Needham, Massachusetts

Needham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is a suburb of Boston and had a population of 32,091 people according to the U.S. Census. The town is well-known for being the home of Olin College of Engineering, a special school focused on teaching engineering. Needham also has four commuter rail stations along the Needham Line, making it easy for people to travel to and from Boston.

History

Needham was first settled in 1680 when people bought land from Chief Nehoiden. It became an official town in 1711 and was named after a town in England. Early settlers wanted better schools and churches, which led to Needham separating from another town called Dedham.

The town grew over time, with new industries and buildings. In the 1800s, Boston used land from Needham to build up its Back Bay area. A knitting mill in Needham became famous for making children’s clothes. In 1881, part of Needham became the new town of Wellesley, and the two towns started a long-standing football rivalry. Needham’s population increased a lot in the 1930s, and in 2005, it became the first place to raise the age for buying tobacco products to 21.

Geography

Needham is a town with a total area of 12.7 square miles, most of which is land. The Charles River forms part of its southern and northeastern borders. Needham shares its borders with several towns and sections of cities, including Wellesley, Newton, West Roxbury in Boston, Dover, Westwood, and Dedham. The area includes Cutler Park, which lies along the river. The town's elevations vary from about 85 feet to 300 feet above sea level.

Climate

Needham experiences a warm-summer humid continental climate, with consistent humidity and precipitation throughout the year.

Demographics

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

As of the 2020 census, there were 32,091 people living in the town. The town had 10,801 homes, and 8,480 families. Many people in the town are White, with smaller groups of Black or African American, Asian, and others.

Most homes had married couples living together, and many families had children under 18. The town’s population included people of many ages, with the median age being 43 years. The average income for a family was quite high, and only a small part of the population lived below the poverty line.

Government

Needham has a traditional town government style, where people elect representatives to a town meeting. The town also has a Select Board, which helps run the town's daily matters. Needham is part of the Massachusetts Senate's Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex district.

Economy

Needham is mainly a place where people live and travel to nearby Boston for work.

Some parts of Needham, especially north of the highways I-95 and Route 128, were built for small factories after World War II. Many restaurants and food companies have their offices in Needham. Lately, Needham has also started to welcome technology and internet businesses, like PTC and TripAdvisor, to this area.

Education

Needham has one high school called Needham High School. It was renovated for $62 million and finished in 2009. There are also two middle schools: William F. Pollard Middle School for grades 7 and 8, and High Rock School for grade 6. Five elementary schools serve grades K–5: John Eliot, Sunita L. Williams, William Mitchell, Newman, and Broadmeadow. A new elementary school, Sunita L. Williams Elementary School, opened in fall 2019 to replace the older Hillside school.

Needham is also home to Catholic schools, including St. Joseph School for preschool to grade 8, and St. Sebastian's School for boys in grades 7–12, which is part of the Independent School League. The town is also where the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is located.

Transportation

The highway that circles around Boston, called I-95/Route 128, goes through Needham and has three exits to get into the town. Another road, Massachusetts Route 135, also runs through Needham.

There are trains that go from Boston’s South Station to Needham. The MBTA runs these trains on its Needham Line, stopping at four places in Needham: Needham Heights, Needham Center, Needham Junction, and Hersey.

Media

Needham is part of the Greater Boston media market and has many transmitters for local media. Local newspapers include The Boston Globe and Boston Herald, as well as the Needham Times and Needham Hometown Weekly.

Television stations such as WCVB-TV, WBTS-CD, and WUTF-TV have their studios in Needham. The town also has FM radio stations and a public-access television channel called The Needham Channel, which offers local news, school events, and community programs.

Notable people

Needham, Massachusetts, has been home to many interesting people from different fields.

Academics

Needham has been home to several respected thinkers and teachers, including art historian Ananda Coomaraswamy, philosopher Nelson Goodman, and Nobel Prize-winning scientist Thomas Huckle Weller.

Actors

The town has also seen actors like Harold Russell, known for his roles in movies, and Sarah Saltzberg, a performer in Broadway shows.

Artists

Artists such as landscape painter Alvan Fisher and book illustrator Edmund H. Garrett have lived in Needham.

Business

Business leaders from Needham include John Akers, who led a big technology company, and Jeff Taylor, who started an online job site.

Music

Musicians from Needham include singer Niia Bertino, drummer John Boecklin from the band DevilDriver, and jazz trumpeter Tiger Okoshi.

Politics

Needham has produced political leaders such as former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker and New Jersey governor Phil Murphy.

Sports

Many athletes come from Needham, including Mike Condon, a hockey goalie, and Aly Raisman, a famous gymnast who has won many Olympic medals.

Television

Television professionals from Needham include Marsha Bemko, who works on a show about antiques, and Ben Karlin, who has produced popular comedy shows.

Literature

Author Janet Tashjian grew up in Needham, known for writing books for young readers.

Other

Other notable individuals from Needham include astronaut Sunita Williams and Jen Kirkman, a comedian and television writer.