Needham, Massachusetts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Needham, Massachusetts
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Location in Norfolk County in Massachusetts
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 Needham, Massachusetts
Location in Greater Boston area
Needham, Massachusetts
Location in Massachusetts
Needham, Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
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| State |  Massachusetts |
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| County | Norfolk | ||
| Settled | 1680 | ||
| Incorporated | 1711 | ||
| Named for | Needham Market | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 32.9 km2 (12.7 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 32.7 km2 (12.6 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 0.2 km2 (0.1 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 49 m (162 ft) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 32,091 | ||
| • Density | 981.4/km2 (2,546.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) | ||
| ZIP Code |
02492 and 02494
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| Area code(s) | 781 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-44105 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618325 | ||
Needham (pronounced NEED-əm) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It's a suburb of Boston, meaning it's a town near a big city. In 2020, about 32,091 people lived there. Needham is also home to Olin College, a special engineering school.
Contents
History
Early Days of Needham
Needham was first settled in 1680. The land was bought from Chief Nehoiden for a small amount of money, some land, and corn. The town officially became a town in 1711. Before that, it was part of Dedham. Needham got its name from a town in England called Needham Market.
At first, people in Needham wanted their own church and schools because they felt Dedham wasn't providing enough services. They asked to become a separate town, and the request was granted. This made Needham its own independent community.
Growing with Industry
In 1857, the city of Boston started a big project to fill in the Back Bay area. They used dirt and soil from Needham to do this. Trains carried the fill from Needham to Boston, making 16 trips a day! This project helped Boston grow much larger.
In 1865, a company called Carter's started in Needham Heights. This company became famous for making children's clothes. Even though the company's main office moved away later, it started right here in Needham.
A wealthy man named William Emerson Baker moved to Needham in the late 1860s. He owned a lot of land and built two man-made lakes. He even turned part of his land into an amusement park with fun attractions like exotic animals and trick floors! He also built a large hotel, but it sadly burned down in 1891.
In 1891, the Walker-Gordon Laboratories started in Needham. This company worked on making milk safer and creating better formulas for babies. They used new scientific methods to handle milk products.
The Town of Wellesley Forms
In 1881, a part of Needham became its own separate town called Wellesley. The next year, Needham and Wellesley high schools started playing an annual football game on Thanksgiving. This is one of the longest-running high school football rivalries in the United States!
After Wellesley became its own town, Needham needed a new town hall. They built a beautiful new one, which was finished in 1903. It cost about $57,500 at the time. In 2011, the town hall was updated and made even better.
Recent Times
Needham's population grew a lot in the 1930s. In 2005, Needham made history by becoming the first place in the world to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products to 21.
Geography
Needham covers about 12.7 square miles (32.9 square kilometers). Most of it is land, with a small amount of water.
The Charles River forms most of Needham's southern and northeastern borders. Needham shares borders with Wellesley, Newton, Boston (specifically the West Roxbury area), Dover, Westwood, and Dedham. A large part of Cutler Park is in Needham, located along the Charles River. The land in Needham varies in height, from 85 feet above sea level at Rosemary Meadows to 300 feet at Bird's Hill.
Weather in Needham
Needham has a climate with warm summers. It gets a lot of humidity and precipitation (rain or snow) throughout the year.
Population
| Historical population | ||
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 1,944 | — |
| 1860 | 2,658 | +36.7% |
| 1870 | 3,607 | +35.7% |
| 1880 | 5,252 | +45.6% |
| 1890 | 3,035 | −42.2% |
| 1900 | 4,016 | +32.3% |
| 1910 | 5,026 | +25.1% |
| 1920 | 7,012 | +39.5% |
| 1930 | 10,845 | +54.7% |
| 1940 | 12,445 | +14.8% |
| 1950 | 16,313 | +31.1% |
| 1960 | 25,793 | +58.1% |
| 1970 | 29,748 | +15.3% |
| 1980 | 27,901 | −6.2% |
| 1990 | 27,557 | −1.2% |
| 2000 | 28,911 | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 28,886 | −0.1% |
| 2020 | 32,091 | +11.1% |
| 2022* | 32,114 | +0.1% |
| * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data. |
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In 2020, there were 32,091 people living in Needham. Most people live in families, and many households have children. The town is a mix of different backgrounds, with people from various racial and ethnic groups.
Economy
Needham is mainly a "bedroom community". This means many people who live in Needham travel to nearby cities, like Boston, for work.
However, the northern part of Needham has grown into a place for light industry and businesses. After World War II, many companies moved there. Today, you can find many restaurants, food companies, and even high-tech and internet companies like PTC and TripAdvisor in Needham.
Education
Needham has several schools for students of all ages. The town has one high school, Needham High School, which was recently renovated. There are two middle schools: William F. Pollard Middle School for seventh and eighth graders, and High Rock School for sixth graders. For younger students, there are five elementary schools: John Eliot, Sunita L. Williams, William Mitchell, Newman, and Broadmeadow. The newest elementary school, Sunita L. Williams, opened in 2019.
Needham also has private schools, including Catholic schools like St. Joseph's Elementary School and Monsignor Haddad Middle School. St. Sebastian's School is a Catholic school for boys in grades 7-12.
In addition to these, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is located in Needham. It's a special college focused on engineering.
Getting Around Needham
The I-95/Route 128 highway, which goes around Boston, passes through Needham. This makes it easy to get to and from the town. Massachusetts Route 135 also runs through Needham.
For those who don't drive, there's a commuter train service. The MBTA's Needham Line has four stops in town: Needham Heights, Needham Center, Needham Junction, and Hersey. These trains connect Needham to Boston's South Station.
Media
Needham is part of the larger Boston media area. It's also a hub for many TV and radio station transmitters.
Besides big newspapers like The Boston Globe and Boston Herald, Needham has its own local weekly newspapers, the Needham Times and Needham Hometown Weekly. There's also a local website called Needham Patch.
Many television stations have their studios in Needham, including WCVB-TV (ABC), WBTS-CD (NBC), WUTF-TV (UniMás), WNEU (Telemundo), and WUNI (Univision). The towers for these and other stations like WBZ-TV (CBS) and WGBH-TV (PBS) are also located here. In 2020, NBC opened a large studio and operations center in Needham, which is also home to New England Cable News and NBC Sports Boston.
The Needham Channel provides local TV programming for cable subscribers. They have three channels: a community channel, a municipal (town government) channel, and an educational channel. These channels show things like town meetings, local news, high school sports, and programs made by local residents.
Needham High School also has its own student newspaper, The Hilltopper, and a student news video broadcast called NHSN.
Famous People from Needham
Needham has been home to many interesting and talented people!
Academics
- Ananda Coomaraswamy, an art historian and philosopher.
- Nelson Goodman, a philosopher.
- Thomas Huckle Weller, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who studied viruses.
Actors
- Harold Russell, an actor.
- Sarah Saltzberg, an actress and singer.
- Arnold Stang, an actor.
Artists
- Alvan Fisher, a landscape artist.
- N.C. Wyeth, a famous artist.
Business
- Jeff Taylor, who started Monster.com, a popular job search website.
Music
- Joey McIntyre, a singer and actor, known from the band New Kids on the Block.
- Richard Patrick, founder of the band Filter.
Sports
- Mike Condon, an NHL hockey goalie.
- Robbie Ftorek, an NHL coach and player.
- Mike Grier, a retired NHL player.
- Noah Hanifin, an NHL hockey defenseman.
- Steven Hauschka, an NFL kicker.
- Kristine Lilly, a former US women's soccer player.
- Frank Malzone, a former baseball player for the Boston Red Sox.
- Aly Raisman, a US women's artistic gymnast and six-time Olympic medalist.
- Karl Ravech, an ESPN sports anchor.
Television
- Marsha Bemko, executive producer of Antiques Roadshow.
- Lee Eisenberg, a writer for The Office.
- Steve Hely, a writer for American Dad!.
Literature
- Janet Tashjian, an author of popular children's book series.
Other Notable People
- Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut.
- Jared Freid, a comedian.
- Chester Nimitz, Jr., a retired United States Navy rear admiral and World War II hero.
See also
In Spanish: Needham (Massachusetts) para niños
