
— Along Lyman St. North of Chauncy Lake and junction of Milk St. and MA 9Route 9 (Massachusetts)Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
(added February 21, 1994)
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km2),of which, 20.5 square miles (53.1 km2) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2) of it is water or 5.09 percent. Westborough is drained by the Sudbury
Sudbury River
The Sudbury River is a tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.Originating in the Cedar Swamp in Westborough, Massachusetts, near the boundary with Hopkinton, it meanders generally northeast to its confluence with the Assabet River at Egg Rock in...
and Assabet
Assabet River
The Assabet River is a small river about west of Boston, Massachusetts. The river is long. The , headquartered in West Concord, Massachusetts, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, and enhancement of the natural and recreational features of the Assabet River and...
rivers. The town contains numerous bodies of water, including Lake Chauncy, Mill Pond, Lake Hoccomocco, and the Westborough Reservoir. Lake Chauncy is open to swimming, boating, and fishing, and has a public beach open to residents of Westborough and Northborough during the summer months. The average elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of the town is approximately 300 feet (91 m).
Adjacent towns
Westborough is located in Central Massachusetts, located about 37.5 miles (60.35 km) west of Boston and 12 miles (19 km) east of WorcesterWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester 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....
.
It is bordered by six towns:
- GraftonGrafton, MassachusettsGrafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,765 at the 2010 census. Grafton is the home of a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine...
- HopkintonHopkinton, MassachusettsHopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
- NorthboroughNorthborough, MassachusettsNorthborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The official spelling of the town's name is "Northborough", but the shorter spelling "Northboro" is also used...
- ShrewsburyShrewsbury, Massachusetts-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,640 people, 12,366 households, and 8,693 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 12,696 housing units at an average density of...
- SouthboroughSouthborough, MassachusettsSouthborough is an affluent town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the smaller villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. Its population was 9,767 at the 2010...
- UptonUpton, MassachusettsUpton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,542 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Upton-West Upton, please see the article Upton-West Upton, Massachusetts....
Demographics
Data from 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 shows there were 17,997 people, 6,534 households, and 4,521 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 876.9 people per square mile (338.6/km2). There were 6,773 housing units at an average density of 330.0 per square mile (127.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 88.18% White, 1.44% Black or African American
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...
, 0.13% Native American, 8.09% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.79% 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...
, 1.35% from two or more races, Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population.
There were 6,534 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.21.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $73,418, and the median income for a family was $94,610. Males had a median income of $66,157 versus $40,030 for females. The per capita income
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 $35,063. About 3.0% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. As of 2005 the labor force was over 9,300 people with an unemployment rate in the town of 3.1%. Additionally in 2004, the number of registered voters in the town reached 11,532.
Education
Westborough Public Schools operates the town's six schools, including three elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school:- Hastings Elementary School
- Armstrong Elementary School
- Annie E. Fales Elementary School
- Mill Pond School
- Sarah W. Gibbons Middle School
- Westborough High School (school mascot - Rangers)
The Mill Pond School is the newest school addition to Westborough. The Mill Pond School consists of grade 4 to 6, then Gibbons Middle School which consists of grades 7 and 8, and then Westborough High School. There are three options depending upon residents' geographic location in the town for preschool through third grade. Graduation rates in the high school are consistently above 95% and the vast majority of these graduates attend a four-year college.
Westborough receives an extremely low education reimbursement from the Commonwealth (10th from the bottom) based upon a formula which was set in 1993. The district is working with state legislators to attempt to re-formulate Chapter 70 funding so that it is more equitable.
In a 2004/2005 study by School Matters, a service of Standard and Poors, Westborough Public School system was rated as one of the top public school systems in Massachusetts that consistently outperformed peer schools on MCAS reading and math proficiency test over the last four years. Westborough was the only school system in Worcester County other than Harvard, MA to achieve this top state wide ranking. Westborough ranked 16 out of 204 school systems rated in the state of Massachusetts in this study. In 2005, Money Magazine
Money Magazine
Money Magazine is a business news and financial programme that is broadcast on Sundays at 7:00pm in Hong Kong by television channel TVB Pearl.-Producers and reporters:...
listed Westborough #36 in its survey of Top 100 Best Places to Live, citing the financial support and staffing levels found in the Westborough Public Schools.
The following facts published as part of the 2005 MCAS
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, commonly shortened to MCAS , is the Commonwealth's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993, in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year...
tests results give a profile of the academics throughout the Westborough Public Schools.
- Total enrollment (2004–2005): 3,507- ranked 88/328 districts
- Grades Served: K-12
- Racial Make-up: African-American (1.4%), Asian (11.8%), Hispanic (4%), Native American (1%), White (82.8%)
- Gender Make-up of Student Body: Male (51.1%) Female (48.9%)
- Students whose first language is not English: (6.8%)- ranked 79/328 districts
- Students in Special Education: (11.9%)- ranked 285/328 districts
- Students from low-income families: (4.9%)- ranked 246/328 districts
- Dropouts per 100 students: (0.0%)- ranked 1/256 districts
- Average number of Absences per student: 6
- Percent of days the average student attended school: (96.8%)- ranked 9/328 districts
- Students who repeated a grade: (0.6%)- ranked 216/327 districts
- Total Number of Teachers: 272
- Student/Teacher Ratio: 12.9 to 1- ranked 138/328 districts
- Core Academic teachers identified as 'highly qualified': (96.4%)- ranked 173/328 districts
- Teachers licensed in their teaching assignment: 96.7%
- Average Teacher Salary: $51,590- ranked 129/328 districts
- Total School Spending: $33,055,171
- Per-Pupil Spending overall: $9,375- ranked 94/325 districts
- Per-Pupil spending on Regular Education: $8,143- ranked 52/308 districts
- Per-Pupil Spending on Special Education: $18,908- ranked 68/325 districts
- Number of Students per Computer: 4.5- ranked 167/327 districts
- Plans of High School Graduates: Four-year private college (42.5%), Four-year public college (37%), Two-year private college (0%), Two-year public college (6.8%), Other education (0.9%), Joined workforce (7.8%), Military Service (2.3%), Other (0%), Unknown (2.7%)
Transportation
The Town of Westborough is located at the strategic intersection of the Massachusetts TurnpikeMassachusetts 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...
(Interstate 90
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
) and Interstate 495
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
, making it easily accessible from all directions, and providing an ideal location for both residents and businesses.
Route 30
Route 30 (Massachusetts)
Route 30 is an east–west arterial, connecting Grafton with Packard's Corner in Boston. Route 30 runs roughly parallel to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 9, but unlike those two larger highways, takes a more meandering path from town to town...
(Main Street) and Route 135
Route 135 (Massachusetts)
Route 135 is a state highway in eastern Massachusetts, running from U.S. Route 20 in Northborough east to Interstate 95 in Dedham. The first of the Boston Marathon, from Hopkinton to Wellesley, follow Route 135.-Route description:...
(South Street/Milk Street) intersect in a rotary
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
at the town's center, while Route 9
Route 9 (Massachusetts)
Route 9 is a major east–west state highway in Massachusetts. Along with U.S. Route 20, Route 2 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, Route 9 is one of the major east-west routes of Massachusetts, and like the others its eastern terminus is in Boston...
runs nearby serving much of the town's commerce.
Growing traffic problems on Route 30
Route 30 (Massachusetts)
Route 30 is an east–west arterial, connecting Grafton with Packard's Corner in Boston. Route 30 runs roughly parallel to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 9, but unlike those two larger highways, takes a more meandering path from town to town...
(Main Street) have recently become a major issue in town. There have recently been many construction projects to ease the traffic congestion downtown. The Bay State Commons shopping area has recently opened, and people say that traffic is even worse when commuters are heading west after a workday.
Westborough is served
Westborough (MBTA station)
Westborough is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Framingham/Worcester Line. Though it is officially located at Smith Parkway & Fisher Street in Westborough, Massachusetts, however no access to the station is available from Fisher Street, which crosses over the Framingham/Worcester...
by a commuter rail station on the Framingham/Worcester Line
Framingham/Worcester Line
The Framingham/Worcester Line is a railroad line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts, though some trains terminate at Framingham, Massachusetts...
Westborough currently does not provide any public transportation apart from public school buses and free transportation for senior citizens.
Media
Newspapers:- The Boston Globe (Boston)
- The Telegram & Gazette (Worcester)
- The Boston HeraldBoston HeraldThe Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
(Boston) - The MetroWest Daily NewsMetroWest Daily NewsThe MetroWest Daily News is a morning and afternoon daily newspaper in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA, serving the MetroWest region of suburban Boston...
(Framingham) - The Community Advocate
- The Westborough News
- Westborough High School Literary Magazine
Broadcast:
- Channel 2: WGBHWGBH-TVWGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
- (PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
) - Boston - Channel 4: WBZWBZ-TVWBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
- (CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
) - Boston, WBZ-TV - Channel 5: WCVBWCVB-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...
- (ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
) - Boston - Channel 6: WFXT - (FOXFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
) - Boston, FOX 25 - Channel 7: WHDHWHDH-TVWHDH, digital channel 42 , is an NBC-affiliated television station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest NBC station not owned by the network. Owned by Sunbeam Television, WHDH is a sister station to CW affiliate WLVI...
- (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
) - Boston, 7 NBC - Channel 27: WUNI - (UnivisionUnivisionUnivision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
) - Worcester
Cablecast (Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access
Public, educational, and government access television, refers to three different cable television specialty channels...
(PEG) cable tv channels):
- Channel 11: Westborough TV - Public-access televisionPublic-access televisionPublic-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
(Notices) - Westborough - Channel 13: Westborough TV - Educational-access television and Area Schools Access Channel - Westborough High School
- Channel 12: Westborough TV - Government-access television Channel - Westborough
Library
The Westborough Public Library began in 1857. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Westborough spent 1.24% ($846,826) of its budget on its public library—some $45 per person.Sites of interest
- Assabet Reservoir – hiking trails
- Fay Mountain - highest point in Westborough
- Lake Chauncy - swimming, boating and fishing
- Lyman School for BoysLyman School for BoysThe Lyman School for Boys was established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts about 1886 and was closed in 1971. It was the first reform school, or training school in the United States, replacing the State Reform School near the same site, which was opened in 1846...
- Westborough Charm Bracelet - hiking trail
- Westborough Country Club - semi-private 9-hole, par 35, golf club
- Eli Whitney birthplace, on Eli Whitney Street and marked with a commemorative stone
Accolades
Money Magazine & CNNmoney.com 2005 Best Places to Live: 36/100Money Magazine & CNNmoney.com 2007 Best Places to Live: 73/100
Annual events
- Annual Boy Scout Troop 100 Pancake Breakfast-February/March
- High School Musical-March
- Taste of the Boroughs - March
- Middle School Musical-April
- Spring Clean Up Day- April
- Spring Carnival-April
- Little League Parade-April
- Memorial Day Parade
- Purple Day-June
- Dress and act like a Pirate Day, May 12
- High School Graduation Ceremony-June
- 4 July Block Party
- Homecoming - October
- High School Play-November
- Middle School Play-November
- Thanksgiving Day Football game
- Christmas Singalong
- Westborough High School Winter Concert-December
Places of worship
- Beth Tikvah Synagogue
- Chabad of Westborough
- Congregation B'nai Shalom
- Evangelical Congregational Church
- First Baptist Church Westborough
- First United Methodist Church
- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
- New Hope Chapel
- St. Luke the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church and Rectory
- St. Stephen's Episcopal Church
- Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society of Westborough
- Chapel of the Cross
Notable residents
- Jaime Brockett, folk singer
- Jim Campbell, hockey player
- Andrew ClementsAndrew ClementsAndrew Clements is an American author of children's books. Clements grew up in Camden, New Jersey and Springfield, Illinois, United States,. As a child, he enjoyed summers at a lakeside cabin in Maine where he spent his days swimming and fishing and his evenings reading books...
, children's author - Henry W. CorbettHenry W. CorbettHenry Winslow Corbett was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spend much of his early life in the state of New York before moving to the Oregon Territory where he continued his business interests in retail, and later transportation and banking...
, businessman and senator - Ralph DawsonRalph DawsonRalph Dawson was a film editor who also did some acting, directing, and screenwriting...
, film editor - Louis E. DenfeldLouis E. DenfeldLouis Emil Denfeld , was Chief of Naval Operations of the United States Navy from 15 December 1947 to 1 November 1949. He also held several significant surface commands during World War II, and after the war commanded the U.S...
, admiral - Mark D. DevlinMark D. DevlinMark Dennis Devlin was the author of Stubborn Child , a critically acclaimed memoir published in 1985. He died on March 10, 2005. The cause of death was not released but he had battled mental illness, alcoholism, and physical problems for many years...
, author - Esther ForbesEsther ForbesEsther Louise Forbes was an American novelist, historian andchildren's writer who received the Pulitzer Prize and the Newbery Medal.-Life:...
, author - Tod GriffinTod GriffinTod Griffin, born as Arthur Griffin , was an American actor of stage, film, and television, originally from Birmingham, Alabama.-Early years:...
, actor - Ashley Hayden, lugeLugeA Luge is a small one- or two-person sled on which one sleds supine and feet-first. Steering is done by flexing the sled's runners with the calf of each leg or exerting opposite shoulder pressure to the seat. Racing sleds weigh 21-25 kilograms for singles and 25-30 kilograms for doubles. Luge...
athlete - Richard B. JohnsonRichard B. JohnsonRichard Brian Johnson is the author of the book Abominable Firebug which presents his account of daily life at the Lyman School for Boys. Johnson invented the Rubber Ducky antenna while attending the Lyman School for Boys. Johnson went on to a career as an engineer and inventor. He also created...
, author - Horace MaynardHorace MaynardHorace Maynard was an American educator, attorney, politician and diplomat active primarily in the second half of the 19th century...
, politician - John RugglesJohn RugglesJohn Ruggles was an American politician from the U.S. state of Maine. He served in several important state legislative and judicial positions before serving in the U.S. Senate....
, politician - Jordan SmothermanJordan SmothermanJordan LaVallée Smotherman is an American ice hockey Winger currently playing with EfB Esbjerg of the Danish Superliga.-Playing career:...
, ice hockey player - Nikki StoneNikki StoneNicole 'Nikki' Stone is a former American Olympic skier....
, skier - Jeffrey ThomasJeffrey Thomas (writer)Jeffrey Thomas is a prolific writer of science fiction and horror, best known for his stories set in the nightmarish future city called Punktown, such as the novel Deadstock and the collection Punktown , from which a story was reprinted in St. Martin's The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror #14...
, science fiction and horror author - Eli WhitneyEli WhitneyEli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
, inventor and industrialist - Jack M. WilsonJack M. WilsonJack M. Wilson was the 25th President of the five-campus, 60,000-student University of Massachusetts System, serving from September 2, 2003 to June 30, 2011. During his career, he has served various institutions as Professor of Physics, Department Chair, Research Center Director, Dean, Vice...
, President of the University of Massachusetts