Weymouth, Massachusetts

Town of Weymouth
City
First Weymouth Town Hall. Built 1852, destroyed by fire in 1914.
Flag Seal
Motto: Latin: Laborare Est Vincere ("To Work Is To Conquer")
Weymouth Location in Massachusetts
Town of Weymouth Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°13′15″N 70°56′25″W / 42.22083°N 70.94028°W / 42.22083; -70.94028Coordinates: 42°13′15″N 70°56′25″W / 42.22083°N 70.94028°W / 42.22083; -70.94028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Norfolk
Settled	1622-23, 1623
Incorporated	1635
Government
• Type	Mayor-council city
• Mayor	Robert L. Hedlund
Area
• Total	21.6 sq mi (56.0 km2)
• Land	17.0 sq mi (44.1 km2)
• Water	4.6 sq mi (11.9 km2)
Elevation	200 ft (27 m)
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	53,743
• Density	3,161.3/sq mi (1,218.6/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	02188 - 02189 - 02190 - 02191
Area code(s)	339 / 781
FIPS code	25-78865
GNIS feature ID	0619462
Website	www.weymouth.ma.us

Weymouth is a city^[2] in metropolitan Greater Boston. As of the 2010 census, Weymouth had a total population of 53,743.^[1] Weymouth is one of fourteen Massachusetts municipalities that have applied for, and been granted, city forms of government but wish to retain "The town of" in their official names.^[3] It is named after Weymouth, Dorset, a coastal town in England. It is the second-oldest European settlement in Massachusetts.^[4]

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 53,743 people, 22,435 households, and 13,595 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,174.2 people per square mile (1,225.4/km²). There were 22,573 housing units at an average density of 1,327.1 per square mile (512.4/km²). 75% housing units were owner-occupied and 25% of housing units were renter-occupied. The racial makeup of the city was 89.7% White, 3.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.2% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.1% of the population.^[16]

There were 22,028 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families, 37% of which were non-family households with residents over 65 years of age. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,665, and the median income for a family was $54,083. Males had a median income of $42,497 versus $35,963 for females. The per capita income for was $24,976. About 9.1% of families and 9.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.3% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Weymouth has the 10th highest Irish population in the United States, at 33%.^[17]

Demographic breakdown by zip code

Income

Data is from the 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.^[18][19][20]

Geography

Weymouth is located at 42°12′23″N 70°56′45″W / 42.20639°N 70.94583°W / 42.20639; -70.94583 (42.206458, -70.945919).^[21]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km²), of which, 17.0 square miles (44.1 km²) of it is land and 4.6 square miles (11.9 km²) of it (21.29%) is water.

Weymouth contains the Weymouth Back River and the Weymouth Fore River; its surroundings, formerly industrial, are now set aside as parks and natural areas including Webb Memorial State Park. There are also a lot of streets named after people and trees.

Weymouth residents often designate which of four distinct 'districts' they live in.

• North Weymouth is considered anything north of the intersection of Church Street, North Street and Green Street. Some of the sites around North Weymouth are Great Esker Park, George Lane Beach, Webb State Park, the Wessagusset Yacht Club, Boston skyline views, and the Abigail Adams Historical Society. It also includes up and coming waterfront property that rivals similar in pricier towns.
• South Weymouth is mostly south of Route 3.
• East Weymouth is somewhat in the center of Weymouth, including Whitman's Pond, Jackson Square, and Town Hall. East Weymouth has several fine examples of Victorian homes, including Queen Anne, shingle, and colonial revival homes. Some particularly fine examples of these homes are being restored on Hillcrest Road.
• Weymouth Landing spans a mile around Weston Park.

Weymouth is bordered on the north by Hingham Bay. Weymouth's territory includes Grape Island, Slate Island, and Sheep Island, all part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. Weymouth is bordered on the west by Quincy, Braintree, and Holbrook. It is bordered on the south by Abington and Rockland. Weymouth is bordered on the east by Hingham.

Climate

The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Weymouth has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.^[22]

Transportation

Weymouth is served by several MBTA Bus routes as well as three MBTA Commuter Rail stations: two on the Greenbush Line, at Weymouth Landing and near Jackson Square, and one on the Old Colony Line at South Weymouth. Numbered routes that pass through Weymouth include Massachusetts Routes 3, 3A, 18, 53, 58 and 139.

Government

Town Hall, built in 1928 as a replica of the Old State House, Boston

Weymouth was Founded in 1635, from the territory known as Wessagusett which was described in 1622—just two years after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth. Weymouth held the distinction of having the oldest-continuous Town Meeting form of government for 365 years. In 1999, Weymouth residents voted to change to a city form of government. David M. Madden was elected as the city's first mayor and took office in the year 2000. Weymouth is home to one of the youngest councils in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with four elected officials 35 years or younger. Kevin Whitaker, 35, Victor Pap, 34, Arthur Matthews, 30, and Patrick O'Connor, 25.

On July 10, 2007, Mayor David M. Madden announced he would not seek re-election.

In 2008, Susan Kay was elected as the new mayor of Weymouth.

On November 3rd, 2015, Republican state senator Robert L. Hedlund was elected as the new mayor of Weymouth, succeeding long-incumbent mayor Susan M. Kay. Hedlund assumed office on January 4th, 2016.

Education

Weymouth High School is the one high school in Weymouth. Prior to 2005, grades eight and nine were housed in Weymouth Junior High while grades ten, eleven, and twelve comprised the High School. This changed with the construction of a new wing on the Junior High building in South Weymouth, which subsequently became the new Weymouth High School housing grades nine through twelve. The old Weymouth High School in East Weymouth was converted into the Maria Weston Chapman Middle School. More than 2,000 students attend the high school. A brand new athletic surface was completed in 2005, giving Weymouth High School an artificial turf field and a track surface.

In 2008 Boston Magazine ranked Weymouth High School number eight among Boston area high schools in academic performance and eighteenth in cost efficiency.^[25]

There is one Weymouth Middle School in East Weymouth.There are two campuses and are down the street from each other. The campuses are called Chapman Campus and Adams Campus.

Abigail Adams Middle School has now been set for 5th and 6th grades and Maria Weston Chapman Middle School 7th and 8th grades in 2010.

There are eight primary schools and one early childhood center, five of which are named after Weymouth's Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.

• Academy Avenue Primary School
• Frederick C. Murphy Primary School
• Thomas V. Nash Jr. Primary School
• Lawrence W. Pingree Primary School
• William Seach Primary School
• Ralph Talbot Primary School
• Thomas W. Hamilton School
• Wessagusset Primary School
• Elden H. Johnson Early Childhood Center

There is one Public Charter School which Weymouth is associated to

• South Shore Charter Public School (located in Norwell Massachusetts)

In addition, there are five private schools in Weymouth.

• South Shore Christian Academy, an independent, Christian, college preparatory day school for students in grades K-12. SSCA also operates a pre-school program.
• Saint Jerome Elementary School, a Catholic elementary school for grades Pre K-8.
• Sacred Heart Elementary School, a Catholic elementary school under the direction of the Archdiocese of Boston for grades Pre K-8.
• First Baptist Christian, an elementary school for grades Pre K-8, under the direction of the First Baptist Church of Weymouth.
• St. Francis Xavier, a Catholic elementary school under the direction of St. Francis Parish.

History

A failed colony

The site of Weymouth first saw European inhabitants in 1622 as Wessagusset Colony, a colony founded by Thomas Weston, who had been the main backer of the Plymouth settlement.^[26] The settlement was a failure. The sixty men taken from London were ill-prepared for the hardships required for survival. They also may have lacked the motivation of the Pilgrims as this colony was purely economic in motivation and the men had not brought their families.^[27]

By winter, poor planning and bad management led to supplies running out. With the Plymouth colonists having few supplies to share, the Weymouth men began to steal from the local Massachusetts nation. Foraging in cooperation with the Pilgrims and trading with Natives was insufficient, and some colonists began to steal from the natives.^[27] By now, many in the colony were ill and all forms of law and order had broken down. The lowest point came when a healthy settler was caught stealing supplies from the Massachusetts and the Massachusetts leaders demanded the thief's execution; the Weymouth men complied but either executed or failed to substitute for execution a dying, sick settler instead.^[26]

By April 1623, word of conflict between Native Americans and the Virginia colonists had reached the north and this increased the tension between the two groups. Massachusetts and other native groups began plotting to attack and destroy what was left of the floundering Wessagusset colony and possibly the more successful Plymouth Colony. Massasoit heard about it and sent word to Plymouth. Bradford, fearing that Plymouth would also be destroyed, sent Myles Standish to Weymouth with the Plymouth militia to end the threat. Under a banner of truce Standish lured five of the more bellicose Massachusetts Natives inside the stockade. There, after a brief struggle, the native leaders were killed. Ten of the original sixty had starved to death and two others had been killed in conflict with the Natives. Forty-five colonists joined Plymouth or went north to Maine, and from there most returned to England. The three who remained were subsequently killed by Native Americans.^[26][27]

Robert Gorges attempted to form a colony at the site later that year as the center of a more royalist and Anglican system of government for New England.^[27] He brought William Morrell as religious leader and expected Governor Bradford to acknowledge his supremacy and act as his agent^[27] Within weeks the New England winter caused Gorges to leave with most of the settlers.^[26] Those who remained formed the nucleus of the permanent settlement, the second oldest in New England,^[28] and the oldest in what would become Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[29] In 1630 it was officially incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony and in 1635 with the addition of 100 families under the leadership of Joseph Hull the name was changed to Weymouth. While the integration of these groups did not commence without difficulty, especially due to conflicting pressures from the Puritans of Boston and the Pilgrims of Plymouth, Weymouth was a stable and prominent town with its current boundaries by 1635.^[27] Weymouth was included as part of Suffolk County when it was formed on 10 May 1643.

Post Colonization

Weymouth was heavily involved in the shoemaking industry from the first years of the 18th century right through to 1973, when the Stetson Shoe Company closed its doors. The building is currently being used for medical offices.^[30]

The original town hall, which was destroyed by fire in 1914, was replaced in 1928 with a town hall that is a replica of the old Massachusetts State House in Boston. (Another replica of the building can be found at Curry College in Milton.)

Points of interest

Abigail Adams birthplace

• Weymouth is home to the house where Abigail Adams, wife of President John Adams and mother to President John Quincy Adams, was born.
• A portion of the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station, which was closed in 1996 under the Base Realignment and Closure Act, was located in Weymouth.
• South Weymouth Naval Air Station has been slated for development which will be called SouthField. Plans include a parkway, residences, a sports facility and a movie studio.

Notable people

See also

• Mayor-council government

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Weymouth, Massachusetts.

Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article Weymouth, Mass..

• Town of Weymouth
• The Weymouth News
• Weymouth History
• Answer Book/Weymouth: Everything you need to know

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