West Brookfield

History

West Brookfield was first settled by Europeans in 1665 and was officially incorporated in 1848, splitting off from Brookfield, which was originally settled as part of the Quaboag Plantation. The town is believed to be the birthplace of asparagus in the New World. Diederik Leertouwer came to the United States in 1784 to promote trade between the Netherlands and New England. He later settled with his wife and daughter in West Brookfield where he carried out his duties as Consul and lived here between the years 1794 and 1798. At that time West Brookfield had a population greater than Worcester and was being considered for the county seat. Local legend has it that Diederik Leertouwer imported asparagus from his homeland and was the first to plant it in this area. This fact was forgotten until it was discovered in an old cookbook. Wild asparagus still grows in this area today. Leertouwer died here and is buried in the Old Indian Cemetery on Cottage Street in West Brookfield. The town is also home to the Rock House Reservation, a massive, cave-like rock shelter, exposed after the glacial retreat 10,000 years ago, that served as a winter camp for Native Americans. By the mid-1800s, it was part of a farm owned by William Adams whose descendant, F. A. Carter, dammed a small stream to create Carter Pond and built the cottage now serving as a trailside museum and nature center. The reservation is open year-round, daily, sunrise to sunset. Admission is free to all.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.03%, is water. West Brookfield is bounded on the southeast by Brookfield, on the north by North Brookfield and New Braintree, on the west by Ware and on the southwest by Warren. Route 9 is the main route in town. Other routes include Route 67, Route 19 (which begins in West Brookfield), and Route 32.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Burgess Elementary
  Elementary · Sturbridge · 877 students · 12:1 ratio
• Tantasqua Regional Sr High
  High · Fiskdale · 677 students · 9.4:1 ratio
• Tantasqua Regional Jr High
  Middle · Fiskdale · 551 students · 11.7:1 ratio
• Tantasqua Regional Vocational
  High · Fiskdale · 524 students · 40.3:1 ratio
• Wire Village School
  Elementary · Spencer · 417 students · 12.6:1 ratio
• Knox Trail Middle School
  Middle · Spencer · 363 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• David Prouty High
  High · Spencer · 357 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School
  Elementary · Sturbridge · 357 students · 12.8:1 ratio