Needham

History

Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a tract of land measuring by from Chief Nehoiden for the sum of 10 pounds, of land, and 40 shillings worth of corn. It was officially incorporated in 1711. Originally part of the North Parish of Dedham, Needham split from Dedham and was named after the town of Needham Market in Suffolk, England. Just 15 months after asking for their own church, 40 men living on the north side of the Charles River suddenly asked the General Court to separate them from Dedham. Their petition cited the inadequate services provided, namely schools and churches. They also said that, if they were simply to be made a precinct instead of a separate town, that they would suffer political reprisals. Dedham agreed that the services were inadequate and did not oppose the separation, but did try to reduce the amount of land the separatists were seeking. Dedham also asked for a delay of one year. The General Court agreed with the petitioners, however, and created the new town of Needham with the original boundaries requested. Those who remained in Dedham still held rights to the unallotted lands in Needham, however, and any decrease in taxes would be offset by a decrease in expenditures. There may have also been some satisfaction in separating themselves from those on the other side of the 1704 power struggle. By the 1770s settlers in the western part of the town who had to travel a long distance to the meeting house on what is now Central Avenue sought to form a second parish in the town. Opposition to this desire created conflict, and in 1774 a mysterious fire destroyed the existent meeting house. Some time afterwards the West Parish was formed. In 1857, the City of Boston began a project to fill in the Back Bay with landfill by…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• TEC Connections Academy Commonwealth Virtual School
  Other · East Walpole · 2,940 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Brookline High
  High · Brookline · 2,087 students · 10.7:1 ratio
• Needham High
  High · Needham · 1,645 students · 12.6:1 ratio
• Wellesley Sr High
  High · Wellesley · 1,412 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Milton High
  High · Milton · 1,062 students · 13:1 ratio
• Charles S Pierce Middle
  Middle · Milton · 956 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Norwood High
  High · Norwood · 941 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Wellesley Middle
  Middle · Wellesley · 922 students · 8.9:1 ratio