Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Official name	Waltham, Massachusetts
Nickname	The Watch City
Map caption	Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates region	US-MA
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Massachusetts
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Middlesex
Established title	Settled
Established date	1634
Established title2	Incorporated A Town
Established date2	1738
Established title3	Incorporated A City
Established date3	1884
Government type	Mayor-council city
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Jeannette A. McCarthy
Leader title1
Area total km2	35.2
Area total sq mi	13.6
Area land km2	32.9
Area land sq mi	12.7
Area water km2	2.4
Area water sq mi	0.9
Population as of	2010
Settlement type	City
Population total	60,632
Population density km2	1,816.4
Population density sq mi	4,705.4
Elevation m	15
Elevation ft	50
Timezone	Eastern
Utc offset	-5
Timezone dst	Eastern
Utc offset dst	-4
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	25-72600
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0612400
Website	http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/
Postal code type	ZIP code
Postal code	02451-02454
Area code	339 / 781 }}

Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, 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, home to Brandeis University and Bentley University. The population was 60,632 at the census in 2010.

Waltham is commonly referred to as Watch City because of its association with the watch industry. Waltham Watch Company 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 company produced over 40 million watches, clocks and instruments before it closed in 1957.

Pronunciation

The name of the city is pronounced with the primary stress on the first syllable and a full vowel in the second syllable, "-tham", though the name of the Waltham watch was pronounced with a reduced schwa in the second syllable: . As most would pronounce in the British way, Walthum, 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 in the British way.

History

Waltham was first settled in 1634 as part of Watertown and was officially incorporated as a separate town in 1738.

In the early 19th century, Francis Cabot Lowell and his friends and colleagues established in Waltham the Boston Manufacturing Company – the first integrated textile mill in the United States.

The city is home to a number of large estates, including Gore Place, a mansion built in 1806 for former Massachusetts governor Christopher Gore; the Robert Treat Paine Estate, a residence designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted for philanthropist Robert Treat Paine, Jr. (1810–1905); and the Lyman Estate, a estate built in 1793 by Boston merchant Theodore Lyman.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, Waltham was home to the brass era automobile manufacturer Metz, where the first production motorcycle in the U.S. was built.

Waltham is the home of the Walter E. Fernald State School, the western hemisphere's oldest publicly funded institution serving people with developmental disabilities. The storied and controversial history of the institution has long been covered by local and at times, national media.

Geography

Waltham is located at (42.380596, −71.235005), about 10 miles (16.09 km) north-west of downtown Boston, Massachusetts, and approximately north-west of Boston's Brighton neighborhood.

The city stretches along the Charles River and contains several dams. 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 city has a total area of 13.6 square miles (35.2 km²), of which 12.7 square miles (32.9 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.4 km²) (6.69%) is water.

Neighborhoods

Waltham has several neighborhoods or villages, including:

Angleside

Banks Square

The Bleachery

Cedarwood

The Chemistry

Gardencrest

The Highlands

The Island (formerly Morse Meadow Island)

Kendal Green (mostly in Weston)

Lakeview

The Lanes

Northeast

The North Side

Piety Corner

Pigeon Hill

Prospectville (defunct in 1894, now under Cambridge Reservoir)

Ravenswood

Robert's

Rock Alley

The South Side

Warrendale

Adjacent towns

It is bordered to the west by Weston and Lincoln, to the south by Newton, to the east by Belmont and Watertown, and to the north by Lexington.

Demographics

As of the census in 2000, there were 59,226 people, 23,207 households, and 12,462 families in the city. The population density was 4,663.4/mile² (1,800.6/km²). There were 23,880 housing units at an average density of 1,880.3 per square mile (726.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.98% White, 4.41% African American, 0.16% Native American, 7.29% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 3.20% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.49% of the population.

There were 23,207 households, of which 20.3% included those under the age of 18, 41.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% were headed by a single mother, and 46.3% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 3.01.

The age distribution is as follows: 15.5% under 18, 16.8% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 20.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% 65 or older. The median age was 34. For every 100 females, there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household was $54,010, and the median income for a family was $64,595. These figures increased to $60,434 and $79,877, respectively, according to an estimate in 2007. Males had a median income of $42,324, as opposed to $33,931 for females. The per capita income was $26,364. 7% of the population and 3.6% of families lived below the poverty line. 4.8% of those under 18 and 8.4% of those 65 and older lived below the poverty line.

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 Paul J. Brasco.

The city is in Massachusetts's 7th congressional district and is currently represented in the United States House of Representatives by Edward J. Markey. Waltham is also represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives by State Representative John J. Lawn and State Representative Thomas M. Stanley, and in the Massachusetts Senate by Senator Susan Fargo.

{| class=wikitable ! colspan = 6 | Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008 |- ! colspan = 2 | Party ! Number of Voters ! Percentage | Democratic | style="text-align:center;"| 12,770 | style="text-align:center;"| 36.13% | Republican | style="text-align:center;"| 3,490 | style="text-align:center;"| 9.87% | Unaffiliated | style="text-align:center;"| 18,820 | style="text-align:center;"| 53.24% | Minor Parties | style="text-align:center;"| 268 | style="text-align:center;"| 0.76% |- ! colspan = 2 | Total ! style="text-align:center;"| 35,348 ! style="text-align:center;"| 100% |}

Education

Public schools

The Waltham public school system includes six elementary schools (Northeast, Fitzgerald, MacArthur, Plympton, Whittemore, Stanley), 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

Gann Academy

Our Lady's Academy (formally Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted School) (Pre-K through 8)

Saint Jude School (K through 8)

Carroll School

Milestones day school (K through 12)

Higher education

Waltham is home to:

Bentley University

Brandeis University

Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University

Economy

Among the companies based in Waltham is the defense contractor Raytheon.

Top employers

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten non-city employers in the city are:

! #	! Employer	! # of Employees
1	Brandeis University	1,512
2	Tufts Health Plan	1,500
3	Bentley University	800
4	Bank of America	660
5		650
6	AM-PM Cleaning Corporation	600
7	Nova Biomedical	600
8	Raytheon	587
9		520
10	Parexel	500

Media

Waltham is home to ''The Daily News Tribune''. WCAC-TV provides local-interest television programming. Waltham news sometimes appears in ''The Boston Globe'''s GlobeWest section, as well. The radio station 99.5, which specializes in classical music, has offices in Waltham on South Street.

Culture

Waltham's combination of population density (especially in central and south Waltham) parks, public transit, stores, and trails gives it 97 (out of 100) walkability ranking on walkscore.com, putting it in the top 1% of cities nationally. This is often reflected downtown and along the Charles Riverwalk, which is often crowded on summer nights by people fishing, jogging, or walking off a meal at one of the many restaurants.

Moody Street in downtown Waltham offers its own brand of entertainment with a colorful assortment of shops, restaurants, and bars, including the Watch City Brewing Co., The Skellig, Jake's Dixie Roadhouse, The Gaff, Outer Limits, Gourmet Pottery, and the Embassy Cinema. 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" because of the number, variety and quality of its restaurants.

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.

Waltham's cultural life is enriched by the presence of two major universities and a number of arts organizations throughout the city.

The city's rich history is also celebrated at a number of museums, monuments, and archives. The Charles River Museum of Industry, 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 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.

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.

Waltham embraces its ethnic diversity in a number of festivals. The annual Latinos en Accion Festival celebrates the many Puerto Rican, Mexican, Peruvian, and Guetamalan residents. It is held by Latinos in Action, is 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, 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

Robert Treat Paine Estate

Charles River Museum of Industry

Prospect Hill – second=highest point in the region after Blue Hills

Charles River – Riverwalk on Moody St.

Embassy Cinema

A. Wherehouse

Rose Art Museum

Metropolitan State Hospital (Massachusetts)

Norumbega Tower

Notable residents

Aerosmith – During the 70's Boston area rock band Aerosmith had a studio in Waltham known as "The Wherehouse". It was located off of Lexington Street behind now defunct hardware store "Moe Blacks". The Wherehouse is credited on Aerosmiths 1978 album "Live Bootleg" as the recording site for "Come Together". Keith Aucoin – Current forward on the Washington Capitals who starred at Norwich University, where he graduated in 2001 as the school's all-time leading scorer in ice hockey, was named U.S. College Hockey Online National Player of the Year in 1998–1999, helped Norwich win the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1999–2000 and was named ECAC East Player of the Year and First-Team All-American; Waltham native F. Lee Bailey – lawyer John A. Bailey –- Inventor of the drink-through container lid () and vacuum forming pioneer. Nathaniel Prentice Banks – Union General in the Civil War, 24th Governor of Massachusetts, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Dan Blackburn – former NHL goaltender for the New York Rangers from 2001–2005 Mackenzy Bernadeau – Waltham native, guard for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. Suzanne Brockmann – Author Annie Payson Call – author. Arthur A. Carey—co-founder of Sea Scouting in the United States. JP Dellacamera – play-by-play commentator of Major League Soccer for ABC and ESPN. Ryan Gallant – Professional Skateboarder James N. Hallock – Scientist, known for his work on the CAIB.

John Peabody Harrington – Ethnologist and linguist.

Abbie Hoffman – Bestselling author, radical political activist, founder of the Youth International Party C.D. Howe – WWII and Postwar Canadian politician; Waltham native Gail Huff – American broadcast journalist and television reporter for WCVB-TV, Channel 5, the ABC network affiliate in Boston and the wife of Scott Brown, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. She graduated from Waltham High School and attended Bentley College.

Deena (Drossin) Kastor – Olympic bronze-medal-winning marathon runner

Jeff Lazaro – Former Boston Bruins forward notched 14 goals and 23 assists in 3-year NHL career with the Bruins and Ottawa Senators; 1986 Waltham High School graduate John Lynch – Current Governor of New Hampshire; Waltham native, attended Waltham public schools Abraham Maslow – Father of Humanistic and Transpersonal Psychology. Tony Massarotti – Boston Globe sportswriter, book author and co-host of Felger and Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub WBZ-FM 98.5 FM in Boston graduate of Waltham High School Shawn McEachern – Boston Bruins forward has tallied 254 goals and 317 assists during 13-year NHL career with the Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators and Atlanta Thrashers; Waltham native Pat Metheny – jazz guitar player was a former resident Paul Moody – Inventor, developer of cotton loom. Namesake of Moody St. in downtown Waltham. Angelo Mosca – former Canadian Football League player and professional wrestler. He is also known by the wrestling nicknames King Kong Mosca and The Mighty Hercules; Waltham native Richard Thomas Nolan – Episcopal Church Canon, writer, philosophy & religion professor, LGBT advocate, born, raised and ordained in Waltham, Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics captain who is a 6-time NBA All-Star as a guard/forward Dave Pino – member of the band Powerman 5000 John Reed – Music journalist and author Ida Annah Ryan – First woman to earn a masters degree in architecture (from M.I.T.) Evelyn Sears – US open (tennis) champion Fred Smerlas – 5-time NFL Pro-Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots, currently a part-time co-host on Sportsradio WEEI 850AM in Boston; 1975 Waltham High School graduate, native and former resident Sockington – Leader of Socks Army, first feline to surpass 500,000 Twitter followers. Carroll Spinney – voice of "Big Bird" and "Oscar the Grouch" on Sesame Street. Antoine Walker – 3-time NBA All-Star forward currently with the Minnesota Timberwolves, was captain of the Boston Celtics and has also played with the Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat; former resident Gordon S. Wood – recipient of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Radicalism of the American Revolution. His book The Creation of the American Republic, 1776–1787 won a 1970 Bancroft Prize. Former Waltham resident.

Franz Wright - Pulitzer Prize winning poet.

See also

Greater Boston

Mayor-council government

Norumbega

References

Further reading

''1871 Atlas of Massachusetts''. by Wall & Gray.Map of Massachusetts. Map of Middlesex County.

''History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts'', Volume 1 (A-H), Volume 2 (L-W) compiled by Samuel Adams Drake, published 1879 and 1880. 572 and 505 pages. Waltham article by Alexander Starbuck in volume 2 pages 407–433.

External links

Waltham official website

Bentley University

Brandeis University

The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University

Discover Waltham

Waltham Archives Wikispace

Waltham Arts Council

WCAC-TV - Waltham Community Access Corporation

Waltham Community website

Waltham News Tribune

Waltham Museum

Waltham Patch

Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra web site

Waltham Symphony Orchestra official web site

Boy Scout Troop 250 Waltham

Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School

Our Lady's Academy (formally Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted School) (Pre-K through 8)

Saint Jude School (K through 8)

Carroll School

Milestones day school (K through 12)

Category:Cities in Massachusetts Category:Populated places established in 1634 Category:Early American industrial centers

ca:Waltham (Massachusetts) de:Waltham (Massachusetts) es:Waltham (Massachusetts) eo:Waltham (Masaĉuseco) fr:Waltham (Massachusetts) id:Waltham, Massachusetts it:Waltham (Massachusetts) sw:Waltham, Massachusetts ht:Waltham, Massachusetts nl:Waltham (Massachusetts) pl:Waltham (Massachusetts) ru:Уолтем (Массачусетс) simple:Waltham, Massachusetts vo:Waltham (Massachusetts) zh:沃尔瑟姆 (马萨诸塞州)