Norfolk County, Massachusetts - Chapter 34: The Town of Westwood, 1918

Chapter 34: The Town of Westwood

Westwood, one of the comparatively new towns of Norfolk County, is centrally located, being bounded on the north and east by Dedham ; on the southeast by Canton ; on the south by Norwood ; and on the west by Walpole and Dover. The Neponset River flows along- the eastern boundary line, separating Westwood from Canton, and in the western part the town is watered by Mill Brook, Bubbling Brook and Buckminster Pond. The surface is diversified and from some of the highest hilltops a fine view of the surrounding country may be obtained.

Early History

The territory comprising the Town of Westwood was included in the original plantation on the Charles River, which was ordered to be established by the General Court on September 3, 1635, and was incorporated as the Town of Dedham on September 8, 1636. The history of Westwood is therefore a part of the history of Dedham from 1635 until its incorporation as a separate town in 1897.

On October 8, 1730, the present towns of Norwood and Westwood were incorporated by an act of the General Court as the "South Precinct of Dedham." A controversy soon arose in the new precinct over the location of the meeting house, with the result that several petitions were presented to the General Court, asking that body to settle the dispute by sending a committee to view the situation and decide on a location for the said meeting house. In response to one of these petitions, a number of the inhabitants of the South Precinct were "set off* from said Precinct & again layed to the First Precinct in the Town of Dedham. whereunto they originally Belonged."

Those who were thus reunited with the old parish were not satisfied with the situation in which they were placed, owing to the distance they had to go to attend public worship, and on April 13, 1734, a petition was signed by Joseph Ellis and others, asking that they be set off as a separate parish or precinct, with authority to build a meeting house and employ a minister, and to be exempt from paying rates to the Town of Dedham for the support of the minister in the First Parish. Although the prayer of the petitioners was not at that time granted, they organized a religious society on June 4, 1735, and installed Rev. Josiah

Dwight, a son of Capt. Timothy Dwight, as their pastor. The parish was hnally incorporated as the "Clapboard Trees" parish on January 10, 1736, and was known as the Third Parish of Dedham. The name clapboard trees no doubt was derived from the fact that in that vicinity grew timber suitable for making clapboards to cover the dwelling houses erected by the early settlers. On January 17, 1836, Rev. John White, then pastor of the church in the Third Parish, preached a historical sermon, reviewing the growth and work of the parish during the one hundred years of its existence.

Westwood Incorporated

In the course of time the parish became known as "West Dedham," under which name it continued until the early part of the year 1897, when the following petition was presented to the Legislature:

"The undersigned petitioners, citizens of Dedham in said Commonwealth, respectfully represent that they are inhabitants of the village of West Dedham, in the said town, or of parts of said town most nearly allied in interest with said West Dedham ; that they are desirous of having the village of West Dedham, with a certain other portion of the territory of the said Town of Dedham, set off as a separate town under the name of West Dedham, or such other name as to the General Court may seem suitable ; and that the boundaries of such new town be fixed as follows : - Beginning at a line near the bridge across the Neponset River near Green Lodge Station, so called, upon the Boston & Providence Railroad ; thence in a straight line to the junction of Canton and East streets ; thence in a straight line to the junction of Washington and Elm streets; thence in a straight line to the junction of Grove and Higte streets; thence to the boundary stone between the towns of Dedham and Needham which is nearest to the Town of Dover, and on all other sides by the towns of Dover, Walpole, Norwood and Canton, as the town lines now exist."

This petition, which was signed by Calvin S. Locke, Luther A. Eaton, Henry E. Weatherbee and "twenty-two others," resulted in a bill granting the prayer of the petitioners being introduced in the House of Representatives on February 23> 1^97- After a thorough consideration of the subject by that branch of the Legislature, the bill was passed and on March nth was sent to the Senate. In due time it passed the Senate and on April 2, 1897, the governor gave his approval to the following

Act Of Incorporation

"Be it enacted, etc., That all the territory now within the Town of Dedham which lies southwesterly of the following described line, that is to say : Beginning at the Neponset River at the center of said river and the easterly line of Greenlodge Street, where said street crosses said river; thence running north, 47° 45' west, a distance of seven thousand six hundred and forty-eight and seven-tenths feet through private lands and crossing Greenlodge Street, to a point on the northerly side of East Street ; theijce by a course north, 700 55' west, a distance of five thousand five hundred and eighty-six and forty-sixhundredths feet through private lands and crossing the roadbed of the New England Railroad, Elm Street and the roadbed of the Norfolk County Railroad, to a point on the northerly side of Washington Street at the junction of Gay Street with said Washington Street; thence by a course north, 450 26' west, a distance of seven thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine and seven-tenths feet through private lands and crossing the Sandy Valley road, to a point on the northerly side of High Street at the junction of Grove Street with said High Street ; thence running by a course north, 500 22' west, a distance of nine thousand one hundred and forty-seven feet through private lands and crossing Westfield Street, to a point in the center of Charles River; thence running southwesterly along said Charles River a distance of three hundred and forty feet, about to the present dividing line between the towns of Dover and Dedham, where said line meets the Charles River - is hereby incorporated into a separate town, by the name of Westwood ; and the said Town of Westwood is hereby vested with all the powers, privileges, rights and immunities, and shall be subject to all the duties and requirements to which other towns are entitled and subject, under the constitution and laws of the Commonwealth."

Other sections of the act relate to the payment of taxes, the care of paupers and the division of town property and debt, in about the same language as that usually used in the incorporation of new towns. Some of the petitioners wanted to name the town "Nahatan," but the Legislature decided upon the name of "Westwood."

First Town Meeting

Pursuant to the provisions of the act of incorporation, W. W. Baker, a justice of the peace, issued his warrant to John Dean on April 6, 1897, directing him to notify the legal voters of a town meeting at Colburn Hall on Saturday, April 17, 1897. As this was the first meeting called in the new town, nearly every voter was present. Howard Colburn was chosen moderator and the meeting then proceeded to the election of officers, with the following result : Benjamin Fisher, Henry E. Weatherbee and John L. Fisher, selectmen, surveyors of highways, overseers of the poor and board of health ; Henry E. French, William Schlusemeyer and David A. Hodgdon, assessors; Willie W. Baker, clerk; George A. French, treasurer; Charles H. Ellis, tax collector; George Kingsbury, auditor; Calvin S. Locke, W. W. Baker and Crawford D. Place, school committee ; John Dean, George W. Thompson and Isaac H. Carter, constables.

Town Hall

At a meeting held on June 15, 1909, it was voted to appropriate the sum of $30,000 for the erection of a new town hall, and a building committee was appointed. Hurd & Gore, architects of Boston, submitted a design which was accepted, and the contract was awarded to Frank C. Woodward. The building was completed in 191 1. On the first floor are the town offices and a small hall; the second floor is occupied by a large hall, with the customary anterooms ; and in the basement is a banquet hall and the town lock-up. The building is a substantial

"West Dedham" postoffice was established in 1824, with Jason Ellis as postmaster. When the Town of Westwood was incorporated, the name of the postoffice was changed to correspond to that of the town. During the ninety-three years that this postoffice has been in existence, it has had but three postmasters. Jason Ellis served for a number of years, when he was succeeded by Theodore Gay, who served until 1880, when the present incumbent, Charles H. Ellis, was appointed. The only other postoffice in the town is at Islington. It is of comparatively recent origin.

Fire Department

Westwood has four fire companies, three of which were inherited from Dedham. Nearly opposite the town hall is the building occupied by the Franklin Engine Company No. 1, and Hose Company No. 1. There is another fire station near the Unitarian Church and one at Pond Plain, both equipped with hand engines and hose carts, and at Islington, in the eastern part of the town, is a chemical engine. The cost of maintaining the department for the year 1916 was $1,529. All the apparatus is of rather obsolete pattern and in their report for the year 1916 the board of engineers recommended the purchase of a combination auto truck, but their recommendation had not been approved by the town at the close of the year.

Town Officers, I917

At the beginning of the year 191 7 the principal town offices were occupied by the following incumbents : Henry E. Weatherbee, Herbert W. Bonney and George C. Lee, selectmen ; William L. Lucey, William H. McLaren and Benjamin F. White, assessors; Willie W. Baker, clerk (Mr. Baker has held the office of town clerk ever since Westwood was incorporated) ; Edward S. Colburn, treasurer; Charles H. Ellis, tax collector; Richard Lennihan, Carrol H. Draper and Granville W. Baker, auditors ; Mrs. Louisa C. Perkins, John C. Mulvehill and William H. Spokesfield, school committee; Frederick Fisher, Albert C. Crocker and Thomas H. Kelly, constables. The selectmen also serve as overseers of the poor, surveyors of highways and board of health.

Westwood Of Today

Westwood is a typical rural town. Without bank, manufacturing enterprises or a newspaper, the people "pursue the even tenor of their way." The town has two public school buildings - the Colburn School at Westwood and the Islington School - Baptist, Congregational and Unitarian churches, a public library, and well kept highways. But the town's greatest attraction is its homes, nearly all of which are owned by the occupants, who take commendable pride in keeping up their premises. In 1910 the population was 1,266 and in 1915 it was 1,448, a gain of 222 in five years. The assessed valuation of property in 19 16 was $5,924,108, an increase of $1,139,222 over that of the preceding year.