WESTON, MA

Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts United States, about 15 miles west of downtown Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.

Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protection of the town's historic resources is driven by the Weston Historical Commission

and Weston Historical Society. The town has one Local Historic District, 10 National Register Districts, 26 Historic Areas, and seven houses individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Weston's predominance as a residential community is reflected in its population density, which is among the lowest of Boston's suburbs near or within Route 128. More than 2,000 acres, or 18 percent of the town's total acreage, have been preserved as parks, fields, wetlands, and forests, with 90 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. Thirty-seven scenic roads, as defined by Massachusetts law, maintain the town's aesthetic value and historical significance, affording Weston a semi-rural ambiance. The town is an upper class suburb of Boston, and is among the most affluent in New England.

History

The description of Weston's history here is pulled directly from the [http://www.weston.org/DocumentCenter/View/9780/2017-Weston-Open-Space-and-Recreation-Plan-PDF 2017 Weston Open Space and Recreation Plan].

Early years

Weston was originally part of the Watertown settlement of 1630, but until the end of the century, the land was used mainly for grazing cattle. In 1698, "The Farms" was set off as a separate precinct with its own meetinghouse; and in 1712–1713, the "Farmers' Precinct" was incorporated as a separate town, Weston.

Early settlers discovered that the amount of useful agricultural land was limited, as was the potential for water-powered industries. Weston did have one advantage: it was situated along the main route west from Boston. By the 18th century, residents were providing services to travelers on the Boston Post Road. Two taverns of great historical and architectural importance remain today: the Josiah Smith Tavern and the Golden Ball Tavern, which is now a museum. North Avenue was an important route to the northwest and, like the Post Road, hosted shops, blacksmiths, and taverns serving travelers.

Grist and sawmills were established beginning in the 17th century on Stony Brook and in the Crescent Street area. Two important manufacturing enterprises were begun during the Colonial period: the Hews redware pottery on Boston Post Road and Hobbs Tannery on North Avenue. By 1776, Weston's population of 1,027 was spread throughout the town on scattered farms along major roads, with some consolidation within the village center around the meetinghouse, along the length of the Post Road, and on North Avenue.

The opening of the Worcester Turnpike in 1810 (now Route 9) drew some commercial traffic from the Boston Post Road, but dry goods merchants continued to supply neighboring towns until about 1830–1840. The Boston and Worcester Railroad was built through the southeast corner of town in 1834, and the Fitchburg Railroad (later the Boston and Maine) was built along Stony Brook on the north side of town around 1844. Population continued to grow, supported in part by small industries such as the pottery, tannery and related boot and shoe making, school desk and chair factory, tool factories, and shops making machinery for cotton and woolen mills. The Hook & Hastings Company organ factory, Weston's largest industry, moved to the North Avenue area in 1888 and was a major town employer until it closed during the Great Depression. The Mass Central Railroad, the third to serve Weston, commenced service in 1881. Its tracks ran east–west through the center of town.

The rural landscape of Weston and convenience to rail transportation also made it attractive as a summer resort area. The shingle-style Drabbington Lodge, once a popular summer resort, remains on North Avenue and is now a senior living community.

The estate era

Development of country estates in Weston began on a small scale in the 1860s and was widespread by 1900. Wealthy businessmen were attracted to Weston by its convenience to Boston, quiet country atmosphere, and low taxes, as well as the beauty of the area and that same rocky topography that in earlier years had proved unsuitable for farming. By the turn of the century, Weston was described as a "country town of residences of the first class."

Population growth and the influence of large estate owners led to the construction of new institutional buildings, such as the fieldstone First Parish Church (1888), designed by the nationally known Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns and located on the site of earlier church meetinghouses. The [http://www.weston.org/382/Old-Library first library] (1899), central fire station (1914), and present town hall (1917) were also built during the estate era. Coinciding with the town's Bicentennial in 1913, an ambitious Town Improvement Plan began the process of creating the Town Green by draining and landscaping an existing wetland.

Suburban development began in the early 20th century and increased with the advent of the automobile. Two prominent estates, the Winsor estate on Meadowbrook Road and Hubbard estate on the south side, were subdivided after World War I. In the 1910s and 1920s, estates were purchased for educational use (Regis College and Weston College/Campion Center) and as golf courses (Weston Golf Club and Pine Brook Country Club). Many other large properties remained as open farm fields or woodlands through the Great Depression and World War II.

The Weston Aqueduct and Reservoir (1901–1903) and Hultman Aqueduct and Norumbega Reservoir (1938–1940) were major public works projects constructed as part of the water supply system of greater Boston.

Postwar growth

After World War II, construction of Routes 128 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, along with pent up demand for housing, led to subdivision of former estate properties and farms throughout the town. The postwar period was characterized by exponential growth and proactive efforts to control and guide this growth in order to preserve the rural character of the town. In the early 1950s, Weston's selectmen initiated two important growth-control measures: a zoning bylaw increasing the amount of land needed to build and a land-acquisition policy reducing the amount of developable land by purchasing it for the town. More than half of the town's housing stock was built in the thirty years between 1950 and 1979 and consisted largely of single family houses on increasingly expensive land. Population growth brought increased demand for town services including schools, and five new schools were constructed between 1950 and 1969. In recent years, the major trend is for many of these postwar houses to be replaced by much larger houses.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.85%, is water.

The town is bordered by Newton and Waltham on the east; Wellesley to the south; Natick and Wayland to the west; and Lincoln to the north.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 11,469 people, 3,718 households, and 2,992 families residing in the town. The population density was 674.0 people per square mile (260.2/km). There were 3,825 housing units at an average density of 224.8 per square mile (86.8/km). The racial makeup of the town was 90.26% White, 1.18% African American, 0.05% Native American, 6.82% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.43% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.90% of the population.

There were 3,718 households, out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 17.2% 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 2.85 and the average family size was 3.21.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $153,918 and the median income for a family was $200,000+, figures that had risen to $189,041 and over $230,000 by 2007. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $58,534 for females. The per capita income for the town was $105,640. About 2.1% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

As of December 2017, there were 7,632 active registered voters in Weston, with 501 voters listed as inactive. Among party enrollees, 1,869 were Democrats, and 1,211 Republicans, with the balance unenrolled.

Like much of New England, Weston has trended strongly Democratic on the federal level in recent years. Weston supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984, as well as George H.W. Bush in 1988, against home state Governor Mike Dukakis for president of the United States. However, it supported Bill Clinton in 1992, and has supported the Democratic candidate in every election since then, including Barack Obama over Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.

Weston is located entirely within Massachusetts's 5th congressional district.

Weston is represented in the Massachusetts Senate by Michael J. Barrett (D).

Massachusetts is represented in the United States Senate by senior Senator Elizabeth Warren and junior Senator Ed Markey.

Education

Public elementary and secondary schools

Weston Public Schools operates five schools:

Districtwide enrollment in October 2017 was 2,104 students. Among all Weston residents eligible to pursue elementary and secondary education in 2017, 76 percent were WPS students, 22 percent were students at private schools, and 2 percent were home schooled or attended other institutions. WPS has participated in the METCO program since 1967.

Private elementary and secondary schools

Undergraduate and graduate institutions

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 79 percent of Weston's population over 25 years possesses a bachelor's degree, the third highest percentage among Massachusetts towns, following Carlisle and Sherborn.

Transportation

The Massachusetts Turnpike traverses Weston in an east–west direction in the southern portion of town. The shared highway routes of Interstate 95 and Route 128 pass in a north–south direction on the town's eastern edge. The intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 128 is located in southeastern Weston.

Several state highways—U.S. Route 20 (Boston Post Road), Route 30 (South Avenue), and Route 117 (North Avenue)—travel east and west through the town.

As for public transportation, Weston is directly served by three MBTA Commuter Rail stations—Silver Hill, Hastings and Kendal Green—all on the Fitchburg Commuter Rail Line, with an inbound terminus at Boston's North Station while outbound service heads to Wachusett Station in the city of Fitchburg. Two of those three stations (Silver Hill and Hastings), however, are only served near or during rush hour periods with no weekend service. The commuter trains themselves only operate on half-hour intervals during rush hour; at all other times, trains in both directions operate with roughly 1 to 2-hour headways. Interestingly, the extreme southeastern portion of Weston is within one mile of Riverside Station, a park-and-ride facility which serves the Green Line D branch in the neighboring city of Newton. Given its classification as a rapid transit station instead of a commuter rail stop, Green Line service departs from Riverside more frequently at a rate of one train every 6 to 13 minutes. The station is close enough that Weston residents living in the southeastern part of town can easily reach Riverside Station by car in roughly five minutes or arrive via bicycle in 13 minutes. Also barely east of Weston along U.S. Route 20 lies the starting point of MBTA bus route 70 at the Cedarwood bus stop in neighboring Waltham—just half a mile east from the town line. However, as of December 2019, only 10 inbound trips depart from the Cedarwood bus stop on weekdays—all during rush hour periods—with no weekend service. Bus Route 70 travels from Cedarwood to Central Square in Cambridge to connect with the MBTA Red Line.

Another local bus route—MBTA bus route 558—technically crosses the border into Weston. Unfortunately, no bus stops for this route are located within the town as its only purpose of entering Weston is to gain access to the Route 128 highway for a short express trip to Riverside Station, where passengers can board this bus for service to Waltham and Downtown Boston.

Culture

Weston Public Library

The Weston Public Library (WPL), with holdings of 209,000, offers services and programs for adults and youth. With an annual circulation of 347,635 materials, which translates into 6,685 items checked out per week, WPL has one of the highest per-capita circulation rates of all libraries in Massachusetts. The Friends of the Weston Public Library provide financial support for the library's Local History Room, curate an ongoing rotation of art created by local artists, organize a series of musical concerts in the library's community room, and fund passes to Boston-area museums.

Weston Art and Innovation Center

The Weston Art and Innovation Center, which opened in September 2019 in Weston's Old Library, offers hands-on learning opportunities related to art and technology. The Weston Media Center also relocated to the WAIC.

Weston Media Center

The Weston Media Center is Weston's independent, non-profit cable TV station and media hub. Operating in its current form since 2011

Weston Friendly Society

The Weston Friendly Society, founded in 1885, is the second oldest community theatre in the United States. WFS performs musicals in the auditorium of Weston Town Hall several times a year. WFS donates money from its productions to local charitable causes.

Weston Drama Workshop

Weston Drama Workshop, founded in 1962, is a summer youth theatre program. Performers and support staff consist of students from fifth grade to the age of 23 years. Productions were originally held at Country School and Weston High School, but since 1994, WDW has held its performances at Regis College.

Periodicals

News and features of interest to Weston residents are published in two periodicals: The Weston Town Crier, a weekly newspaper, and WellesleyWeston, a quarterly magazine launched in 2005. Both are available in the Weston Public Library and have an online presence.

Religious institutions

Points of interest

Notable people

Sports figures