Waltham, MA
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Waltham ( ) is a city in
Middlesex County, Massachusetts Middlesex County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populou ...
, United States, and was an early center for the
labor movement The labour movement is the collective organisation of working people to further their shared political and economic interests. It consists of the trade union or labour union movement, as well as political parties of labour. It can be considere ...
as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the
Boston Manufacturing Company The Boston Manufacturing Company was a business that operated one of the first factories in America. It was organized in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, a wealthy Boston merchant, in partnership with a group of investors later known as The Bosto ...
, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning, spawning what became known as the Waltham-Lowell system of labor and production. The city is now a center for research and higher education as home to
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
and
Bentley University Bentley University is a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay, Boston, Back Bay neighborhood. Bentley has one undergraduate school which off ...
. The population was 65,218 at the 2020 United States census. Waltham 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, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...
area and lies west of Downtown Boston. Waltham has been called "watch city" because of its association with the watch industry.
Waltham Watch Company The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., was a company that produced about 40 million watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time delay fuses, and other precision instruments in the Un ...
opened its factory in Waltham in 1854 and was the first company to make watches on an assembly line. It won the gold medal in 1876 at the Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...
. The company produced over 35 million watches, clocks, and instruments before it closed in 1957. Waltham borders Watertown and Belmont to the east, Lexington to the north,
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...
and
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...
to the west, and
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
to the south.


History

Waltham was first settled by the English in 1634 as part of Watertown, and was officially incorporated as a separate town in 1738, but the area was inhabited for thousands of years prior to English colonization. At the time of European arrival, Waltham was in a border zone between the territories of the Pawtucket confederation and the
Massachusett The Massachusett are a Native American tribe from the region in and around present-day Greater Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name comes from the Massachusett language term for "At the Great Hill," referring to the Blue Hills ...
, with nearby native settlements at ''Nonantum'' and ''Pequosset'' (Watertown). Early settlers recorded the presence of an "Indian Stockade" near today's
Cambridge Reservoir Stony Brook is a stream largely running through Lincoln and Weston, Massachusetts, then forming the Weston/ Waltham boundary, and emptying into the Charles River across from the Waltham/ Newton boundary. It has two tributaries, Cherry Brook an ...
, and an "Indian Hollow" in today's Calvary Cemetery. A native trail through Waltham, the "Old Connecticut Path" saw continued use after colonization and became the basis for present day Route 20. Waltham is most likely named for
Waltham Abbey Waltham Abbey is a suburban town and civil parish in the Epping Forest District of Essex, within the London metropolitan area, metropolitan and urban area of London, England, East London, north-east of Charing Cross. It lies on the Greenwich ...
in the County of
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, England. The first record of the name is from the articles of incorporation, dated January 15, 1738. The name derives from the Anglo-Saxon words, weald or wald "forest" and ham "homestead" or "enclosure." Waltham had no recognizable town center until the 1830s, when the nearby
Boston Manufacturing Company The Boston Manufacturing Company was a business that operated one of the first factories in America. It was organized in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, a wealthy Boston merchant, in partnership with a group of investors later known as The Bosto ...
gave the town the land that now serves as its central square. In the early 19th century,
Francis Cabot Lowell Francis Cabot Lowell (April 7, 1775 – August 10, 1817) was an American businessman for whom the city of Lowell, Massachusetts, is named. He was instrumental in bringing the Industrial Revolution to the United States. Early life and education ...
and his friends and colleagues established in Waltham the
Boston Manufacturing Company The Boston Manufacturing Company was a business that operated one of the first factories in America. It was organized in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, a wealthy Boston merchant, in partnership with a group of investors later known as The Bosto ...
—the first integrated textile mill in the United States, with the goal of eliminating the problems of co-ordination, quality control, and shipping inherent in the subcontracting based textile industry. The Waltham–Lowell system of production derives its name from the city and the founder of the mill. The city is home to a number of large estates, including Gore Place, a mansion built in 1806 for former
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
governor
Christopher Gore Christopher Gore (September 21, 1758 – March 1, 1827) was a prominent Massachusetts lawyer, Federalist Party (United States), Federalist politician, and U.S. diplomat. Born into a family divided by the American Revolution, Gore sided with th ...
, the Robert Treat Paine Estate, a residence designed by architect
Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...
and landscape architect
Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...
for philanthropist Robert Treat Paine, Jr. (1810–1905), and the
Lyman Estate The Lyman Estate, also known as The Vale, is a historic country house located in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the nonprofit Historic New England organization. The grounds are open to the public daily for free; an admiss ...
, a estate built in 1793 by Boston merchant
Theodore Lyman Theodore Lyman may refer to: * Theodore B. Lyman (1815–1893), American bishop * Theodore Lyman II (1792–1849), American philanthropist, politician, and author * Theodore Lyman III (1833–1897), American natural scientist, military staff off ...
. In 1857, the
Waltham Model 1857 The Waltham Model 1857 is a watch made by the American Watch Company, later called the Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts. The Model 1857 was first made in 1857. Prior to that year, pocket watches were not made of standard parts an ...
watch was produced by the
American Watch Company The Waltham Watch Company, also known as the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., was a company that produced about 40 million watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time delay fuses, and other precision instruments in the Un ...
in the city of Waltham, Massachusetts. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Waltham was home to the
brass era The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such features as lights and radiator (engine cooling), radiators. It is generally considered to ...
automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...
manufacturer
Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
, where the first production motorcycle in the U.S. was built. Another first in Waltham industrial history involves the method to mass-produce the
magnetron The cavity magnetron is a high-power vacuum tube used in early radar systems and subsequently in microwave oven, microwave ovens and in linear particle accelerators. A cavity magnetron generates microwaves using the interaction of a stream of ...
tube, invented by Percy Spencer at
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
. During World War II, the magnetron tube technology was applied to radar. Later, magnetron tubes were used as components in microwave ovens. Waltham was also the home of the
Walter E. Fernald State School The Walter E. Fernald State School, later the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, was the Western hemisphere's oldest publicly funded institution serving people with developmental disabilities. Under its third superintendent, Walter Fernal ...
, the western hemisphere's oldest publicly funded institution serving people with
developmental disabilities Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
. The storied and controversial history of the institution has long been covered by local and, at times, national media.


Timeline

* 1703 – Grove Hill Cemetery established. * 1738 – Town of Waltham incorporated from
Watertown, Massachusetts Watertown is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, part of Greater Boston. The population was 35,329 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Its neighborhoods include Bemis, Coolidge Square, East Watertown, Watertown Sq ...
. * 1755 – Part of
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
annexed to Waltham. * 1793 – The Vale (residence) built. * 1810 – Waltham Cotton and Wool Factory Company formed. * 1813 –
Boston Manufacturing Company The Boston Manufacturing Company was a business that operated one of the first factories in America. It was organized in 1813 by Francis Cabot Lowell, a wealthy Boston merchant, in partnership with a group of investors later known as The Bosto ...
in business. * 1820 ** First Congregational Church founded. ** Manufacturers' Library active. ** Waltham Bleachery built. * 1827 – Rumford Institute organized. * 1833 – ''The Hive'' newspaper begins publication. * 1835 – Waltham Bank established. * 1837 – Methodist Episcopal Church organized. * 1849 ** Part of
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
annexed to Waltham. ** Christ Episcopal Church built. * 1851 – Tornado. * 1852 – Baptist Church organized. * 1853 – Waltham Gas Light Company incorporated. * 1854 – American Horologe Company relocates to Waltham. * 1856 – ''Waltham Sentinel'' newspaper begins publication. * 1857 ** Waltham and Watertown Railroad constructed. ** Mount Feake Cemetery established. ** Waltham Agricultural Library Association formed. * 1859 – Town of Belmont separates from Waltham. * 1863 – ''Waltham Free Press'' begins publication. * 1865 – Public Library founded. * 1866 – Emmet Literary Association formed. * 1870 ** Waltham Horological School established. ** Waltham Foundry Co. established. * 1876 ** ''Waltham Weekly Record'' begins publication. ** Davis & Farnum Manufacturing Company in business. * 1879 – Leland Home for aged women established. * 1880 – Music Hall built. * 1881 – Emery Wheel Company in business. * 1882 – Parmenter Crayon Company chartered. * 1884 ** City of Waltham incorporated. ** Harrington Block built. * 1885 ** Board of Trade organized. ** Waltham Hospital founded. ** Waltham Training School for Nurses established. * 1886 – Robert Treat Paine Estate built. * 1888 – Sesquicentennial. * 1890 ** Population: 18,707. ** Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded relocates to Waltham. * 1891 – O'Hara Waltham Dial Company organized. * 1893 ** ''Waltham Evening News'' begins publication. ** Waltham Manufacturing Company established. ** Beaver Brook Reservation and Charles River Reservation established. * 1894 ** Linden Street Bridge constructed. ** Waltham Bicycle Park opens. * 1902 –
Metz Company The Metz Company was a pioneer brass era automobile maker established by Charles Herman Metz in Waltham, Massachusetts, from 1909 to 1922. History C. H. Metz began in business in 1886 making bicycle parts, and in 1893 formed the Waltham Manufa ...
in business. * 1908 – Company F State Armory built. * 1910 – Population: 27,834. * 1915 – Waltham Historical Society incorporated. * 1924 – '' Waltham News Tribune'' newspaper in publication. * 1928 – Middlesex College of Medicine and Surgery relocates to Waltham. * 1933 – First Parish Church rebuilt. * 1935 – Gore Place Society founded. * 1936 – Hovey Players (theatre group) founded. * 1938 –
County Courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...
built. * 1941 – Waltham Garden Club founded. * 1948 –
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
established. * 1961 –
Rose Art Museum The Rose Art Museum, founded in 1961, is a part of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, US. Named after benefactors Edward and Bertha Rose, it offers temporary exhibitions, and it displays and houses works of art from its permanent co ...
founded at Brandeis University. * 1968 **
Bentley University Bentley University is a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay, Boston, Back Bay neighborhood. Bentley has one undergraduate school which off ...
relocates to Waltham. **
WBRS WBRS is a student-run community and college radio station in Waltham, Massachusetts, west of Boston. The broadcast license is held by the Trustees of Brandeis University and the studio and transmitter are located on the Brandeis campus. WBRS b ...
on air. * 1970 – Population: 61,582. * 1971 ** Waltham Museum established. **
Robert Drinan Robert Frederick Drinan (November 15, 1920 – January 28, 2007) was an American Jesuit priest, lawyer, activist, and Democratic U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. He left office in 1981 to obey Pope John Paul II's prohibition on priests h ...
becomes
Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district is located in north- central and northeastern Massachusetts. The largest municipalities in the district are Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill, Methuen, Billerica (partial), Fitchburg, and Marlborough. ...
representative. * 1975 –
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
musical group rents Wherehouse. * 1976 – Waltham Mills Artists Association open studios begins (approximate date) * 1980 –
Charles River Museum of Industry Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation is a museum of the American Industrial Revolution located on the Charles River Bike Path, near the intersection of the Charles River and Moody Street in Waltham, Massachusetts. It houses and displa ...
established. * 1982 – Parexel International Corporation headquartered in Waltham. * 1985 – Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra formed. * 1987 – Joseph P. Kennedy II becomes
Massachusetts's 8th congressional district Massachusetts's 8th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts, including part of Boston. It is represented by Democrat Stephen Lynch. For one congressional term (1791–1793), it served as the home district of the District of Ma ...
representative. * 1988 – Global Petroleum Corporation headquartered in Waltham (approximate date). * 1995 – Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc. headquartered in Waltham. * 1996 ** Lionbridge Technologies Inc. headquartered in Waltham. ** City website online. * 1999 – Waltham Land Trust incorporated. * 2003 –
Raytheon Company Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major List of United States defense contractors, U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Fou ...
and Roving Software Inc. headquartered in Waltham. * 2004 ** Jeannette A. McCarthy becomes mayor. ** Brandeis University's Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism nonprofit established. * 2006 –
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is an American life science and clinical research company. It is a global supplier of analytical instruments, clinical development solutions, specialty diagnostics, laboratory, pharmaceutical and biotechnology s ...
headquartered in Waltham. * 2007 ** PerkinElmer, Inc. headquartered in Waltham. ** Waltham Symphony Orchestra formed. * 2010 – Population: 60,632. * 2011 ** A triple homicide occurs on September 11. ** Watch City Steampunk Festival begins. * 2013 –
Katherine Clark Katherine Marlea Clark (born July 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as House Minority Whip since 2023 and is currently in her seventh term as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district, hav ...
becomes
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark of the Democratic Party. Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2010 census changed ...
representative.


Pronunciation

The name of the city is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable and a full vowel in the second syllable, , though the name of the Waltham watch was pronounced with a reduced schwa in the second syllable: . At one time, most people would have pronounced it in the British way, "Walthum", but when people came to work in the mills from Nova Scotia, the pronunciation evolved. The local version became a phonetic sounding to accommodate French speakers who could not pronounce it in the British way. In some areas, the city is referred to as "The Waltham".


Geography

Waltham is located at (42.380596, −71.235005), about north-west of downtown
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, and approximately northwest of Boston's
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
neighborhood. The heart of the city is Waltham Common, which is home to Waltham City Hall and various memorial statues. The Common is on Main Street, which is home to several churches, the Waltham Public Library, and Post Office. The city stretches along the
Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...
and contains several
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...
s. The dams were used to power textile mills and other endeavors in the early years of the industrial activity. According to the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (6.69%) is water.


Neighborhoods

Waltham has several neighborhoods or villages, including: * Angleside * Banks Square * The Bleachery (named after the former Waltham Bleachery and Dye Works) * Cedarwood * The Chemistry (named after the former Newton Chemical Company) * Ellison Park * Gardencrest * Headyland * The Highlands * The Island (formerly Morse Meadow Island) * Kendal Green (mostly in
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...
) * Kendall Park * Lakeview * The Lanes * Northeast * The North Side * Piety Corner * Prospectville (defunct in 1894, now under Cambridge Reservoir) * Rangeley Acres * Ravenswood * Roberts * Rock Alley * The South Side * Warrendale * West End * Wildwood Acres


Adjacent towns

It is bordered to the west by
Weston Weston may refer to: Places Australia * Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra * Weston, New South Wales * Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra * Weston Park, Canberra, a park Canada * Weston, Nova Scotia * W ...
and
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...
, to the south by
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
, to the east by Belmont and Watertown, and to the north by Lexington.


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
in 2020, there were 65,218 people and 23,891 households in the city. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...
was 5,117.9/mile². According to 2021 census estimates, the racial makeup of the city was 60.5%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.6% Black or
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.5% Native American or Alaska Native, 11.8% Asian, 0.0%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, 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 th ...
, 5.3% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 22.3% of the population. There were 23,891 households, 19.8% of which included children under the age of 18 and 28.4% with people 65 and older. 39.7% of households were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...
living together, 9.9% cohabitating couples, 21.2% male householders with no partner present, and 29.2% female householders with no partner present. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.02. 32.7% of households spoke a language other than English at home. The age distribution is as follows: 13.7% under 18, 20% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 9.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% 65 or older. The median age was 34. The population was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. The median income for a household was $95,851, and per capita was $44,977. In 2020, 9.2% of the population and 5% of families lived 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 ...
. 11.7% of those under 18 and 8.45% of those 65 and older lived below the poverty line.


Foreign-born residents

As of 2020, 26.6% of Waltham residents were born outside of the United States. Of foreign-born residents, 41.5% were born in Asia, 32.7% in Latin America, 11.9% in Europe, and 9.7% in Africa.


Arts and culture

Waltham's combination of population (especially in central and south Waltham) parks, public transit, stores, and trails gives it 62 (out of 100) walkability ranking on walkscore.com. Moody Street in downtown Waltham offers its own brand of entertainment with a colorful assortment of shops, restaurants, and bars. Moody Street's booming nightlife, convenience to the commuter rail and lower rents have attracted younger professionals to Waltham in growing numbers in recent years. Moody Street is also referred to as "Restaurant Row" and has become a destination because of the number, variety and quality of its locally owned restaurants. The city of Waltham has a free "Tick Tock Trolley" on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm–11pm for visitors that provides easy access to local municipal parking lots. Starting in 2020, the City of Waltham in Massachusetts has shut down a large portion of the main road, Moody St., to vehicular traffic from May 1 until October 31 annually. Moody Street is lined with restaurants and other small businesses but typically has high volumes of automobile passage. In an effort to assist these businesses in a difficult time, the Waltham Traffic Commission closed off a segment of the road to allow businesses to have outdoor dining and storefronts amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Bus stops that would typically be on the blocked off part of Moody St. are temporarily relocated to nearby spots. Restaurants are supportive of the closure, as they can offer outdoor seating and increase their capacity for business. However, Moody Street has a variety of other businesses like small grocery stores, clothing stores, and jewelers. Some of these non-restaurant business owners oppose repeating the plan in the future, arguing that closing off the road makes their businesses less accessible due to a lack of automobile access. While Waltham has included a variety of stakeholders in the process of the street closure, it is crucial that they continue to do so in order to continue using a democratic process for city-wide decision-making. For over 25 years, the Waltham Arts Council has sponsored "Concerts On Waltham Common", featuring a different musical act each week of the summer, free of charge to attendees. "Concerts On Waltham Common" was created and organized by Stephen Kilgore until his death in 2004. The
Rose Art Museum The Rose Art Museum, founded in 1961, is a part of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, US. Named after benefactors Edward and Bertha Rose, it offers temporary exhibitions, and it displays and houses works of art from its permanent co ...
at
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
is devoted to modern and contemporary art. The Rose holds a variety of exhibitions and programs, and collections are free and open to the public. The city's history is also celebrated at a number of museums, monuments, and archives. The Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation, the Waltham Watch Factory historic district, the Gore Estate, the Lyman Estate, and the Robert Treat Payne Estate are among the most well known of the 109 sites in the city on the National Register of Historical Sites. Many festivals are held at these sites each year, such as the annual sheep shearing festival at the Gore Estate. The
National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
Northeast regional branch is located in Waltham. The Waltham Public Library has extensive archives regarding the city's history. The Waltham Museum is devoted solely to the history of the city. Mark Gately is the only stakeholder left of the Waltham Museum. Waltham is known for its embracing of literary arts. Local author Jessica Lucci has written a series of books about Waltham which can be found at the Waltham Museum, The Waltham Historical Society, and many other regional establishments devoted to promoting literary arts. The Waltham Mills Artists Association is located in one of the former factories of the Boston Manufacturing Company. The WMAA Open Studios takes place each year on the first weekend of November. The 76 artists of the WMAA open their homes and studios to the public. Works of all media imaginable are demonstrated, displayed and discussed. The Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra, a civic symphony of the MetroWest area, began in 1985 under the direction of local musicians David J. Tierney and Harold W. McSwain, Jr. With almost 60 professional, semi-professional, and amateur musicians, the orchestra's mission is to provide the Waltham community with the opportunity to perform in and attend classical concerts of the highest quality. WPO musicians come from Waltham as well as from Boston and surrounding communities. The ensemble includes players of a wide range of ages and professions. There are five to six concerts throughout the season, including one that features the winner of the annual Youth Concerto Competition, which provides opportunities for young musicians to perform solo works with the WPO. Annual concerts have included summer Concerts on the Common and the December Holiday Pops. Waltham is home to the Waltham Symphony Orchestra, a high-level semi-professional civic orchestra. The 55 piece orchestra performs five concerts each season at the Kennedy Middle-school Auditorium. Its music director is French-born American conductor, Patrick Botti. Open space in the city is protected by the
Waltham Land Trust The Waltham Land Trust is a private, non-profit corporation that seeks to preserve open space in Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as w ...
. Waltham embraces its ethnic diversity in a number of festivals. The annual Latinos en Acción Festival celebrates the many Puerto Rican, Mexican, Peruvian, and Guatemalan residents. It is held by Latinos in Action, a local nonprofit group that helps the Latino population register to vote, understand the laws and find scholarships. The festival includes a parade, music, food, and a beauty pageant. Waltham has in recent decades become a center for Ugandan culture, with an estimated 1500 Ugandans living in the city, leading some to call Waltham "Little Kampala". The Ugandan North America Association is headquartered in Waltham, along with St. Peters Church of Uganda Boston, as well as Karibu, a well regarded Ugandan eatery. Wilberforce Kateregga, a Ugandan immigrant to Waltham has since established Waltham College Uganda in Seeta Nazigo, Uganda, a boarding school for over 300 orphans and children affected by AIDS. The school was named in honor of Kateregga's new home city.


Points of interest

* Gore Place *
Lyman Estate The Lyman Estate, also known as The Vale, is a historic country house located in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the nonprofit Historic New England organization. The grounds are open to the public daily for free; an admiss ...
* Robert Treat Paine Estate * Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation * Prospect Hill – third-highest point in the region (after two of the Blue Hills) *
Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...
– Riverwalk on Moody St. * A. Wherehouse *
Rose Art Museum The Rose Art Museum, founded in 1961, is a part of Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, US. Named after benefactors Edward and Bertha Rose, it offers temporary exhibitions, and it displays and houses works of art from its permanent co ...
*
Metropolitan State Hospital (Massachusetts) The Metropolitan State Hospital was an American public hospital for the mentally ill, on grounds that extended across parts of Waltham, Lexington, and Belmont, Massachusetts. Founded in 1927, it was at one time the largest and most modern ...
*
Norumbega Tower The Norumbega Tower is a stone tower erected by Eben Norton Horsford in 1889 to mark the supposed location of Fort Norumbega, a legendary Norse fort and city. It is located in Weston, Massachusetts at the confluence of Stony Brook and the Ch ...
* American Waltham Watch Company Historic District *
Mass Central Rail Trail—Wayside The Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) is a partially completed rail trail between Northampton, Massachusetts and Boston along the Right-of-way (transportation), right-of-way (ROW) of the former Central Massachusetts Railroad#HistoricMassachusettsCen ...


Economy

Among the companies based in Waltham are medtech corporation
PerkinElmer PerkinElmer, Inc., previously styled Perkin-Elmer, is an American global corporation that was founded in 1937 and originally focused on precision optics. Over the years it went into and out of several different businesses via acquisitions and di ...
, biopharmaceutical services provider Paraxel, energy supply company Global Partners, data services provider Lionbridge,
Steel Connect Steel Connect, Inc. is an American company that provides supply chain management services to software companies. History The company was formed in 1968 as College Marketing Group by Glenn and Gail Mathews. At first, the company sold mailing lists ...
, broker-dealer
Commonwealth Financial Network Commonwealth Financial Network is a privately held Registered Investment Adviser–independent broker/dealer in Waltham, Massachusetts, and 110 Plaza in San Diego, California, and a new office to be opened in 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The compan ...
, technology companies Care.com and StudentUniverse, research and development organization
Education Development Center The Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit organization to improve education, promote health, and expand economic opportunity across the United States and in more than 80 other countries. EDC headquarters are in Waltham, Massach ...
(EDC), provisioner of scientific instrumentation
Thermo Fisher Scientific Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is an American life science and clinical research company. It is a global supplier of analytical instruments, clinical development solutions, specialty diagnostics, laboratory, pharmaceutical and biotechnology s ...
, and the marketing firm
Constant Contact Constant Contact, Inc. is an online marketing company, headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; Loveland, Colorado; Gainesville, Florida; Los Angeles, California; Brisbane, Australia; Waterloo, ...
. Footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide, Inc. moved their regional headquarters from Lexington to the CityPoint campus in July 2016. C & J Clark America, Inc. moved their headquarters from Newton to the Polaroid site in October 2016. Retail activity is concentrated on Main Street, Moody Street, Lexington Street, River Street, parts of Route 60, and the First Avenue area. New retail development has also been active at a former Polaroid site.


Top employers

According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten non-city employers in the city are as follows.


Education


Higher education

Waltham is home to: *
Bentley University Bentley University is a private university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded in 1917 as a school of accounting and finance in Boston's Back Bay, Boston, Back Bay neighborhood. Bentley has one undergraduate school which off ...
*
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...


Public schools

The Waltham Public Schools system includes seven elementary schools (Northeast, Fitzgerald, MacArthur, Plympton, Whittemore, Stanley, and the Waltham Dual Language Elementary School), two middle schools (McDevitt, Kennedy), and one senior high school ( Waltham High School). Waltham High School's sports teams had been referred to as the Watchmen and the Crimson, before they changed the name to the Hawks.


Private schools

*
Chapel Hill – Chauncy Hall School Chapel Hill – Chauncy Hall School (CH-CH) is an independent, college-preparatory day and boarding school for grades 7 through 12 located on a campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States, and founded in 1828. The school is accredited by ...
* Gann Academy – The New Jewish High School of Greater Boston * Our Lady's Academy (formally Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted School) (Pre-K through 8) * Saint Jude School (Pre-K through 8) closed in 2019


Government

Waltham is governed by a mayor and a city council. The current mayor is Jeanette A. McCarthy. There are 15 members of the city council, each elected to two-year terms in non-partisan elections. The current president of the city council is John J. McLaughlin. The city is in
Massachusetts's 5th congressional district Massachusetts's 5th congressional district is a congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. The district is represented by Katherine Clark of the Democratic Party. Massachusetts's congressional redistricting after the 2010 census changed ...
and is currently represented in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
by
Katherine Clark Katherine Marlea Clark (born July 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as House Minority Whip since 2023 and is currently in her seventh term as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 5th congressional district, hav ...
. Waltham is also represented in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...
by State Representative John J. Lawn and State Representative Thomas M. Stanley, and in the
Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...
by Senator Michael Barrett.


Mayors of Waltham

* Jeannette A. McCarthy, 2004– * David F. Gately, 1999–2003 * William F. Stanley, 1985–1999 * Arthur Clark, 1968–1984. * Austin D. Rhodes 1959 * Paul V. Shaughnessy 1956–1958 * Henry A. Turner, 1953–1955 * Chauncey Cousens, 1949–1952 * John Devane, 1942–1948 * Arthur A. Hansen 1938–1942 * Frederick L. MacDonald 1937 * Henry W. Beal, 1922–1927 * George Raynolds Beal 1917–1922 * Eben J. Williams, 1915–1917 * Thomas K. Keans, 1913–1915 *
Patrick J. Duane Patrick J. Duane (August 18, 1862 – May 30, 1949) was an Irish-born American politician who served as mayor of Waltham, Massachusetts from 1912 to 1914 and again from 1930 to 1934. Early life Duane was born on August 18, 1862, in Doneraile, Co ...
1911–1913; 1930–1933 * Edward A. Walker, 1908–1911 * John L. Harvey, 1904–1908 * Murray D. Clement, 1902–1904 * Mahlon Leonard, 1901–1902 * George L. Mayberry 1898–1901 * Charles Bond 1897–1898 * Arthur Lyman 1896–1897 * Henry Milton 1895–1896 * Erskine Warden 1892–1895 * George L. Mayberry 1890–1891 * Henry N. Fisher 1887–1889 * Charles F. Stone 1886 * Byron B. Johnson (first mayor) 1884


Infrastructure


Transportation

Waltham is close to several U.S. interstate highways.
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
, multiplexed with
Route 128 The following highways are numbered 128: Canada * New Brunswick Route 128 * Ontario Highway 128 (former) * Prince Edward Island Route 128 Costa Rica * National Route 128 (Costa Rica), National Route 128 India * National Highway 128 (India) Ja ...
, runs through the western part of the city.
Interstate 90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
, which is also the
Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially the "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a controlled-access toll road that runs concurrently with Interstate 90 (I-90) in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It the longest Interstate Highway in Massachu ...
, is just to the south in
Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...
. Due to its proximity to the center 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, home to 4,941,632. The most s ...
metropolitan area, a number of state highways are within a few miles. The
MBTA The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...
commuter rail has two stops in Waltham as part of the Fitchburg-Boston Line: one in Central Square Waltham across from the City Hall and
one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
near Brandeis University. MBTA bus service also covers the city, including routes 61, 70, 170, 505, 553, 554, 556 and 558. The Charles River runs through Waltham, and bike and walking paths cover most of the south bank, as well as part of the north bank from Prospect Street to Moody Street. Some commuters ride the path to offices in Cambridge and Boston.


Fire department

The city of Waltham is protected by the 166 full-time, paid firefighters of the city of Waltham Fire Department (WFD). Established in 1816, the Waltham Fire Department is currently organized into three divisions of operations: fire suppression, fire prevention, and training.


Emergency Medical Services

Armstrong Ambulance Service currently provides 24/7 Advanced Life Support emergency medical services to the City of Waltham.


Media

Waltham is home to the ''Waltham News Tribune'' (formerly ''
The Daily News Tribune ''The Daily News Tribune'' (formerly called the ''News-Tribune'' and the ''Waltham Evening News'') was an afternoon daily newspaper in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States, covering that city and the neighboring city of Newton. In its last ye ...
''), a weekly paper which is published each Thursday, year-round owned by Gatehouse Media. The ''Waltham Patch'' covers the local, daily news and invites locals to post their own blogs, events and opinion online only. In 2018, Waltham writer Jessica Lucci was chosen as the "Mayor" of Waltham Patch. WCAC-TV is the cable access and provides opportunities for community members to learn how to create their own local-interest television programming. Waltham news sometimes appears in ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
s GlobeWest section, as well. Waltham was formerly the home of classical radio station WCRB (99.5 FM), which relocated to the WGBH studios in Brighton in 2006. Brandeis University runs a low-power station,
WBRS WBRS is a student-run community and college radio station in Waltham, Massachusetts, west of Boston. The broadcast license is held by the Trustees of Brandeis University and the studio and transmitter are located on the Brandeis campus. WBRS b ...
(100.1 FM).


Notable people

* Luther Atwood, chemist in the oil industry *
Keith Aucoin Keith M. Aucoin (born November 6, 1978) is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, and St. Louis Blues. Playing caree ...
, hockey forward for
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
* F. Lee Bailey, lawyer * Nathaniel Prentice Banks, Union General in the Civil War, 24th Governor of Massachusetts,
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives The speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly known as the speaker of the House or House speaker, is the Speaker (politics), presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the United ...
* Anya Battaglino, professional hockey player in the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL) * Mackenzy Bernadeau, guard for NFL's
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
* Suzanne Brockmann, author * Nellie Marie Burns (–1897), actor and poet * Annie Payson Call, author *
Rob Chiarelli Rob Chiarelli (born January 13, 1963) is an American record producer, mix engineer, musician, published author and multiple Grammy Award winner. Widely recognized as a music producer for Will Smith and ''Men in Black II'' (2002), Chiarelli's work ...
, multiple
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
winner *
JP Dellacamera John Paul "JP" Dellacamera (born January 11, 1952) is an American play-by-play sportscaster primarily for Major League Soccer with the Philadelphia Union, as well as major soccer tournaments and ice hockey. Early life Dellacamera grew up in Wa ...
, play-by-play commentator of Major League Soccer for ABC and ESPN * Ryan Gallant, professional skateboarder * Alan Griffin, professional basketball player for the
Newfoundland Growlers The Newfoundland Growlers were a professional minor league ice hockey team in the East Coast Hockey League, ECHL based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The team began play in the 2018–19 ECHL season, 2018–19 season with home games ...
of the
Canadian Elite Basketball League The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL; ) is the premier men's professional basketball league in Canada, as recognized by Canada Basketball. The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams all owned and operated by owner ...
* James N. Hallock, scientist, known for his work on the
Columbia Accident Investigation Board The ''Columbia'' Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) was an internal commission convened by NASA to investigate the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' during STS-107 upon atmo ...
*
John Peabody Harrington John Peabody Harrington (April 29, 1884 – October 21, 1961) was an American linguist and ethnologist and a specialist in the indigenous peoples of California. Harrington is noted for the massive volume of his documentary output, most of whic ...
, ethnologist and linguist * Sophie Chantal Hart, professor at
Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...
* Lorenza Haynes (1820–1899), librarian, minister, school founder, suffragist, writer *
Clarence Hobart Clarence Hobart (June 27, 1870 – August 2, 1930) was a tennis player from the United States. He was a six-time champion at the U.S. National Championships, winning three titles in men's doubles in 1890, 1893 and 1894 and three others in mixe ...
, six-time national doubles champion in
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
; born in Waltham *
Abbie Hoffman Abbot Howard Hoffman (November 30, 1936 – April 12, 1989) was an American political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ("Yippies") and was a member of the Chicago Seven. He was also a leading proponent of the ...
, born in Worcester, MA; author, radical political activist, founder of the
Youth International Party The Youth International Party (YIP), whose members were commonly called Yippies, was an American youth-oriented radical and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the late 1960s. It was founded on D ...
*
C. D. Howe Clarence Decatur Howe (15 January 1886 – 31 December 1960) was an American-born Canadian engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician. Howe served as a cabinet minister in the governments of prime ministers William Lyon Mackenzie ...
, WWII and postwar Canadian politician; Waltham native * Gail Huff, television reporter for
WCVB-TV WCVB-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on TV Place (off Gould Street near the I-95/ MA 128/Highland Avenue in ...
, wife of
Scott Brown Scott Brown may refer to: Sportsmen *Scott Brown (American football), American college football coach of Kentucky State *Scott Brown (baseball) (born 1956), former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds *Scott Brown (footballer, born ...
, former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts * Deena (Drossin) Kastor, Olympic bronze medal-winning marathon runner * Pauline R. Kezer,
Secretary of the State of Connecticut The secretary of the state of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. (The definite article is part of the legal job title.) It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four ...
(1991–1995); born and raised in Waltham * John Leary, Major League Baseball first baseman and catcher for the St. Louis Browns * Jeff Lazaro, former
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
forward *
Samuel Livermore Samuel Livermore (May 14, 1732May 18, 1803) was an American politician, who served as the U.S. Senator from New Hampshire from 1793 to 1801 and served as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1796 and again in 1799. Life an ...
, United States Senator from New Hampshire *
Mel Lyman Melvin James Lyman (March 24, 1938 – March 1978) was an American musician and writer, and the founder of the Fort Hill Community, which has been variously described as a family, commune, or cult. Early life Lyman grew up in California and Ore ...
, musician, filmmaker, writer and founder of the Fort Hill Community * John Lynch,
Governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...
*
Shawn McEachern Shawn Kenneth McEachern (born February 28, 1969) is an American ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He is the current head men's ice hockey coach at Suffolk University, in Boston, Massachusetts. Biography As a youth, McE ...
,
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...
forward * Paul Moody, Inventor, developer of cotton loom; namesake of Moody St. in downtown Waltham *
Angelo Mosca Angelo Valentino Mosca (February 13, 1937 – November 6, 2021) was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL). As a wrestler, Mosca was known by the nick ...
, former
Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...
player and professional wrestler *
Richard Thomas Nolan Richard Thomas Nolan (born May 30, 1937, Waltham, Massachusetts; dual citizenship in the Republic of Ireland, 2011) was a canon of Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral in Hartford, Connecticut and a former college professor of philosophy and religio ...
, Episcopal Church Canon, writer, philosophy and religion professor,
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
advocate * Dave Pino, member of the band Powerman 5000 * Tom Rooney, racing driver *
Ida Annah Ryan Ida Annah Ryan (1873–1950) was a pioneering United States architect known for her work in Massachusetts and Florida. She was the first woman to receive a Master of Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the first woman to re ...
, first woman to earn a master's degree in architecture (from
M.I.T. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sci ...
) *
Evelyn Sears Evelyn Georgianna Sears (March 9, 1875 – November 10, 1966) was an American tennis player at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1907, she won the U.S. National Championship women's singles title, after beating Carrie Neely 6–3, 6–2 in ...
, U.S. Open tennis champion *
Fred Smerlas Frederic Charles Smerlas (born April 8, 1957) is an American former professional football player who was a nose tackle for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A five-time Pro Bowl selection with the Buffalo Bills, he also played f ...
,
NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...
defensive lineman with
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
,
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
, and
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
*
Caroll Spinney Caroll Edwin Spinney (December 26, 1933 – December 8, 2019) was an American puppeteer, cartoonist, author, artist and speaker, most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on ''Sesame Street'' from its inception in 1969 until 2018. ...
, puppeteer; performed the roles of
Big Bird Big Bird is a Muppet character designed by Jim Henson and built by Kermit Love for the children's television show ''Sesame Street''. An bright yellow anthropomorphic bird, he can roller skate, ice skate, dance, swim, sing, write poetry, d ...
and
Oscar the Grouch Oscar the Grouch is a List of Sesame Street Muppets, Muppet character created by Jim Henson and Jon Stone for the PBS/HBO children's television program ''Sesame Street''. He has a green body, no visible nose, and lives in a Sesame Street (fiction ...
on ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' * Edward Royal Warren, naturalist and engineer * Mary Watson Whitney, astronomer, Vassar professor of astronomy, Vassar observatory director *
Bob Weston Bob Weston (born 1965) is an American musician, producer, recording engineer, and record mastering engineer. Critic Jason AnkenyAnkeny, Jason. " Bob Weston: Overview from Allmusic.com declares that "Weston's name and fingerprints are all over t ...
, American bass guitarist and music producer, known for his work in the minimalist rock band
Shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female Kerria lacca, lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. Chemically, it is mainly composed of aleuritic acid, jalaric acid, shellolic acid, and other natural waxes. It is processed and s ...
* Chris Wilson, guitarist for the Flaming Groovies and
The Barracudas The Barracudas are an English surf rock band formed in late 1978. The band's original line-up consisted of Jeremy Gluck (vocals), Robin Wills (guitar and vocals), Starkie Phillips (bass and vocals) and Adam Phillips (drums). Before the band rec ...
*
Gordon S. Wood Gordon Stewart Wood (born November 27, 1933) is an American historian and professor at Brown University. He is a recipient of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History for '' The Radicalism of the American Revolution'' (1992). His book ''The Creation ...
, recipient of the 1993
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
for History *
Franz Wright Franz Wright (March 18, 1953 – May 14, 2015) was an American poet. He and his father James Wright are the only parent/child pair to have won the Pulitzer Prize in the same category. Life and career Wright was born in Vienna, Austria. He gradua ...
,
Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
–winning poet *
Paramahansa Yogananda Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh; January 5, 1893March 7, 1952) was an Indian and American Hindu monk, yoga, yogi and guru who introduced millions to meditation and Kriya Yoga school, Kriya Yoga through his organization, Self ...
, author of ''
Autobiography of a Yogi ''Autobiography of a Yogi'' by Paramahansa Yogananda is a spiritual classic published in 1946. It recounts Yogananda's life, his search for his guru, and his teachings on Kriya Yoga. The book has introduced many to meditation and yoga and has ...
'' built his first ashram in America here


See also

* New Covenant Church of Cambridge *
Norumbega Norumbega, or Nurembega, is a legendary settlement in northeastern North America which was featured on many early maps from the 16th century until further European colonization of the region. It was alleged that the houses had pillars of gold ...
* List of mill towns in Massachusetts


References


Sources

* * * * *


Further reading

* Federal Writers' Project
"Waltham,"
in ''Massachusetts: a Guide to its Places and People.'' Federal Writers' Project, 1937. * Gitelman, Howard M., ''Workingmen of Waltham: Mobility in American Urban Development, 1850–1890.'' (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1974). * Hurd, D. Hamilton
"Waltham,"
in ''History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.'' W. Lewis and Co., 1890. * Starbuck, Alexander. "Waltham," in Samuel Adams Drake (ed.), ''History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts.'' vol. 2, pp. 407–433.1879–80. * Toomey, Daniel P.
"Waltham,"
in ''Massachusetts of Today.'' Boston: Columbia Publishing Co., 1892.
"Waltham,"
in ''Anthony's Standard Business Directory and Reference Book of Woburn, Winchester, Arlington, Lexington, Belmont, Watertown, Waltham, Newton, Massachusetts.'' Anthony Publishing Co., 1898.
''Directory of...Waltham and Watertown.''
W.A. Greenough & Co., 1887.


External links

*
Waltham Historical Society
* {{authority control Cities in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1634 Cities in Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1634 establishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony