Westminster, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
 Westminster Historic District | |
 Seal | |
 Location inWorcester County and the Commonwealth ofMassachusetts. | |
| Coordinates:42°32′45″N71°54′40″W / 42.54583°N 71.91111°W /42.54583; -71.91111 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Settled | 1737 |
| District | October 20, 1759 |
| Town | April 26, 1770 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
• Total | 37.3 sq mi (96.7 km2) |
| • Land | 35.5 sq mi (92.0 km2) |
| • Water | 1.8 sq mi (4.7 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,079 ft (329 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 8,213 |
| • Density | 231/sq mi (89.3/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 01473 |
| Area code | 351/978 |
| FIPS code | 25-77010 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618393 |
| Website | Official website |
Westminster is a town inWorcester County, Massachusetts, United States. At the2020 census, the town population was 8,213.[1]
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Westminster was first settled by Europeans in 1737, and was officially incorporated in 1759.
Westminster has four entries in theNational Register of Historic Places:Ahijah Wood House,Nathan Wood House,Ezra Wood-Levi Warner Place, andWestminster Village-Academy Hill Historic District.
Westminster was the site of Westminster Academy, incorporated in 1833.
On August 25, 1909, a large parade was held in honor of the 150th anniversary of the town's establishment. A civic parade begun at 10 o'clock which featured an array of floats and music provided by the Fitchburg Military and Gardner bands. That year, Wilbur F. Whitney published the150th Anniversary Celebration of the Town of Westminster, Massachusetts, containing "Historical & Legendary Reminiscences Connected with the Town" which detailed the event and local floats.[2]
The town achieved national news in November 2014 when the Board of Health proposed banning all sales of tobacco.[3]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.3 square miles (97 km2), of which 35.5 square miles (92 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2), or 4.90%, is water.
Westminster is bordered byAshburnham to the north,Gardner to the west,Hubbardston to the southwest,Princeton to the south, andLeominster andFitchburg to the east.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1850 | 1,914 | — |
| 1860 | 1,840 | −3.9% |
| 1870 | 1,770 | −3.8% |
| 1880 | 1,652 | −6.7% |
| 1890 | 1,688 | +2.2% |
| 1900 | 1,327 | −21.4% |
| 1910 | 1,353 | +2.0% |
| 1920 | 1,343 | −0.7% |
| 1930 | 1,925 | +43.3% |
| 1940 | 2,126 | +10.4% |
| 1950 | 2,768 | +30.2% |
| 1960 | 4,022 | +45.3% |
| 1970 | 4,273 | +6.2% |
| 1980 | 5,139 | +20.3% |
| 1990 | 6,191 | +20.5% |
| 2000 | 6,907 | +11.6% |
| 2010 | 7,277 | +5.4% |
| 2020 | 8,213 | +12.9% |
| 2023* | 8,377 | +2.0% |
| * = population estimate. Source:United States census records andPopulation Estimates Program data.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] | ||
As of thecensus[15] of 2000, there were 6,907 people, 2,529 households, and 1,954 families residing in the town. The population density was 194.5 inhabitants per square mile (75.1/km2). There were 2,694 housing units at an average density of 75.9 per square mile (29.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.50%White, 0.46%African American, 0.14%Native American, 1.14%Asian, 0.14% fromother races, and 0.61% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.11% of the population. 17.6% were ofFrench, 15.0%Irish, 13.2%French Canadian, 9.0%English, 9.0%Italian, 8.5%Finnish and 5.6%American ancestry according toCensus 2000.
There were 2,529 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.8% weremarried couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,755, and the median income for a family was $61,835. Males had a median income of $45,369 versus $31,818 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $24,913. About 3.0% of families and 3.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.
From 1828 to 1970, Westminster was home to theWestminster Cracker Company. Westminster is currently home to:
The Forbush Memorial Library was established in 1868.[19][20] In fiscal year 2022, the town of Westminster spent 1.88% ($459,679) of its budget on its public library.[21]
Westminster is part of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District along withAshburnham.[23]
The town has two schools. The Meetinghouse School serves students in grades K–1; the Westminster Elementary School, grades 2–5. Middle school students attend Overlook Middle School, and high school students attendOakmont Regional High School.[23]
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School is a vocational/technical high school) in nearbyFitchburg also serving Westminster students.[23]
Public transportation for northern Worcester County is largely supplied by theMontachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) fixed-route bus system.Wachusett station, located in West Fitchburg, is the western terminus of theMBTA Commuter RailFitchburg Line.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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