West Boylston is a town in
Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also b ...
, United States and a northern suburb of
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
. The population was 7,877 at the
2020 census. West Boylston includes the village of
Oakdale, located on the opposite side of the
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachuset ...
from West Boylston center along
Route 140
Route 140 or Highway 140 may refer to:
Australia
* Hamilton Highway
Canada
* New Brunswick Route 140
* Ontario Highway 140
* Prince Edward Island Route 140
Costa Rica
* National Route 140 (Costa Rica), National Route 140
Germany
* Bundesautoba ...
. Although the town was split off from
Boylston Boylston may refer to the following communities:
;Canada
* Boylston, Nova Scotia
;United States
* Boylston, Massachusetts
* Boylston, New York
* Boylston, Wisconsin
* Boylston Junction, Wisconsin
It may also refer to:
* Helen Dore Boylston, author ...
, it has a larger population than its eastern namesake.
History
West Boylston was originally part of several neighboring towns—
Lancaster,
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
,
Boylston Boylston may refer to the following communities:
;Canada
* Boylston, Nova Scotia
;United States
* Boylston, Massachusetts
* Boylston, New York
* Boylston, Wisconsin
* Boylston Junction, Wisconsin
It may also refer to:
* Helen Dore Boylston, author ...
,
Holden
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
and
Sterling. The town was created as part of a dispute between Boylston and West Boylston over the location of a new town meeting house. The town was officially incorporated in 1808.
During the 1800s the town grew with textile and other industries and became a prosperous community. This prosperity was interrupted as the town was selected as the site of the
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachuset ...
to provide water for Boston. It was selected due to its location at the junction of three rivers: the
Quinapoxet River
The Quinapoxet River is part of the Nashua River watershed in northern Massachusetts in the United States. It is part of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water system supplying drinking water to the greater Boston area.
The river's name ...
, the
Stillwater River and the
Nashua River
The Nashua River, long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 is a tributary of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the United States. It i ...
. In 1897, the Nashua River in the town of
Clinton
Clinton is an English toponymic surname, indicating one's ancestors came from English places called Glympton or Glinton.Hanks, P. & Hodges, F. ''A Dictionary of Surnames''. Oxford University Press, 1988 Clinton has frequently been used as a given ...
was impounded by the Wachusett Dam, causing to be flooded in the towns of Boylston, West Boylston, Clinton and Sterling. Over of West Boylston's land was used for the reservoir, the most of any town. This disrupted the center of town and most of the industrial base. Many buildings were moved to the unaffected parts of the town but the majority were demolished and filled by the reservoir. Over 1700 residents, 300 homes, eight schools, six mills, four churches and one hotel were moved to dry land. The state paid approximately 60 cents on the dollar for use of the land with the promise to pay $12,000 a year to the town for lost tax revenue forever. The reservoir was completed in 1905 and first filled in May 1908. West Boylston's prominent landmark, the
Old Stone Church, was left remaining as a reminder of those that lost their homes and jobs to the building of the reservoir. It is one of the most photographed sites in the area.
Today, West Boylston has transformed itself into a bedroom community for
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
and the surrounding region. Due to the reservoir, the town has been able to preserve much of its rural character, making it an attractive place for recreation and living.
West Boylston's most famous historical resident is Robert Bailey Thomas, the founder of the ''
Old Farmer's Almanac
The ''Old Farmer's Almanac'' is an almanac containing weather forecasts, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles. Topics include gardening, sports, astronomy, folklore, and predictions on trends in fashion, food, home, techn ...
''.
Geography
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 the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 6.86%, is water. The main water source is the Wachusett Reservoir, which is located in the middle of the town. The town does not get use of this water, it is for Boston. West Boylston gets its water from two town wells.
Adjacent cities and towns
West Boylston is bordered by
Sterling to the north,
Holden
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
to the west,
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Englan ...
, to the south,
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...
to the southeast, and
Boylston Boylston may refer to the following communities:
;Canada
* Boylston, Nova Scotia
;United States
* Boylston, Massachusetts
* Boylston, New York
* Boylston, Wisconsin
* Boylston Junction, Wisconsin
It may also refer to:
* Helen Dore Boylston, author ...
to the east.
Demographics
As of the
2010 Census,
there were 7,669 people, 2,616 households, and 1,817 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,746 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.34%
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 on ...
, 4.21%
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 ...
, 0.22%
Native American, 0.68%
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 ...
, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 0.86% 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 0.67% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...
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 5.27% of the population.
There were 2,616 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. Of all households 25.9% were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 17.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 33.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 124.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 130.2 males.
[The population of West Boylston (7,669 in 2010) includes the 1,137 male residents of the Worcester County House of Correction; 14.8% of the town's recorded population. So it would seem that West Boylston has about 25% more males than females (124 males for every 100 females) but that statistic is misleading.]
According the 2015–2019 American Community Survey, the median household income in the town was $88,906, and the median income for a family was $122,500. The per capita income for the town was $34,741. About 5.3% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.0% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Museums and other points of interest
West Boylston includes four entries 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 v ...
:
*
Bigelow Tavern Historic District – 60, 64 and 65
Worcester St. (added October 24, 1992)
*
Oakdale Village Historic District
The Oakdale Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the small 19th-century village of Oakdale in West Boylston, Massachusetts. Located at the confluence of the Stillwater and Quinepoxet Rivers near their outlet into the Wa ...
– 11–68 N. Main, May 8–24, 6–10 Green, 12–23 High, 4–68 Laurel, 14–34 Waushacum, and park at Thomas and N. Main (added August 5, 1996)
*
Old Stone Church – Off
MA 140 (added May 13, 1973)
*
Quinapoxet River Bridge
The Quinapoxet River Bridge is a historic bridge in West Boylston, Massachusetts, USA, carrying Thomas Street over the Quinapoxet River near its mouth at the Wachusett Reservoir. It is a concrete bridge faced in ashlar stone and was built in 1903 ...
– Thomas St. over the
Quinapoxet River
The Quinapoxet River is part of the Nashua River watershed in northern Massachusetts in the United States. It is part of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority water system supplying drinking water to the greater Boston area.
The river's name ...
at the
Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachuset ...
(added May 8, 1990)
*
Beaman Memorial Public Library (added May 16, 2016)
Government
Education
West Boylston Middle/High School and Major Edwards Elementary School are located in the town.
Library
West Boylston's public library, the
Beaman Memorial Public Library, was established in 1878. In fiscal year 2008, the town of West Boylston spent 1.6% ($308,576) of its budget on its public library—approximately $37 per person, per year ($48.76 adjusted for inflation to 2022). The library building was listed 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 v ...
in 2016.
Media
The ''Banner'' newspaper covers current news about West Boylston; Coulter Press of Clinton, Massachusetts, publishes it.
In the past, other newspapers have included the ''News Recorder'' and ''West Boylston Times.''
Notable people
*
Charlie Baker
Charles Duane Baker Jr. (born November 13, 1956) is an American politician and businessman serving as the 72nd governor of Massachusetts since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, Baker was a cabinet official under two governors of Massach ...
, professional baseball player
*
Dyer Ball
Dyer Ball (June 3, 1796 – March 27, 1866) was an American missionary and medical doctor in China. Born in West Boylston, Massachusetts, Dyer Ball studied at Phillips Academy and at Yale College for two years. He graduated from Union College, New ...
, missionary
*
Erastus Brigham Bigelow
Erastus Brigham Bigelow (April 2, 1814 – December 6, 1879) was an American inventor of weaving machines.
Beginnings
Erastus Bigelow was born in West Boylston, Massachusetts. He was the son of a cotton weaver, and it was his parents' desire that ...
, inventor and businessman, born in West Boylston
*
Duke Farrell
Charles Andrew "Duke" Farrell (August 31, 1866 – February 15, 1925) was a Major League Baseball catcher. Born in Oakdale, Massachusetts, he played for eight teams during his 18-year career. He made his major-league debut in 1888 and retired as ...
,
MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
catcher
*
Jim Ford
James Henry Ford (August 23, 1941 – November 18, 2007) was an American singer-songwriter originally from Johnson County, Kentucky. After living in New Orleans, Ford moved to Los Angeles, and finally settled in Fort Bragg, California. His ...
, film and television actor / stuntman
*
Jill Lepore
Jill Lepore is an American historian and journalist. She is the David Woods Kemper '41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and a staff writer at ''The New Yorker'', where she has contributed since 2005. She writes about American ...
, historian
*
Bruce Marshall
Lieutenant-Colonel Claude Cunningham Bruce Marshall, known as Bruce Marshall (24 June 1899 – 18 June 1987) was a prolific Scottish writer who wrote fiction and non-fiction books on a wide range of topics and genres. His first book, ''A Thief ...
, professional hockey coach
*
J. P. Ricciardi
John Paul Ricciardi (born September 26, 1959) is a Major League Baseball executive currently serving as a special advisor to the president of baseball operations with the San Francisco Giants. He previously served as the general manager of the Tor ...
, former general manager of the
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
Photos
Image:Oakdale, Massachusetts.jpg, Oakdale, Massachusetts
Image:Wachusett Stone Church.jpg, The Old Stone Church on the Wachusett Reservoir
The Wachusett Reservoir is the second largest body of water in the state of Massachusetts. It is located in central Massachusetts, northeast of Worcester. It is part of the water supply system for metropolitan Boston maintained by the Massachuset ...
Image:Wachusett Stone Church 2.jpg,
Image:Watering trough, West Boylston MA.jpg, Watering trough in front of the Beaman Memorial Public Library
References
External links
West Boylston official websiteWest Boylston SportsWest Boylston Historical SocietyWest Boylston Water DistrictBeaman Memorial Public LibraryePodunk: Profile for West Boylston, Massachusetts, MA
{{Authority control
Towns in Worcester County, Massachusetts
Populated places established in 1642
1808 establishments in Massachusetts