Needless to say, today is a day of great celebration in America's history. Today is actually America's 235th birthday. Westwood, meanwhile, was first settled in 1640 as part of Dedham, and was officially incorporated on March 8, 1897, making the town more than 114 years old. To stay within the theme of historical note, here are 10 interesting facts about Independence Day for our Westwood readers. Enjoy! There is more than a one-in-four chance that the hot dogs and pork sausages consumed on the Fourth of July originated in Iowa. The Hawkeye State was home to 19 million hogs and pigs on March 1…

Before Westwood became a town of its own, it was known as West Dedham, where, following the Civil War, the Fourth of July celebration was a formal event. Everyone attending received formal invitations in the mail, and it was mandatory to wear full dress military uniforms, according to Westwood Historical Society member John Pritchard. Every year on the holiday, the Westwood-Dedham Light Artillery climbed Independence Hill, which is now part of new Westwood Cemetery, where a fifty foot flagpole and a Civil War Cannon had been installed. The participants then fired salutes at sunrise, noon and …

In 1903, a private school was built on High Street near the entrance of present day Fox Village.  Then, in 1915, resident Louis Brooks bought the property and turned the schoolhouse into a private residency. During this time, there were private kindergartens and nursery schools held in private homes and church parish halls. In 1905, the Fisher School was closed, because the enrollment had dropped to eight pupils.  The students of Westwood preferred the more modern Colburn School on High Street, mainly because of it's convenient central location, according to town documents. In 1910, the …

By the mid 1800s, each parish in the Westwood area had its own school.  During the winter, "Masters Schools" were held, while "Mistresses Schools" were held during the winter. At the same time, "large" boys in town were out working on the farmlands. In 1838, teacher Susan Talbot taught 56 students ranging from ages 2 to 13 in one class. Then, in 1847, the Village School was built on the present day site of the Colburn School, and 20 years later, the building was named the in honor of the Colburns, a family in town that had distinguished itself in education. "The school was ultimately moved …

Education in Westwood dates back to the days when the town was still known as West Dedham, before it was finally incorporated as a town in 1897. The spark of the educational flame began in January of 1644, when 42 men in Dedham unanimously voted to "provide maintenance for Free Schoole in our said Town," according to historical town documents.  Twenty pounds was to be raised for the teachers' salaries, and in order to do this, some lands were set aside for rent, with all the money gained going back into educational funds. Each family with sons and servants were charged five shillings. …

Buckmaster Pond has a long history of use. The pond itself dates all the way back to the ice age as a result of a melted glacier. But that was only the starting point. Back when Westwood was still West Dedham, it was known as Pond Plain Pond, and was known as one of the three "Great Ponds" on the road towards Medfield. In the early 1700s, there were plans to change the roads in the area, but landowners John Buckmaster and Nathaniel Kingsbury felt that it would impede on their property and impact it negatively, and eventually the project was dropped. Nathan Kingsbury sold a half of an acre …

Originally, in 1845, the Fisher School stood on Clapboardtree Street. At the time, the building, now home to the Westwood Historical Society, was named after Ebenezer Fisher, who was a local farmer and also a veteran of the Revolutionary War. The house was used as a school until the early 1900s. When Westwood officially became a town and separated from Dedham in 1987, enrollment in the school began to drop. Then, in 1905, the school closed its doors to students. Shortly afterwards, the Fisher School was purchased by William Colburn, who moved it from Clapboardtree Street to Milk Street for …

The Westwood Town Pound wasn't always the property of Westwood. Originally, the pound belonged to Dedham, as Westwood was known as West Dedham until 1897. The pound itself was built in 1700 by Lieutenant Joseph Colburn, who paid forty schillings for its construction. When it was first built, the pound was surrounded by a wooden wall, but shortly after a stone fence was built instead. This fence is one of many historical stone fences in Westwood. These historical fences can be found all over Massachusetts, and are so historically important that it is actually a crime to disturb any of these …

It was in 1812 when Obed Baker built a house for him and his wife, Betsey Metcalf Baker, on 965 High St. For some background, during the wars of the 19th century, Baker transported munitions and supplies to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Virginia. His wife, Betsey, was known for her selfless acts of sending food and clothing to Ireland during the Potato Famine and for coming up with a effective method of making straw bonnets. In 1924 the house was moved to 1007 High St. and stayed there until 2001. In the year 2000, the Town of Westwood bought the house with plans to use it for affordable …