Arlington, Massachusetts facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arlington, Massachusetts
Town
Arlington Town Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  Libertatis Propugnatio Hereditas Vita (Latin) "The Defense of Liberty Is Our Ancestral Heritage"
Location in Massachusetts
Arlington, Massachusetts Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Arlington, Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States Arlington, Massachusetts Location in North America Show map of North America
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Middlesex
Settled	1635
Incorporated	1807
Renamed	1867
Government
• Type	Representative town meeting
Area
• Total	5.495 sq mi (14.235 km2)
• Land	5.048 sq mi (13.077 km2)
• Water	0.447 sq mi (1.158 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	46,308
• Density	9,173.53/sq mi (3,541.18/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	02474, 02476
Area code(s)	339 / 781
FIPS code	25-01605
GNIS feature ID	0619393
Website	www.arlingtonma.gov

Robbins Farm Park

Arlington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is about six miles (10 km) northwest of Boston. In 2020, about 46,308 people lived there.

History of Arlington

Patriots' Grave in the Old Burying Ground

European settlers first came to the area of Arlington in 1635. It was a village within Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was called Menotomy. This name comes from an Algonquian word. Some people think it means "swift running water."

On February 27, 1807, the area became its own town called West Cambridge. This new town included parts of Belmont and land near the Mystic River. On April 30, 1867, the town was renamed Arlington. This was done to honor those buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Native American History

The Massachusett tribe lived around the Mystic Lakes, the Mystic River, and Alewife Brook. Their leader, Chief Nanepashemet, died around 1619. His wife, "Squaw Sachem of Mistick," then became the tribe's leader.

In 1639, she gave the land of what is now Cambridge and Watertown to the colonists. She spent her last years near the Mystic Lakes in Medford. She passed away sometime between 1650 and 1667.

Early Economy and Mills

The Jason Russell House.

A stream called Mill Brook flows through Arlington. This stream was very important for the town's economy long ago. In 1637, Captain George Cooke built the first mill here. Later, seven mills were built along the stream.

One of these, the Old Schwamb Mill, is still working today. It has been a working mill since 1650. This makes it the longest working mill in the country.

The American Revolution

Paul Revere rode through Menotomy (now Arlington) during his famous midnight ride. This ride warned colonists that the British were coming. On the first day of the American Revolution, more people died in Menotomy than in the battles of Lexington and Concord combined.

Minutemen from nearby towns gathered in Menotomy. They planned to ambush the British soldiers as they retreated from Concord and Lexington. Twenty-five Americans and 40 British troops were killed in Menotomy. This was half of all Americans and more than half of all British soldiers who died that day.

The Jason Russell House is a museum that remembers the 12 Americans who died there on April 19, 1775. You can still see bullet holes in the walls inside the house.

Later History

1852 Map of Boston area showing Arlington, then called West Cambridge. The former Middlesex Canal is highlighted.

In its early years, Arlington was a successful farming town. It was known for its popular lettuce. Arlington also had a large ice industry on Spy Pond from the mid-1800s until 1930. Much of this ice was sent to places like the Caribbean and India.

Arlington's population grew a lot in the 1920s. In 1979, the first spreadsheet software, VisiCalc, was created here. Bob Frankston and Dan Bricklin developed it in an attic apartment.

An 1875 map of Arlington

Geography and Transportation

Arlington covers about 5.5 square miles (14 km²). About 0.4 square miles (1.2 km²) of this area is water. The town has 210.52 acres (0.9 km²) of parkland. The land ranges from 4 feet (1.2 m) above sea level near Alewife Brook to 377 feet (114.9 m) near Park Avenue.

Arlington is next to the Mystic Lakes, Mystic River, and Alewife Brook. Inside its borders are Spy Pond, the Arlington Reservoir, Mill Brook, and Hills Pond.

Neighborhoods

Arlington Center in 2019

Arlington has several neighborhoods:

• Arlington Center
• Arlington Heights (in the west)
• East Arlington (east of Franklin Street)
• Brattle Square
• Jason Heights
• Arlmont Village
• Morningside
• North Union
• Turkey Hill
• Little Scotland
• Poets' Corner
• Kelwyn Manor
• Quincy Heights (part of Arlington Heights)

Zip Codes

• 02474: East Arlington and most of the town north of the Minuteman Bikeway.
• 02476: Arlington Heights and most of the town south of the Bikeway and west of Spy Pond.

Nearby Towns and Cities

Arlington is in eastern Massachusetts. It shares borders with:

• Medford (northeast)
• Somerville (east)
• Cambridge (southeast)
• Winchester (north)
• Lexington (west)
• Belmont (south)

Transportation

Several MBTA bus routes serve the town. The Minuteman Bikeway also goes through the center of Arlington. This bikeway connects people by bike to Bedford, Lexington, and the Alewife Red Line subway station. Route 2 is a highway that runs along Arlington's southern border with Belmont.

People of Arlington

Arlington has grown and changed over the years. For a long time, it was known for having many Irish, Italian, and Greek middle-class families. In recent decades, it has become more expensive and diverse. However, it still has many middle-class homes, including single-family houses and multi-family homes.

In 2020, Arlington had 46,308 people living in 19,308 households. The average household had about 2.37 people. About 21.4% of the population was under 18 years old. About 16% of the population was 65 years or older. More than half of the population (53.3%) was female.

The median household income in 2020 was $125,701. This means that half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less. The average income per person was $69,007. About 4.6% of the people in Arlington lived below the poverty line.

Education in Arlington

Arlington has a public school system with ten schools. There are seven elementary schools (Kindergarten to 5th grade): Brackett, Bishop, Dallin, Hardy, Peirce, Stratton, and Thompson. There are two middle schools: Gibbs (6th grade) and Ottoson (7th-8th grades).

Arlington High School serves grades 9-12. Arlington is also part of the district for Minuteman Regional High School. This school is in Lexington and is one of the best vocational-technical schools in Massachusetts.

Private and Parochial Schools

Arlington has two Parochial schools (schools connected to a church). These are Arlington Catholic High School and St. Agnes School (elementary/middle school). Both are linked to St. Agnes Parish. There are also two other elementary schools: Lesley Ellis and Alivia Elementary School.

Supplementary Schools

The Greater Boston Japanese Language School has its office in Arlington. It holds classes at Medford High School in Medford. This school helps Japanese children learn about their language and culture.

Parks and Historical Sites

Hills Pond, Menotomy Rocks Park

The water tower in Arlington Heights, built in 1921

Arlington has many interesting parks and historical places:

• The Old Schwamb Mill is the oldest continuously working mill in the United States. It still makes beautiful, hand-turned wooden frames.
• Menotomy Rocks Park has Hills Pond and trails through the forest.
• Robbins Farm Park offers a playground, sports fields, and a great view of the Boston skyline.
• Robbins Library has the oldest free children's library in the country. You can find a sculpture called the Menotomy Hunter by Cyrus Dallin nearby.
• Spy Pond Park gives access to the northeastern side of Spy Pond.
• The Arlington Center Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It includes the Robbins Library, the Old Burying Ground, the Town Hall, and the Robbins Memorial Flagstaff.
• The Cyrus E. Dallin Art Museum shows the artwork of famous sculptor Cyrus E. Dallin.
• The Great Meadow is a large area of wetlands and forest. It's owned and cared for by Arlington, even though it's in Lexington.
• The Jason Russell House is a museum. It displays items like a mastodon tusk found in Spy Pond.
• The Minuteman Bikeway is a popular bike path built in 1992. It goes through many Arlington neighborhoods.
• The Prince Hall Mystic Cemetery is the only black Freemason Cemetery in the country.
• The Uncle Sam Memorial Statue honors Samuel Wilson, who might be the original "Uncle Sam".
• The Water tower at Park Circle looks just like an ancient Greek building.

Regent Theatre

The Regent Theatre is a historic theater in downtown Arlington. It was built in 1916 for vaudeville shows. Today, it is still used for live performances and movies. It was updated in 1926 and has 500 seats. The theater hosts the Arlington International Film Festival. In 2024, a computer science professor from Harvard University, David J. Malan, bought the theater.

Notable People from Arlington

Menotomy Indian Hunter in Arlington Center by resident Cyrus E. Dallin (1911).

Many interesting people have lived in Arlington:

• Pat Connaughton, a player for the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the NBA championship in 2021.
• Dane Cook, a well-known comedian and actor.
• Cyrus E. Dallin (1861–1944), a famous sculptor. He created the Equestrian Statue of Paul Revere in Boston.
• Olympia Dukakis (1931-2021), an actress who won an Academy Award.
• Bob Frankston, who helped invent VisiCalc, the first electronic spreadsheet.
• Roy J. Glauber, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2005.
• Maura Healy, the current governor of Massachusetts.
• Winslow Homer, a famous painter.
• Timothy Hutton, an actor who was the youngest person to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
• John A. "Johnny" Kelley, a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon and an Olympian.
• Samuel Wilson (1766–1854), a meat-packer who is thought to be the person "Uncle Sam" is named after.

Sister Cities

Arlington has two sister cities:

• Teosinte, El Salvador
• Nagaokakyo, Kyoto, Japan

See also

In Spanish: Arlington (Massachusetts) para niños