Winchester, Massachusetts

Winchester, Massachusetts
—  Town  —
Winchester Town Hall
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°27′08″N 71°08′15″W / 42.45222°N 71.1375°W / 42.45222; -71.1375Coordinates: 42°27′08″N 71°08′15″W / 42.45222°N 71.1375°W / 42.45222; -71.1375
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Middlesex
Settled	1640
Incorporated	1850
Government
– Type	Representative town meeting
Area
– Total	6.3 sq mi (16.3 km2)
– Land	6.0 sq mi (15.6 km2)
– Water	0.3 sq mi (0.6 km2)
Elevation	62 ft (19 m)
Population (2010)
– Total	21,374
– Density	3,522.8/sq mi (1,354.9/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
– Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	01890
Area code(s)	339 / 781
FIPS code	25-80510
GNIS feature ID	0618247
Website	http://www.winchester.us/

Winchester is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, eight miles north of Boston. With its agricultural roots having mostly disappeared, it is now an affluent suburb. The population was 21,374 at the 2010 United States Census.

Background

The land on which Winchester now sits was purchased from Native Americans by representatives of the settlement of Charlestown in 1639, and the area was first settled in 1640. In the early years of the settlement, the area was known informally as Waterfield, a reference to its many ponds and to the river which bisected the central village. In its second century, the area was referred to as Black Horse Village, after the busy tavern and hostelry in its center.

Until the middle of the 19th century, Winchester comprised parts of Arlington, Medford, Cambridge, and Woburn. The movement toward incorporation of what, by this time, was called South Woburn was likely precipitated by the rise of the Whig Party in Massachusetts (History of Winchester, Massachusetts by H. S. Chapman and Bruce W. Stone, 1936, 1975).

The Whigs sought to split a new jurisdiction away from heavily Democratic Woburn and found enough supporters in the burgeoning village to organize a movement toward incorporation. Representatives of the planned new town selected the name Winchester in recognition of Colonel William P. Winchester of nearby Watertown, who pledged $3,000 toward the construction of the first town hall. Upon the signature of then Governor Briggs, the town of Winchester was officially incorporated on April 30, 1850. Unfortunately, Colonel Winchester did not live to visit the town that had honored his family name. He succumbed to typhoid fever within months of its incorporation.

The town's early growth paralleled improvements in transportation. Prior to incorporation, the Middlesex Canal, linking the Merrimack River to Boston, was completed through then Waterfield. It flourished from 1803–36, until the Boston and Lowell Railroad completed a line which neatly bisected the town and provided it with two stations. Able to deliver passengers as well as goods, the railroad soon bankrupted the canal and spurred more people to move to the area. The first church was built in 1840, the Post Office followed in 1841, and soon after incorporation town schools were started. Industries small and large followed, including the Beggs and Cobb tannery and the Winn Watch Hand factory which would operate well into the 20th century.

By the time of the Civil War, to which Winchester lent many citizens, the need for a municipal water supply became apparent. Engineers convinced a skeptical public to fund a dam in the highlands to the east of town. The structure blocked the creek which flowed from the Middlesex Fells and produced the first of three reservoirs which continue to provide clear water today.

In the early 20th century, growth continued apace as Winchester evolved from its agri-industrial roots into the bedroom community it is today. A rich mix of immigrants (the Irish in the northern and eastern neighborhoods, a smattering of African-Americans who flocked to the New Hope Baptist Church in the highlands, and finally Italians who came to work in the westside farms and live in the "Plains" to the east) complemented Winchester's Yankee forbears. The constant in these times of change and up to the present day has been the public spirited efforts of all to continue to maintain the innate physical charm of the town.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which, 6.0 square miles (15.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 3.97% water.

The town is roughly bisected by a central valley which is the remnant of the original course of the Merrimack River. After glacial debris effectively rerouted the Merrimack north to its current location, all that remained of its original course through present day Winchester is the Aberjona River and the several ponds it feeds en route to the Mystic Lakes on Winchester's southern border.

On its eastern third, the valley rises steeply into the wooded hills of the Middlesex Fells Reservation, in which lie the North, Middle, and South Reservoirs. The western edge of the valley yields to Arlington and Lexington heights, and the boundaries with those two towns. To the north, the town's longest border is shared with Woburn.

Winchester has several major bodies of water, including the Mystic Lakes, Wedge Pond, Winter Pond, and the Aberjona River, as well as several minor bodies of water such as Sucker Brook and Sachem Swamp.

Winchester borders the following towns: Woburn, Stoneham, Medford, Arlington, and Lexington.

Demographics

Historical populations
Year	Pop.	±%
1850	1,353	—
1860	1,937	+43.2%
1870	2,645	+36.6%
1880	3,802	+43.7%
1890	4,861	+27.9%
1900	7,248	+49.1%
1910	9,309	+28.4%
1920	10,485	+12.6%
1930	12,719	+21.3%
1940	15,081	+18.6%
1950	15,509	+2.8%
1960	19,376	+24.9%
1970	22,269	+14.9%
1980	20,701	−7.0%
1990	20,267	−2.1%
2000	20,810	+2.7%
2001*	21,029	+1.1%
2002*	21,045	+0.1%
2003*	21,148	+0.5%
2004*	21,171	+0.1%
2005*	21,211	+0.2%
2006*	21,075	−0.6%
2007*	21,139	+0.3%
2008*	21,234	+0.4%
2009*	21,495	+1.2%
2010	21,374	−0.6%
* = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

As of the census^[11] of 2000, there were 20,810 people, 7,715 households, and 5,724 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,446.3 people per square mile (1,330.3/km²). There were 7,908 housing units at an average density of 1,309.6 per square mile (505.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 93.10% White, 0.68% African American, 0.14% Native American, 4.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 7,715 households, of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.

According to a 2008 estimate,^[12] the median income for a household in the town was $125,952, and the median income for a family was $170,580. Males had a median income of $100,000+ versus $70,847 for females. The per capita income for the town was $68,479. The median home value was $838,420, compared to a U.S. average of $180,000. About 1.3% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under the age of 18 and 2.3% ages 65 or older.

Overall Winchester is safe with crime well below the U.S. average. The most common crime is property crime, with 46 robberies reported in 2009. Violent crimes are very low, with one murder (in 2002) and five rapes reported in 10 years.^[13]

Education

Public schools

Winchester has five elementary schools (Ambrose, Lincoln, Lynch, Muraco, and Vinson-Owen), one middle school (McCall Middle School), and one high school (Winchester High School). Winchester public schools have achieved superior performances on the MCAS exams since their inception, and the district is consistently ranked by editorial reviews such as Boston Magazine as one of the best in Massachusetts. The Winchester High School sports teams are known as the "Sachems."

Private schools

Founded in the 1920s, the Children's Own School is among the earlier surviving Montessori schools in the United States. The building it occupies, a former farmhouse, is considered locally historic. The school's founder, Ms. Dorothy Gove, was an acquaintance of Maria Montessori, giving her a firsthand opportunity to learn the Montessori concept of learning. Today the school operates as a private, non-religious, Montessori school for children of ages three to six, with classes of up to 25 children.

St. Mary's School is a parochial school of St. Mary's Parish, which opened 134 years ago. The school opened in 1914 and has over 200 students in grades pre-K through 5. The school building also serves as the Sunday school for the parish during Sunday services. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Transportation

Train at the Winchester MBTA station, between the Town Hall and the First Congregational Church.

Winchester has two stops on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line: Wedgemere and Winchester Center. The stops are in easy walking distance of one another. The Lowell Line runs from Lowell to Boston's North Station, where one can connect with the "T", Boston's subway system.

There are bus lines going through Winchester to nearby communities such as Medford, Arlington, and Cambridge. Bus route #134 runs between North Woburn and Wellington Station on the MBTA's Orange Line in Medford. Bus route #350 runs from the Burlington Mall to Alewife station in Cambridge on the MBTA's Red Line. A commuter express bus runs from Cummings Park in Woburn to Boston during rush hours. Nearby Anderson Regional Transportation Center off I-93 (Commerce Way exit) has Logan Express shuttle bus service to Boston's Logan Airport every 30 minutes, and free shuttle service to the Manchester, N.H. Airport for ticketed passengers every two hours.

Winchester today

Just as its town government of Selectmen and Town Meeting members has remained essentially unchanged for most of its existence, so has Winchester's flavor little departed from the place that a 1970s survey listed as "one of the top fifteen suburbs" in the nation (Ladies Home Journal, August 1975). Since the completion of the present Winchester High School in 1972, with population growth leveling off, town leaders have had more time and funds to devote to maintaining rather than molding Winchester's character.

Across the Main Street bypass from the high school sits the Jenks Seniors Center. Town-developed housing for seniors continues to flourish across from Wedge Pond, home to Borggaard Beach and Splash Park, a popular swimming spot which is continually monitored to ensure safe water quality levels. The Kiwanis Club hosts its annual fishing derby on the pond, while the Rotary Club runs its busy auction nearby. Adjacent to the beach are the Packer Tennis Courts, comprising fifteen clay courts, unusual for a public facility. The Winton Club, founded in 1911, raises funds in support of the Winchester Hospital.

Originally popular for canoeing, the Winchester Boat Club now serves as a home base for locals wishing to enjoy the Mystic Lakes with a casual sailing outing or a competitive regatta, and in the summer it is a popular meeting place for local families and their children. Likewise, the Winchester Swim and Tennis Club provides a large swimming pool, several five hard tennis courts, and bocce courts to local residents. The Winchester Country Club offers an 18-hole course in the Myopia Hill neighborhood, which was named after the Myopia Club based there in the late 19th century. The EnKa Society, a revived high school society, continues to raise money for community groups and activities through its annual street fair and carnival. And every year, as for over a century, thousands of fans attend the annual Thanksgiving Day football contest between Winchester High School and its long-time traditional rival, Woburn.

A new Black Horse Tavern opened on August 9, 2010, in Winchester Center on the former site of the Black Horse Bootery, which was demolished in 1892. According to the Massachusetts Historical Society, the town’s original Black Horse Tavern was built in 1742 and served as an important meeting place during the American Revolution.^[14]

Town services

Instead of municipal trash pickup in the town, Winchester operates a refuse transfer station and recycling center off Swanton Street. Residents currently pay $175 per family annually for a permit to dispose of their trash at this location, colloquially referred to as "The Dump."

As it is a transfer station, trash is not disposed of at the site; rather the town pays to have it trucked away for incineration or dumping. Although it costs as much to operate the conveniently named "dump" as it would curbside trash pickup, the Selectmen decided that the social interaction of citizens at the site far outweighed the convenience of a more conventional trash service. Local political candidates even make occasional appearances at the dump on Saturdays, shaking voters' hands and handing out literature. Often, high school sports teams will hold fundraisers at the dump offering to pick up trash, usually on a Saturday, for a small donation.

There are private haulers in Winchester, for residents who wish to avoid bringing their trash and recyclables to the dump.

The site started as a primitive landfill in the 1940s and 1950s. "Going to the dump" was a Saturday ritual for many families that dated back to when it was a real 'dump' or landfill.

In the 1960s, a gas-fired incinerator was built on one side of the property. The remainder of the property was used for non-combustible waste such as appliances and metal. The incinerator was forced to shut down in the 1970s because of environmental concerns about the untreated smoke from the incinerator's furnace. With the closure of the incinerator, the site was converted to the transfer station that is there now.

Other town services include full-time police and fire departments, the Winchester Board of Health, the Town Clerk, the Post Office, Water and Sewer Deptartment, and the Public Works Department.

Winchester also has a Chamber of Commerce located on the platform of the "Winchester" station of the MBTA Commuter Rail.

Politics

In 2008, Winchester voted for Democrat Barack Obama 59% to Republican John McCain 39%.^[15]

In the 2010 United States Senate special election in Massachusetts, Winchester voted 51% for Republican Scott Brown and 48% for Democrat Martha Coakley.^[16]

Points of interest

• John Mason House

Borggaard Beach and Splash Park: a recreational and water attraction. The area has 19 above- and below-ground elements and attractions for children as well as numerous games and other activities. The area has restrooms and offers a splash pad as well as season passes for residents.

Sister city

Winchester is the sister city of St. Germain-en-Laye, France.

Notable residents

• Lars Ahlfors, mathematician and Fields Medalist^[17]
• Patrick Aufiero, retired professional ice hockey defenseman^{[citation needed]}
• Pat Badger, Bass Player Extreme.^{[citation needed]}
• Brutus Beefcake, former WWF wrestler, and some-time tag team partner of fellow wrestler Hulk Hogan.^{[citation needed]}
• Joe Bellino, Heisman Trophy winning football player at the United States Naval Academy^{[citation needed]}
• Bob Bigelow, retired NBA basketball player^{[citation needed]}
• Robert A. Brown, President of Boston University^{[citation needed]}
• Stephen J. Burke , Actor from the film Green
• Ashton Carter, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy^{[citation needed]}
• John Cazale, was an American film and theater actor. During his six-year film career he appeared in five films, each of which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: The Godfather, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter.
• Allan McLeod Cormack, one of the recipients of the 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine^{[citation needed]}
• General John M. Corse, hero of Southern campaigns in the Civil War^{[citation needed]}
• Edward Everett, President of Harvard University, Governor of Massachusetts, and Ambassador to Britain^{[citation needed]}
• Jon Favreau (speechwriter), speechwriter for President Barack Obama
• Frankie Fontaine, comedian & singer, most famous for playing the part of "Crazy" Guggenheim on the Jackie Gleason Show^{[citation needed]}
• Edward Gelsthorpe, (1923–2009), marketing executive known as "Cranapple Ed" for his best-known product launch.^[18]
• Arthur Griffin, Professional Photographer and founder of the Griffin Museum of Photography located in Winchester.^{[citation needed]}
• Kim Khazei, Anchorwoman, WHDH-TV ^[19][20]
• Will Lakritz, Record Producer
• Louise Le Baron (née Shepherd) Contralto
• Mike Lynch Sports anchor for WCVB-TV.^{[citation needed]}
• Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist.^{[citation needed]}
• Samuel W. McCall, ten-time United States Congressman and three-time Governor of Massachusetts^{[citation needed]}
• Arthur G. B. Metcalf, founder of the Electronics Corporation of America and 41 year member of the Boston University Board of Trustees, 18 years of which he was Chairman of the Board^{[citation needed]}
• Glen Murray, NHL Player for Boston Bruins^{[citation needed]}
• Cam Neely, retired NHL player^{[citation needed]}
• Jess Nevins, author^{[citation needed]}
• Barry Newman, actor^{[citation needed]}
• Laurence Owen, National skating champion whose career was cut short by the plane crash that wiped out the national team in 1961^{[citation needed]}
• Mike Pagliarulo, ex-pro baseball player for the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees.^{[citation needed]}
• Jay Pandolfo, NHL player^{[citation needed]}
• Harry Parker, Olympic rower/coach and current coach of Harvard crew
• Bjorn Poonen, mathematician^{[citation needed]}
• John Quinlan, champion bodybuilder and professional wrestler^{[citation needed]}
• Herb Reed, founding member of The Platters^{[citation needed]}
• Hartley Rogers, Jr., mathematician^{[citation needed]}
• Alicia Sacramone, five-time Gymnastics World Championships medalist and 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist^{[citation needed]}
• Richard R. Schrock, one of the recipients of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry^{[citation needed]}
• Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant, journalist and writer^{[citation needed]}
• Claude Shannon, engineer and information theorist^{[citation needed]}
• Harry Sinden, Former GM and coach of the Boston Bruins.^{[citation needed]}
• Whitney Smith, Director of the Flag Research Center.^{[citation needed]}
• Dan Spang, professional ice hockey defenseman^{[citation needed]}
• Richard Stolzman, clarinetist^{[citation needed]}
• John Volpe, three-time Governor of Massachusetts, United States Secretary of Transportation, and Ambassador to Italy^{[citation needed]}
• Brad Whitford of Aerosmith.^{[citation needed]}
• Robert W. Wiley, a former Republican politician.^{[citation needed]}
• Brian Wilson-Baseball relief pitcher/closer for the San Francisco Giants.

Footnotes

1. History of Winchester, Massachusetts by H.S.Chapman and Bruce W. Stone (1936,1975)
2. Ladies Home Journal, Aug., 1975

References

1852 Map of Boston area showing Winchester and the Middlesex Canal.

1. ^ "TOTAL POPULATION (P1), 2010 Census Summary File 1, All County Subdivisions within Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/P1/0400000US25.06000. Retrieved September 13, 2011. 
2. ^ "Massachusetts by Place and County Subdivision - GCT-T1. Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/GCTTable?_bm=y&-geo_id=04000US25&-_box_head_nbr=GCT-T1&-ds_name=PEP_2009_EST&-_lang=en&-format=ST-9&-_sse=on. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
3. ^ "1990 Census of Population, General Population Characteristics: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1990. Table 76: General Characteristics of Persons, Households, and Families: 1990. 1990 CP-1-23. http://www.census.gov/prod/cen1990/cp1/cp-1-23.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
4. ^ "1980 Census of the Population, Number of Inhabitants: Massachusetts". US Census Bureau. December 1981. Table 4. Populations of County Subdivisions: 1960 to 1980. PC80-1-A23. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1980a_maABC-01.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
5. ^ "1950 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/23761117v1ch06.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
6. ^ "1920 Census of Population". Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
7. ^ "1890 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/41084506no553ch2.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
8. ^ "1870 Census of the Population". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1870e-05.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
9. ^ "1860 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1860a-08.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
10. ^ "1850 Census". Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c.. http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1850c-11.pdf. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
11. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
12. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US2501780510&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US25%7C05000US25017%7C06000US2501756130&_street=&_county=winchester&_cityTown=winchester&_state=04000US25&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
13. ^ http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Winchester-Massachusetts.html
14. ^ "BLACK HORSE TAVERN: American-style eatery plans Winchester opening". Wicked Local/Winchester Star. January 27, 2010. http://www.wickedlocal.com/winchester/news/x231959659/BLACK-HORSE-TAVERN-American-style-eatery-plans-Winchester-opening. Retrieved 11 August 2010. 
15. ^ "Massachusetts results". The Boston Globe. November 5, 2008. http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/election_results/ma_president/. 
16. ^ "Check out this Page on Boston.com". The Boston Globe. December 8, 2009. http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/senate/results.html. 
17. ^ http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/2001/01.24/16-mmahlfors.html
18. ^ Grimes, William. "Edward Gelsthorpe, Master Marketer, Dies at 88", The New York Times, September 27, 2009. Accessed September 29, 2009.
19. ^ Diaz, Johnny, "And now, back to the news: Kim Khazei returns to TV after six years of anchoring the household", The Boston Globe, August 6, 2007
20. ^ Schrock, Nancy, "HAPPY 100!", Black Horse Bulletin, Winchester Historical Society, v.34, no.1, January - March 2009

External links

• Winchester official site
• Winchester Public Schools
• Rotary Club of Winchester
• Winchester Historical Society
• Children's Own School of Winchester
• Winchester Community Site
• 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. 572 and 505 pages. Winchester article by Edwin A. Wadliegh in volume 2 pages 506-525.