Westwood, Massachusetts

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Westwood, Massachusetts
nickname =
motto =


imagesize =
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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts


mapsize1 =
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Massachusetts
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Norfolk
established_title = Settled
established_date = 1640
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1897
established_title3 =
established_date3 =
government_type = Open town meeting
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 28.8
area_total_sq_mi = 11.1
area_land_km2 = 28.4
area_land_sq_mi = 11.0
area_water_km2 = 0.4
area_water_sq_mi = 0.2
population_as_of = 2007
settlement_type = Town
population_total = 14,010
population_density_km2 = 493.3
population_density_sq_mi = 1,273.6
elevation_m = 67
elevation_ft = 220
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
latd = 42 |latm = 12 |lats = 50 |latNS = N
longd = 71 |longm = 13 |longs = 30 |longEW = W
website = http://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 02090
area_code = 339 / 781
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 25-78690
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0618333
footnotes =

Westwood is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,117 at the 2000 census.

History

Westwood was first settled in 1640 and was part of the town of Dedham (it was originally called 'West Dedham') until it was officially incorporated in 1897. It was the last town to split from the original town of Dedham. In July 2005, [http://money.cnn.com/best/bplive/ CNN/Money and "Money" magazine] ranked Westwood 13th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. It is one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts. [http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/if_you_lived_here_youd_never_want_to_leave/ Boston Magazine] listed Gay Street in Westwood on its list of the Best Streets in the Boston area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.1 square miles (28.8 km²), of which, 11.0 square miles (28.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (1.35%) is water.

Adjacent towns

Westwood is located in Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by:

*the town of Needham to its north
*the town of Dedham to its east
*the town of Canton to its southeast
*the town of Norwood to its south
*the town of Walpole to its southwest
*the town of Dover to its west

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 14,117 people, 5,122 households and 3,867 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,286.7 people per square mile (496.9/km²). There were 5,251 housing units at an average density of 478.6/sq mi (184.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.98% White, 0.50% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.94% of the population.

There were 5,122 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.5% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 3.4% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $87,394, and the median income for a family was $103,242. Males had a median income of $71,801 versus $46,194 for females. The per capita income for the town was $41,553. About 1.3% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The town of Westwood operates under a home rule charter. This means that the town is given a degree of autonomy in regards to internal affairs. The charter mandates a board of selectmen, open town meeting, and executive secretary form of government. Selectmen and other town officials are elected through an open town meeting or formal election; but the board of selectmen appoints secretaries on its own who manage public safety, recreation, and other services. The board calls for an open town meeting (usually yearly) to consider issues beyond the scope of its governance. In many cases the issue is discussed formally among residents and town officials before general voting takes place. The board of selectmen has three members who serve overlapping three-year terms. Patrick Ahearn, Nancy Hyde, and Phil Shapiro are currently Westwood's selectmen. Shapiro, the newest selectman, was elected April 29, 2008. Hyde's term will be up in 2009, Ahearn's in 2010, and Shapiro's in 2011.

Education

Public Schools

Westwood has five public elementary schools (Deerfield, Downey, Paul R. Hanlon (originally Pine Hill), Martha Jones, and William E. Sheehan), one public middle school (Edmund W. Thurston), and one public high school (Westwood High School). A new Westwood High School was recently constructed at a cost of $45M, and the old school, built in 1957, was demolished. The gymnasium and swimming facility from the old school were refurbished and are now part of the new high school campus. The school facilities also include a new multi-use artificial turf field (named after former Westwood High School principal and teacher Charles Flahive) with a synthetic track, both of which are open to the public.

Private Schools

Westwood is home to Xaverian Brothers High School, a Catholic, prep school for boys.

Transportation

*Commuter rail service from Boston's South Station is provided by the MBTA with the Route 128 station on its Providence/Stoughton Line, and the Islington station on its Franklin Line
*Amtrak trains to Providence, New Haven, New York City and Washington DC also stop at the Route 128 station.

Trivia

*The remains of a cave sit along Route 109, that King Philip and his men hid inside during King Philip's War. The massive rock that once contained the cave was known as the "Oven's Mouth". It was blown up along with most of the cave in the 1950s in order to straighten out Route 109.
*Maj. Robert Steele, the Continental Army drummer boy during the Battle of Bunker Hill, is buried in the old Westwood Cemetery on Route 109.
*Westwood is home of the oldest animal pound in the United States.
*Westwood was a dry town until 2005. Restaurants can now apply for liquor licenses.

Notable residents

*Dicky Barrett, lead singer of the ska-core band, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
*Jon Finn, award-winning guitarist, rock musician
*John Harrington, former CEO of the Boston Red Sox
*Pietro Pezzati, portrait painter
*Robert Steele, Revolutionary War drum major; buried in the Old Westwood Cemetery
*Kenny Florian, mixed martial artist with a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, best known for his appearance on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show.

References

External links

* [http://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/Home/ Town of Westwood]
* [http://www.townonline.com/westwood/ Westwood Press]
* [http://www.westwood.k12.ma.us/ Westwood Public Schools]
* [http://www.wscommunityonline.com/wscommunity/ Westwood Station]