Norwood is a town and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
in
Norfolk County,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, United States. Norwood is part of the
Greater Boston
Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern a ...
area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,611. The town was named after Norwood, England. Norwood is on the
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. Its headwaters are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near Gillette Stadium. From there, the Neponset meanders generally northeast for about to its mouth at ...
, which runs all the way to
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States.
History
...
from
Foxborough.
History
The Town of Norwood, officially formed in 1833, was until that time part of
Dedham, known as the "mother of towns", as fourteen of the present communities of eastern
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
lay within its original borders. Long used as a hunting ground by Native Americans, Norwood was first settled by Ezra Morse in 1678. He set up a sawmill in what is now South Norwood, the part of town to which the first concentration of families, almost all of whom were farmers, migrated over the next half-century.
During the
American Revolution
The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...
, there was a
Minuteman
Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...
company organized in the area. Its captain, Aaron Guild, on learning of the British marching on
Lexington and
Concord
Concord may refer to:
Meaning "agreement"
* Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony)
* Harmony, in music
* Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...
to seize the munitions stored there, rode to join the fight and arrived in time to fire on the British at Concord Bridge and participate in the running battle that chased the Redcoats back to Boston.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
passed through the town during his pre-inaugural tour of New England.
The
Oak View Mansion, located in Norwood, was built by Francis Olney Winslow. Construction began in 1868 and was completed in 1870. Oak View was the scene of almost constant socializing. Some of the most prominent figures hosted in Oak View were President and future Supreme Court Justice
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
and President
Calvin Coolidge.
The town shares its name with a town in the borough of
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
,
South London,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. When Norwood separated from Dedham, they considered naming the new community Balch, after the Rev.
Thomas Balch.
Geography
Norwood is located at (42.185974, −71.201661).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the town has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27.3 km), of which 10.5 square mile (27.1 km) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km) (0.66%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2010, there were 30,602 people. The racial makeup of the town was 80.92%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 8.01%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.09%
Native American, 9.57%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.77% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.25% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 3.58% of the population. 27.3% were of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
descent.
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 28,587 people, 11,623 households, and 7,380 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 2,727.0 people per square mile (1,053.2/km). There were 11,945 housing units at an average density of 1,139.5 per square mile (440.1/km). The racial makeup of the town was 90.51%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 2.31%
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
or
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.09%
Native American, 5.06%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.01%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 0.77% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.25% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.65% of the population. 34.7% were of
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 14.8%
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, 5.4%
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
and 5.0%
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
ancestry according to
Census 2000
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
.
There were 11,623 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were
married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,421, and the median income for a family was $70,164 (these figures had risen to $66,743 and $80,292 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,597 versus $34,312 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $27,720. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The
Norwood Public Schools operates seven schools, and an additional school institution, The Willett Early Childhood Center (serves preschool and kindergarten children). The public elementary schools located in Norwood include: Balch, Callahan, Cleveland, Oldham, and Prescott.
Norwood has one public middle school, the Dr. Philip O. Coakley Middle School (serving 6th through 8th graders) (formerly Norwood Junior High South), where all five elementary schools combine. Norwood also has a public high school,
Norwood High School (NHS), (serves grades 9–12).
Built in 2005, Universal Technical Institute is the newest post-secondary education center in Norwood. It is an automotive technical school featuring the Mercedes Benz Elite MSAT and the Ford FACT specialized training programs. The campus is located at 1 Upland Road, less than a mile from the Boston Providence Pike.
The Fine Mortuary College in Norwood includes a one-room museum featuring antique embalming tables and centuries-old wooden coffins.
Business
Moderna opened its state-of-the-art clinical development site in 2018 and is the primary manufacturing site for its COVID-19 vaccine, employing over 1,400.
A large cluster of automobile dealerships on Route 1 is known as the Norwood "Automile". The concept of having competing dealerships join together to publicize the "Automile" as an automobile shopping center was largely the work of
Ernie Boch
Ernest Alexander Boch Jr. (born February 15, 1958) is an American billionaire and businessman who is the former CEO of Boch Enterprises, a billion business consisting primarily of automobile dealerships in Norwood, Massachusetts and the current ...
, famous in the Boston area for his ads urging people to "Come on down!"
University Avenue in Norwood is the site of both semiconductor company
Analog Devices Inc and medical software provider
MEDITECH, Medical Information Technology, Inc., actually across the border in
Westwood.
Architecture
*Norwood's town square is dominated by its town hall, the
Norwood Memorial Municipal Building (Town Hall). It includes a 50-bell
carillon tower housing the Walter F. Tilton Memorial Carillon, one of nine carillons in Massachusetts. On the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
*Morrill Memorial Library (1898–1899),
Joseph Ladd Neal, architect.
File:Norwood Memorial Municipal Building, Norwood MA.jpg, Norwood Memorial Municipal Building (Town Hall).
File:1899 Norwood public library Massachusetts.png, Morrill Memorial Library.
Art
Norwood was the long-time home of photographer and publisher
Fred Holland Day
Fred Holland Day (23 July 1864—23 November 1933), known professionally as F. Holland Day, was an American photographer and publisher. He was prominent in literary and photography circles in the late nineteenth century and was a leading Pict ...
. As a photographer, Day at one point rivalled
Alfred Stieglitz in influence. The publishing firm of Copeland and Day was the American publisher of
Oscar Wilde's ''Salome'' with illustrations by
Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (21 August 187216 March 1898) was an English illustrator and author. His black ink drawings were influenced by Japanese woodcuts, and depicted the grotesque, the decadent, and the erotic. He was a leading figure in the ...
. The Day House is now a museum and the headquarters of the Norwood Historical Society. F. Holland Day Historic House Museum is located at 93 Day St.
Climate
Transportation
*
U.S. 1 is a major artery through Norwood, and a regional hub for commercial activity, dominated by strip malls and chain stores and restaurants for a 35-mile stretch between West Roxbury to Pawtucket, RI.)
* Three
MBTA Commuter Rail stations on the Forge Park-495 line or
Franklin Line
The Franklin Line, also called the Franklin/Foxboro Line, is part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. It runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts, utilizing the Northeast Corridor before splittin ...
, with daily service. The stations are
Norwood Depot
Norwood Depot is an MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin/Foxboro Line station located in downtown Norwood, Massachusetts. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Franklin Branch, each with a MBTA accessibility#mini-high, mini-hig ...
,
Norwood Central
Norwood Central station is an MBTA Commuter Rail Franklin Line station located near downtown Norwood, Massachusetts. The station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Franklin Branch, each with a MBTA accessibility#mini-high, mini ...
and
Windsor Gardens.
*
Norwood Memorial Airport
Norwood Memorial Airport is a public airport east of Norwood, in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is home to the offices of prominent local business people and several maintenance facilities.
As Outlying Landing Field Norwo ...
*
Interstate 95 has one exit in town that also serves neighboring Canton. This is the main highway running between the Boston metro area and points south.
* MBTA bus route 34E heads along Washington Street from Walpole to Boston.
Notable people
*
Keith Adams, former NFL linebacker
*
Frank G. Allen, Governor of Massachusetts, 1929–1931
*
Dicky Barrett, lead singer of
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
*
Harry Bigelow, lawyer
*
Ernie Boch, Jr.
Ernest Alexander Boch Jr. (born February 15, 1958) is an American billionaire and businessman who is the former CEO of Boch Enterprises, a billion business consisting primarily of Car dealership, automobile dealerships in Norwood, Massachusetts ...
, CEO, president, and spokesman of Boch Enterprises, a $1 billion business consisting primarily of automobile dealerships in Norwood
*
Peter Boghossian
Peter Gregory Boghossian (; born July 25, 1966) is an American philosopher and pedagogist. Born in Boston, he was a non-tenure track assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University for ten years, and his areas of academic focus i ...
, American philosopher and author
*
Charlie Bowles, former major league baseball player
*
Marty Callaghan, former major league baseball player
*
F. Holland Day, photographer
*
Allen Doyle
Allen Michael Doyle (born July 26, 1948) is an American professional golfer who played on the Nike Tour, PGA Tour, and Champions Tour.
Life and career
Doyle was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and raised in the Boston suburb of Norwood, Massach ...
, golfer, 11-time winner on Champions Tour
*
Joe Dugan
Joseph Anthony Dugan (May 12, 1897 – July 7, 1982), was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Jumping Joe", he was considered one of the best defensive third basemen of his era. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop ...
, former Baseball player and member of the New York Yankees first World Series title in 1923
*
Alfred Fincher
Alfred William Fincher (born August 15, 1983) is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Connecticut.
Fincher has also been a member o ...
, former pro football player for
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
*
William Cameron Forbes
William Cameron Forbes (May 21, 1870 – December 24, 1959) was an American investment banker and diplomat. He served as governor-general of the Philippines from 1909 to 1913 and ambassador of the United States to Japan from 1930 to 1932.
He was ...
, Governor General of the Philippines, 1909–1913
*
Zhenya Gay
Zhenya Gay (born Eleanor Byrnes) (1906–1978) was an American writer and illustrator.
Biography
Eleanor Barnes was born in 1906 in Norwood, Massachusetts and, died August 3, 1978. She attended Columbia University, where she studied with Solon B ...
, writers and children's book illustrator
*
Noah Hanifin
Noah Hanifin (born January 25, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Carolina Hurricanes, who drafted him fifth overall in the 2015 NHL ...
, current NHL defenseman for the
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
*
Richie Hebner
Richard Joseph Hebner (born November 26, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from through , most prominently as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates teams tha ...
, former major league baseball player
*
Joe Hulbig
Joseph Allan Hulbig (born September 29, 1973, in Norwood, Massachusetts) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played left wing. He was selected in the first round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, 13th overall, by the Edmonton Oi ...
, former NHL player, Boston and Edmonton
*
Peter Laviolette
Peter Philip Laviolette Jr. (born December 7, 1964) is an American professional ice hockey coach, and former player, currently serving as head coach for the Washington Capitals. He was previously the head coach of the New York Islanders, Caroli ...
, NHL and Olympic hockey coach
*
Rhoda Leonard
Rhoda Leonard (January 31, 1928 – October 21, 2015) was an American infielder and outfielder who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5' 5", 115 lb., Leonard batted and threw right handed. She was nicknamed ' ...
,
All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player, teacher in Norwood public schools system
*
Skip Lockwood
Claude Edward (Skip) Lockwood Jr. (born August 17, 1946) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched for the Seattle Pilots / Milwaukee Brewers (1969–1973), California Angels (1974), New York Mets (1975–1979) and Boston Re ...
, former major league baseball player
*
Ray Martin, former major league baseball player
*
Jon Purnell, United States Ambassador to Uzbekistan
*
Brendan Emmett Quigley, crossword constructor
*
Bob Quinn, general manager of NFL's
Detroit Lions
*
Allen Ripley, former major league baseball player
*
John H. Rogers
John H. Rogers is a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 12th Norfolk District since 1992, which includes all of Norwood, Massachusetts, Norwood and parts of Walpole, ...
, former Massachusetts House Majority Leader
*
Tony Rombola
Tony Rombola (born November 24, 1964) is an American musician who has been the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the Boston-based rock band Godsmack since the mid-1990s. Rombola has been cited as "an extraodinaire" in the guitar world by ...
, guitar player for hard rock band
Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Sully Erna, bassist Robbie Merrill, lead guitarist Tony Rombola and drummer Shannon Larkin. Since its form ...
*
Mike Sherman
Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American gridiron football coach and former player who most recently was the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was the head coach of the Green B ...
, former
Green Bay Packers and
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname " Aggie" was once common at land-grant or "ag" (agriculture) schools in many states. The teams are also referred to as "A&M" or "Texas Agg ...
head coach
*
Tom Shillue,
stand-up comedian, barbershop quartet singer, host of
Fox News Channel's overnight program ''Red Eye with Tom Shillue''
*
Mike Smith, former major league baseball player
*
George Sullivan, former
Notre Dame football
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the intercollegiate football team representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, north of the city of South Bend, Indiana. The team plays its home games at the campus' Notre Dame ...
champion, NFL player for the
Boston Yanks
The Boston Yanks were a National Football League team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that played from 1944 to 1948. The team played its home games at Fenway Park. Any games that conflicted with the Boston Red Sox baseball schedule in the Ameri ...
, Massachusetts Senator and Judge
*
Bill Travers
William Inglis Lindon Travers (3 January 1922 – 29 March 1994) was a British actor, screenwriter, director and animal rights activist. Prior to his show business career, he served in the British army with Gurkha and special forces units.
E ...
, former major league baseball player
Notes
References
External links
Town of Norwood Norwood Historical Society: Historical photographs and documents
{{authority control
Towns in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Towns in Massachusetts