Walpole, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Walpole is a town in Norfolk County
, Massachusetts
, United States
. It is located about 17.9 miles (28.8 km) south of Boston and 23.5 miles (37.8 km) north of Providence
, Rhode Island
. The population was 24,070 at the 2010 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham
until officially incorporated in 1724. The town was named after Sir Robert Walpole
, de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain
.
Native American
tribe. The Neponset tribe officially claimed the area that is now Walpole, and some of its surrounding territory in 1635. The town of Dedham was not included in this claim, so they began to negotiate with the Neponset tribe to gain land. In 1636, a deal was made between the town of Dedham and the Neponsets to grant Dedham an area of land now includes the towns of Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Medfield
, Norfolk
and Dover as well as Dedham. The land given to Dedham in this deal currently includes parts of 16 different towns.
After the territory was bought from Dedham, the saw mill industry began to rise in the area. The first saw mill in Walpole was built near what is now School Meadow Brook and the Neponset river. It was located in the area that is now the Walpole Town Forest. The mill was built and later owned by Joshua Fisher and Major Eleazer Lusher, two wealthy men of Dedham.
Walpole soon wanted to sever its ties with Dedham, so its residents began to petition at Dedham town meetings to become a completely separate town. The request was granted by the town of Dedham in 1724, and the town was officially named Walpole, after Sir Robert Walpole.
After its incorporation, Walpole had a role in the events leading up to the American Revolutionary War
. The citizens agreed that the taxes imposed by the British government were unfair. They sent a representative, Joshua Clapp, to the state meetings at Faneuil Hall
in Boston
. These meetings were to discuss how Massachusetts was going to keep its residents safe and peaceful during the events of the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, Walpole sent 157 men to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. These men were led by Captain Seth Bullard. In December 1777, a British fleet of ships came into Narragansett Bay
and anchored in Newport Harbor
in Rhode Island
. Walpole sent two groups of minutemen
, consisting of 65 men in total, to help with the situation. These men were led by Joshua Clapp, and Oliver Clapp. They stayed in Rhode Island to defend the port for three weeks.
Walpole began to grow after the Revolutionary War. By 1860, the town had 1,935 residents. It was mainly an industrial town, and manufactured products such as cotton
, lumber
, and paper
in its many mills. The Neponset River
was used for transport between the close towns of Sharon Foxborough, MA and Medfield. It was also used as a water supply and for water power. The Norfolk County railroad also connected the town. It was also part of a railroad network that connected Walpole to Boston
and New York City
. Many churches were formed in Walpole at this time, including Trinitarian, Unitarian
and Methodist ones.
Walpole's first public library was founded in 1872. It was founded by Walpole resident Miss Mary R. Bird. The first library in Walpole was actually founded in 1816 by a group known as "The Ladies' Literary, Moral Society." It was not public, and was built to provide books to Walpole that may, in the words of the society, "afford useful information to the mind and improvement to the heart."
The town grew considerably throughout the 1900s, with an increase of over 3,000 by the 1920s. At a town meeting in 1922, local resident Maude R. Greeves said:
In 1929, Harriet Nevins
donated $50,000 for the erection of a public building as a memorial
for her parents George Blackburn and Nancy H. Blackburn. Her father, a merchant from Bradford, England, had once lived and done on business in Walpole. Blackburn Memorial Building (more commonly known as "Blackburn Hall") was designed by the architectural
firm of Putnam & Cox Company of Boston
, built by the F.J. Tetreault Company of Walpole, and dedicated in 1932. The red brick building, which features a neo-classical façade
with whitewash
ed pillar
s, is still owned by the Town of Walpole and is used for a variety of activities throughout the year including children's theater production.
In keeping with her reputation as a noted animal lover, Harriet Nevins also left $2500 to fund the construction of a fountain for horse
s and dog
s. The fountain
is now dry but still stands on School Street in Walpole opposite the Town Hall.
There were 8,060 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $74,757, and the median income for a family was $84,458. Males had a median income of $54,243 versus $39,516 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,117. About 1.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
, which is the predominant climate for Massachusetts and New England. Walpole's inland location causes it to experience cooler temperatures than many coastal locations in New England. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy and often snowy.
Walpole's warmest month is July, with an average high temperature of 82.8 °F
(28.2 °C
) and an average low of 61.6 °F (16.4 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average high temperature of 36.0 °F (2.2 °C) and an average low of 17.7 °F (−7.9 °C).
Much like the rest of the Northeastern seaboard, Walpole receives ample amounts of precipitation year-round. On average, summer months receive slightly less precipitation than winter months. Walpole averages about 46 in (116.8 cm) of rainfall a year. Walpole, like other Massachusetts towns, is very vulnerable to Nor'easter
weather systems. The town is sometimes vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms, which infrequently threaten the New England region during the early autumn months.
, who then appoints individual principals in each of Walpole’s public schools. The current school superintendent is Lincoln Lynch, III. Walpole has seven public schools, which include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The school's sports teams are called the Rebels, and the school's fight song is "Dixie."
There is also one private Catholic school
located in Walpole, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Walpole School board. The town is also home to the Norfolk County Agricultural High School and the Longview Farm School.
The four elementary schools in Walpole include Old Post Road School, Elm Street School, Boyden School, and Fisher School. Old Post Road school is located in East Walpole. It has about 500 students attending and serves students in from kindergarten
through grade five. Currently, there are three modular classrooms
for the fourth grade to accommodate the growing student population. Fisher School was the first (still in use) built in Walpole, In 1790. It was a one room schoolhouse until 1913, when another building was added. As of 2007, the school has about 470 students attending. Boyden Elementary School was founded in 1854 by Jeremiah Boyden. It was first named South Primary School until 1902, when the town decided to name it after Boyden. It was closed between 1981 and 1988 and was used as a school for troubled boys. It reopened in 1990 and currently has about 460 students and 50 teachers. Elm Street school is Walpole's newest school, which was opened in 1999, and renovated in 2004. It has about 520 students.
. In this form of government the adult voting population gathers annually in a town meeting
to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them. These men had charge of the day-to-day operations; selectmen were important in legislating policies central to a community's police
force, highway
supervisors, poundkeepers, field drivers, and other officials. However, the larger towns grew, the more power would be distributed among other elected boards, such as fire wardens, and police departments. For example, population
increases led to the need for actual police departments, of which selectmen typically became the commissioners
. The advent of tar
red roads and automobile
traffic led to a need for full-time highway maintainers and plowmen, leaving selectmen to serve as Supervisors of Streets and Ways.
In exchange for tax revenue, the city provides its residents with police and fire protection. For separate quarterly payments, the city provides garbage, recycling, water and sewer services.
Laws are enforced by the Walpole Police Department. In 2005, no murders were committed in Walpole. Despite having no homicides, nonviolent crime in the town rose in 2005 compared to 2004. As of 2005, there were 58 violent crimes per 100,000 people, a drop from 89 in 2004. There were 13 total violent crimes committed in Walpole in 2005. Eight of these were aggravated assault, one was a robbery
, and four were forcible rapes. There were 1,216 non-violent crimes in Walpole per 100,000 people in 2005, which was a rise from 1,158 in 2004. There were 223 theft
s, 27 burglaries, 23 motor vehicle theft
s, and one arson
.
Walpole has many parks and athletic fields, which are mostly active during the spring and summer months due to the cold winter climate of Walpole and the surrounding area. Francis William Bird Park is located in Walpole. It is an 89 acres (360,170.5 m²) landscaped park, owned and maintained by The Trustees of Reservations. Over three miles (5 km) of walking and biking paths wind through the park, traversing stream
s across old granite
bridge
s and passing through rolling, grass
y meadow
s punctuated with mature shade tree
s, tree grove
s, and pond
s.
Facilities at the park include bike
racks, benches, trash receptacles, public restroom (open seasonally), a "tot lot" with children's play equipment, four tennis court
s, a basketball
backboard, and an outdoor stage
.
Bird Park was created and endowed in 1925 by local industrialist Charles Sumner Bird, Sr. and his wife Anna in memory of their eldest son, Francis William Bird who had died seven years earlier in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Landscape architect
and town planner John Nolen designed the park. A social reformer, Nolen believed that parks were critical to the health of urban residents and should be designed to provide a place of respite and relaxation in nature. In his original design plan, Nolen wrote that this park should be
For most of its history, the park was owned and maintained by the Francis William Park Trust. By the later decades of the 20th century, parts of the park suffered badly from vandalism
and neglect. The Trustees of Reservations gained possession of this property in 2002. Today the park is in excellent condition and several young ornamental trees such as Cherry
and Japanese Maple have been added to the landscape
, as have flower
beds.
. WDIS
AM 1170 is a radio station located in Norfolk
, a neighboring town. Walpole Community Television, established in 1984, airs programming of local interest to all Walpole cable subscribers.
service from Boston's South Station
is provided by the MBTA with the Walpole
and Plimptonville
stops on its Franklin Line
.
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located about 17.9 miles (28.8 km) south of Boston and 23.5 miles (37.8 km) north of Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. The population was 24,070 at the 2010 census. Walpole was first settled in 1659 and was considered a part of Dedham
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...
until officially incorporated in 1724. The town was named after Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, de facto first Prime Minister of Great Britain
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
.
History
It started out as a territory that was claimed by the NeponsetNeponset
Neponset may refer to:*Neponset, California*Neponset, Illinois*Neponset, Massachusetts, a district in the southeast corner of Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts*The Neponset River in eastern Massachusetts...
Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribe. The Neponset tribe officially claimed the area that is now Walpole, and some of its surrounding territory in 1635. The town of Dedham was not included in this claim, so they began to negotiate with the Neponset tribe to gain land. In 1636, a deal was made between the town of Dedham and the Neponsets to grant Dedham an area of land now includes the towns of Walpole, Norwood, Westwood, Medfield
Medfield
Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and Dover as well as Dedham. The land given to Dedham in this deal currently includes parts of 16 different towns.
After the territory was bought from Dedham, the saw mill industry began to rise in the area. The first saw mill in Walpole was built near what is now School Meadow Brook and the Neponset river. It was located in the area that is now the Walpole Town Forest. The mill was built and later owned by Joshua Fisher and Major Eleazer Lusher, two wealthy men of Dedham.
Walpole soon wanted to sever its ties with Dedham, so its residents began to petition at Dedham town meetings to become a completely separate town. The request was granted by the town of Dedham in 1724, and the town was officially named Walpole, after Sir Robert Walpole.
After its incorporation, Walpole had a role in the events leading up to the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The citizens agreed that the taxes imposed by the British government were unfair. They sent a representative, Joshua Clapp, to the state meetings at Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall
Faneuil Hall , located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts, has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain, and is now part of...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. These meetings were to discuss how Massachusetts was going to keep its residents safe and peaceful during the events of the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, Walpole sent 157 men to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. These men were led by Captain Seth Bullard. In December 1777, a British fleet of ships came into Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay
Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
and anchored in Newport Harbor
Newport Harbor
- Geography :* Newport Beach, California* Newport Harbor High School, in Newport Beach, Orange County, California* Newport Harbor Light, in Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Rhode Island* Newport, Pembrokeshire...
in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
. Walpole sent two groups of minutemen
Minutemen
Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first...
, consisting of 65 men in total, to help with the situation. These men were led by Joshua Clapp, and Oliver Clapp. They stayed in Rhode Island to defend the port for three weeks.
Walpole began to grow after the Revolutionary War. By 1860, the town had 1,935 residents. It was mainly an industrial town, and manufactured products such as cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, and paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
in its many mills. The Neponset River
Neponset River
The Neponset River is a river in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. The headwaters of the Neponset are at the Neponset Reservoir in Foxborough, near the Gillette Stadium...
was used for transport between the close towns of Sharon Foxborough, MA and Medfield. It was also used as a water supply and for water power. The Norfolk County railroad also connected the town. It was also part of a railroad network that connected Walpole to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Many churches were formed in Walpole at this time, including Trinitarian, Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
and Methodist ones.
The town grew considerably throughout the 1900s, with an increase of over 3,000 by the 1920s. At a town meeting in 1922, local resident Maude R. Greeves said:
In 1929, Harriet Nevins
Harriet Nevins
Harriet Francoeur Nevins née Blackburn, , was an American philanthropist and animal rights activist born in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Widow of David Nevins, Jr., she used her inheritance to leave a legacy to the people of the Bay State...
donated $50,000 for the erection of a public building as a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
for her parents George Blackburn and Nancy H. Blackburn. Her father, a merchant from Bradford, England, had once lived and done on business in Walpole. Blackburn Memorial Building (more commonly known as "Blackburn Hall") was designed by the architectural
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
firm of Putnam & Cox Company of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, built by the F.J. Tetreault Company of Walpole, and dedicated in 1932. The red brick building, which features a neo-classical façade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
with whitewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
ed pillar
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, is still owned by the Town of Walpole and is used for a variety of activities throughout the year including children's theater production.
In keeping with her reputation as a noted animal lover, Harriet Nevins also left $2500 to fund the construction of a fountain for horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s. The fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
is now dry but still stands on School Street in Walpole opposite the Town Hall.
Demographics
As of the census[10] of 2000, there were 22,824 people, 8,060 households, and 5,972 families residing in the town. The population density was 429.0/km² (1077.3/sq mi). There were 8,229 housing units at an average density of 400.7 per square mile (154.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.41% White, 1.59% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.13% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.12% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.02% of the population. The Census of 2010 shows very little variance in these figures. Only the Latino population has seen somewhat of a change.There were 8,060 households out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $74,757, and the median income for a family was $84,458. Males had a median income of $54,243 versus $39,516 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,117. About 1.5% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Weather and climate
Walpole's climate is humid continentalHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
, which is the predominant climate for Massachusetts and New England. Walpole's inland location causes it to experience cooler temperatures than many coastal locations in New England. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy and often snowy.
Walpole's warmest month is July, with an average high temperature of 82.8 °F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
(28.2 °C
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
) and an average low of 61.6 °F (16.4 °C). The coldest month is January, with an average high temperature of 36.0 °F (2.2 °C) and an average low of 17.7 °F (−7.9 °C).
Much like the rest of the Northeastern seaboard, Walpole receives ample amounts of precipitation year-round. On average, summer months receive slightly less precipitation than winter months. Walpole averages about 46 in (116.8 cm) of rainfall a year. Walpole, like other Massachusetts towns, is very vulnerable to Nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
weather systems. The town is sometimes vulnerable to Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms, which infrequently threaten the New England region during the early autumn months.
Education
Walpole’s school system is run by a school committee made up of seven members. The committee appoints a superintendentSuperintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
, who then appoints individual principals in each of Walpole’s public schools. The current school superintendent is Lincoln Lynch, III. Walpole has seven public schools, which include four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The school's sports teams are called the Rebels, and the school's fight song is "Dixie."
There is also one private Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
located in Walpole, which is not under the jurisdiction of the Walpole School board. The town is also home to the Norfolk County Agricultural High School and the Longview Farm School.
The four elementary schools in Walpole include Old Post Road School, Elm Street School, Boyden School, and Fisher School. Old Post Road school is located in East Walpole. It has about 500 students attending and serves students in from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
through grade five. Currently, there are three modular classrooms
Modular classrooms
Modular Classrooms are prefabricated buildings constructed off-site in a factory. Most modular classrooms are portable, and are sometimes called temporary classrooms or relocatable classrooms, but permanent modular classrooms are becoming a common option. Modular classrooms are also built to all...
for the fourth grade to accommodate the growing student population. Fisher School was the first (still in use) built in Walpole, In 1790. It was a one room schoolhouse until 1913, when another building was added. As of 2007, the school has about 470 students attending. Boyden Elementary School was founded in 1854 by Jeremiah Boyden. It was first named South Primary School until 1902, when the town decided to name it after Boyden. It was closed between 1981 and 1988 and was used as a school for troubled boys. It reopened in 1990 and currently has about 460 students and 50 teachers. Elm Street school is Walpole's newest school, which was opened in 1999, and renovated in 2004. It has about 520 students.
Law and government
Walpole, like most New England towns, has a board of selectmenBoard of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
. In this form of government the adult voting population gathers annually in a town meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
to act as the local legislature, approving budgets and laws. Day-to-day operations were originally left to individual oversight, but when towns became too large for individuals to handle such work loads, they would elect an executive board of, literally, select(ed) men to run things for them. These men had charge of the day-to-day operations; selectmen were important in legislating policies central to a community's police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
force, highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
supervisors, poundkeepers, field drivers, and other officials. However, the larger towns grew, the more power would be distributed among other elected boards, such as fire wardens, and police departments. For example, population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
increases led to the need for actual police departments, of which selectmen typically became the commissioners
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
. The advent of tar
Tar
Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest...
red roads and automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
traffic led to a need for full-time highway maintainers and plowmen, leaving selectmen to serve as Supervisors of Streets and Ways.
In exchange for tax revenue, the city provides its residents with police and fire protection. For separate quarterly payments, the city provides garbage, recycling, water and sewer services.
Laws are enforced by the Walpole Police Department. In 2005, no murders were committed in Walpole. Despite having no homicides, nonviolent crime in the town rose in 2005 compared to 2004. As of 2005, there were 58 violent crimes per 100,000 people, a drop from 89 in 2004. There were 13 total violent crimes committed in Walpole in 2005. Eight of these were aggravated assault, one was a robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
, and four were forcible rapes. There were 1,216 non-violent crimes in Walpole per 100,000 people in 2005, which was a rise from 1,158 in 2004. There were 223 theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
s, 27 burglaries, 23 motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
s, and one arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
.
State prison
Walpole is the location of Massachusetts Correctional Institution – Cedar Junction, a maximum security prison for males that was originally named "MCI — Walpole" until town residents successfully lobbied in the mid-1980s for the change.Recreation
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
s across old granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s and passing through rolling, grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
y meadow
Meadow
A meadow is a field vegetated primarily by grass and other non-woody plants . The term is from Old English mædwe. In agriculture a meadow is grassland which is not grazed by domestic livestock but rather allowed to grow unchecked in order to make hay...
s punctuated with mature shade tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s, tree grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
s, and pond
Pond
A pond is a body of standing water, either natural or man-made, that is usually smaller than a lake. A wide variety of man-made bodies of water are classified as ponds, including water gardens, water features and koi ponds; all designed for aesthetic ornamentation as landscape or architectural...
s.
Facilities at the park include bike
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
racks, benches, trash receptacles, public restroom (open seasonally), a "tot lot" with children's play equipment, four tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
backboard, and an outdoor stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
.
Bird Park was created and endowed in 1925 by local industrialist Charles Sumner Bird, Sr. and his wife Anna in memory of their eldest son, Francis William Bird who had died seven years earlier in the influenza epidemic of 1918. Landscape architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and town planner John Nolen designed the park. A social reformer, Nolen believed that parks were critical to the health of urban residents and should be designed to provide a place of respite and relaxation in nature. In his original design plan, Nolen wrote that this park should be
"...a sequestered breathing place in the heart of East Walpole...a combination of broad, sun-swept meadow lands, speckled with shadowed glades, higher tree-screened knolls for the lover of shade, the whole set to the music of a babbling stream."
For most of its history, the park was owned and maintained by the Francis William Park Trust. By the later decades of the 20th century, parts of the park suffered badly from vandalism
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
and neglect. The Trustees of Reservations gained possession of this property in 2002. Today the park is in excellent condition and several young ornamental trees such as Cherry
Cherry
The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....
and Japanese Maple have been added to the landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
, as have flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
beds.
Sports
- All Walpole High School teams are nicknamed "Rebels" except for the girls field hockeyField hockeyField Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team who are nicknamed "Porkers". In 2004, the Walpole Boys and Girls high school basketball teams captured the MassachusettsMassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
State Titles on the same day in the Fleet CenterTD Banknorth GardenTD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden...
in BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. In 2006, the girls field hockey team, the Porkers, won their 10th State Championship in a 1-0 win over Notre Dame Academy of WorcesterWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. This win set the record for number of overall Championship titles for Massachusetts field hockey.
- The boys cross country team won the National Championship in 1932, 1934, 1957, 1958, 1966, 1970–77 and 1992.
- Walpole Little League has won the state championship twice: 1991, and 2007. They went to the Little League World SeriesLittle League World SeriesThe Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
in 2007 with a record of 19-1. They defeated Shelton, CT 14-4 in five inning mercy ruleMercy ruleA mercy rule, also well known by the slightly less polite term slaughter rule , brings a sports event to an early end when one team has a very large and presumably insurmountable lead over the other team...
to advance to the LLWS. In round robin play, Walpole was eliminated with a 1-2 record, after losing to OregonOregonOregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
and GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, 1-0 and 8-1 respectively, and finished 21-3.
- The Walpole High School Football team has made USA Today's Top 25 list twice, in 1986 (#24), and 1989 (#15). They also won the 2008 Eastern Massachusetts Division 2 Super Bowl, defeating football powerhouse Mansfield by the score of 41-21. * The Football team has won 20 League Titles, 7 Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl Titles, and captured 2 Massachusetts State Championships.
- The Lacrosse team won the 2009 Division 2 State Championship.
- There are many youth sports leagues in Walpole providing youth athletes with a number of options throughout the year.
- Walpole Recreation Department, walpolerec.com
- Walpole Youth Basketball, wyba.org
- The WYBA's High School Rec. league is renowned for being one of the top leagues in the state.
- Walpole Youth Football, wyfc.walpolesports.org
- Walpole Youth Girls Softball, walpolesoftball.com
- Walpole Youth Lacrosse, wyll.leag1.com
- Walpole Little League Baseball, walpolelittleleague.com
- Walpole Youth Soccer, walpolesoccer.com
- King-Philip Walpole Youth Hockey, kpwhockey.org
- There is also a Junior Hockey team called the Walpole Express which plays out of Iorio Areana. It has a Junior A and B team, The teams play in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and Metropolitan Junior Hockey League. The Junior A has won League Titles in 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 and seeking there 3rd straight League Title also won Bronze in the 2010-2011 Junior TierIII Nationals. The Junior B team Won there Division in 2010-2011 and 3rd Place in the Metroplolitian Junior Hockey League in 2010-2011. The Express are a powerhouse team in the United States Ranked 3rd for Junior A and 15th for Junior B.
- The Express also have a Annual Pink Game to raise awareness for cancer were they wear pink uniforms and also the refs wear pink uniforms. The game has had ex Professional Referee Kevin Collins to do the ceremonial puck drop the previous 2 years.
- Walpole Express: www.walpoleexpress.com
Media
Walpole is served by The Walpole Times, a weekly newspaper owned by GateHouse Media New EnglandGateHouse Media
GateHouse Media Inc. is a U.S. newspaper publisher, headquartered in Perinton, New York, that publishes 97 dailies in 20 states and 198 paid weeklies, in addition to free papers, shoppers and specialty and niche publications.- History :Liberty Group Publishing was formed in 1998 when Kenneth L...
. WDIS
WDIS
WDIS is a radio station licensed to Norfolk, Massachusetts. Primarily a news and talk station, it is also the flagship radio station of many high school sports programs in the Norfolk area. It serves the suburban communities south of Boston, MA and north of Providence, RI...
AM 1170 is a radio station located in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, a neighboring town. Walpole Community Television, established in 1984, airs programming of local interest to all Walpole cable subscribers.
Transportation
Commuter railRegional rail
Commuter rail, also called suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates between a city center, and the middle to outer suburbs beyond 15km and commuter towns or other locations that draw large numbers of commuters—people who travel on a daily basis...
service from Boston's South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
is provided by the MBTA with the Walpole
Walpole (MBTA station)
Walpole is a station along the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin Line from Franklin, Massachusetts to Boston, Massachusetts. The station is located in Walpole, Massachusetts near the town center....
and Plimptonville
Plimptonville (MBTA station)
Plimptonville is a station along the MBTA Commuter Rail's Franklin Line from Franklin, Massachusetts, to Boston, Massachusetts. The station is located in Walpole, Massachusetts near the Neponset River...
stops on its Franklin Line
Franklin Line
The Franklin Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail runs from Boston's South Station in a southwesterly direction toward Franklin, Massachusetts. Most Franklin Line trains connect to the Providence/Stoughton Line at Readville though some weekday trains use the Fairmount Line to access South Station...
.
Notable residents
- Andrew BacevichAndrew BacevichAndrew J. Bacevich, Sr. is a professor of international relations at Boston University and a retired career officer in the United States Army...
, professor of international relations at Boston UniversityBoston UniversityBoston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, former director of its Center for International Relations (from 1998 to 2005), and author of several books - Todd Collins, professional American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback - Kevin FaulkKevin FaulkKevin Troy Faulk is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at LSU.As of 2010, Faulk is the longest-tenured current member of the Patriots,...
, professional football player, New England PatriotsNew England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. - Gene LavanchyGene LavanchyGene P. Lavanchy , is an American radio and television personality and journalist, and a co-host of WFXT's Fox 25 Morning News in Boston.- Education and career :...
, TV news anchor for FOX channel 25WFXTWFXT is a television station owned and operated by the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts...
in Boston - Mary LavinMary LavinMary Josephine Lavin was a noted Irish short story writer and novelist. She is regarded as a pioneering female author in the traditionally male-dominated world of Irish letters. Her subject matter often dealt explicitly with feminist issues and concerns at a time when the primacy of the Roman...
, Award-winning short story writer. Born in Walpole, moved to Ireland at the age of 10 - Joe Morgan (manager)Joe Morgan (manager)Joseph Michael Morgan is a retired American infielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball.-Early life:...
, professional baseball manager for a variety of teams including the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"... - Roger TurnerRoger TurnerRoger Felix Turner was an American figure skater.He was born in Milton, Massachusetts and died in Walpole, Massachusetts....
, Olympic Figure Skater - Joseph N. Welch, special counsel to the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Army-McCarthy HearingsArmy-McCarthy HearingsThe Army–McCarthy hearings were a series of hearings held by the United States Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations between April 1954 and June 1954. The hearings were held for the purpose of investigating conflicting accusations between the United States Army and Senator Joseph McCarthy...
; later played Judge Weaver in "Anatomy of a Murder" with Jimmy Stewart and Lee Remick
See also
- MCI - Cedar JunctionMassachusetts Correctional Institution - Cedar JunctionThe Massachusetts Correctional Institution—Cedar Junction , formerly known as MCI-Walpole, is a maximum security prison with an average daily population of approximately 800 adult male inmates under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. It was opened in 1956 to replace...
- 2007 Little League World Series2007 Little League World Series-Pool play:The top two teams in each pool move on to their respective semifinals. The winners of each met on August 26 to play for the Little League World Championship. Teams marked in green qualified to the knockout stage, while teams marked in red were eliminated.Ties are broken based on records...