Custom Home Builders & Remodeling Belmont MA

Belmont Town Offices
455 Concord Avenue, Belmont, MA 02478
Phone: (617) 993-2600

• Town Clerk
• Assessor’s Office
• Community Development: Building Division
• Community Development: Engineering Division

Belmont MA ZIP Codes: 02478

• My Other Kitchen
• Savino’s Grill

History

The town of Belmont was established on March 18, 1859, after a long tussle between inhabitants of Waterfall, Waltham, and West Cambridge who fought against the creation of a new town. The town presently called Belmont is part of these three towns.

It was named after John Perkin Cushin’s estate “Bellmont.” John Perkin Cushin was the highest taxpayer, sponsor, and advocating champion for the cause of creating a new town. Settlement in the area that presently includes Belmont started in 1630 when 40 families, including Sir Richard Saltonstall, migrated from Massachusetts Bay colony to start an agricultural community.

The settlement extended to surrounding towns presently called Watertown, Waltham, Weston, Lincoln, and parts of Cambridge. In 1843, Federick Tudor built a railroad that was extended to Waltham, and the line ran through the area now called Belmont. Belmont was an agricultural town known for its vast cultivation of fruit farms and gardens. Produce from Belmont farms were distributed to neighboring towns.

With easy access to the town through the railway and bountiful agricultural produce, Belmont MA developed. In the 1900s, its population multiplied with the influx of politicians, educators, scientists, and artists. This led to the phasing out of the farming community, and Belmont today is almost entirely residential.

What to see or do in Belmont, MA

Some of the sites explored by the first settlers in Belmont still stand to this day. The fresh pond is a park and reservoir in Belmont. In 1805, Federick Tudor began harvesting ice on fresh pond for shipment to other cities. Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first garden cemetery in the United States.

It was dedicated in 1831 and marked a colonial era. Mount Auburn Cemetery is a National historic landmark with classical monuments. Another place of interest is the O’Reilly Spite House, built in 1908 and purchased by Francis O’Reilly, who bought this narrow building as an investor. His efforts to sell the building to his neighbor were bluffed, and in response to that, he built a spite house on it. This refers to a structure specifically designed to spite anyone the builder dislikes. This spite house is still in use and has been converted for use as an office space.

Crime rates

Belmont is a relatively safe city. It is safer than 77% of cities in the United States. With a crime index of 77, it is ranked as one of the top 100 safest cities in the US. The probability of crime in Belmont MA is 1 in 150. The rate of property and violent crimes is very low compared to other cities. The chances of becoming a victim of violent crime in Belmont is 1 in 5,266.

Notable people

• Bruce Mather, born and brought up in Belmont MA, He was a local legend and an ice-hockey player
• Henry Kissinger, 1973 Nobel Peace Prize Winner (Resident of Belmont MA)
• Mitt Romney 70th Governor of Massachusetts and his wife, Ann Romney (Resident of Belmont MA)

Brookline Town Hall
333 Washington Street
Phone: (617) 730-2000

• Assessor’s Office
• Building Department
• Town Clerk Office

Brookline MA ZIP Codes: 02455 02446 02467

• Ma Hani Yom Thai Tapas Bar
• Orinco Kitchen Brookline Village

History

The first settlement in Brookline was in 1638. The town was part of the European colony in Boston and once a part of the Algonquian territory. Brookline was established as an individual county in 1705 on 13th November.

Its name was coined from two small brooks that once bordered the northern and southern parts of the town. The Smelt brook from the North separated it from Brighton, and the Muddy River from the south separated it from Boston. In the early 1670s, Brookline village boomed as a business center. It later developed as a suburb for streetcars, aiding and offering transportation to Boston at cheaper rates. From 1705 to 1873, Brookline developed from a small rural town to a commuting town and continued to gain economic strength in real estate.

Large plots of land were converted to estate homes for the rich folks in Boston, and it soon became a residential area for the elite. The town of Brookline was unique for its picturesque architectures, parks, interconnected roads, and edifices.
It was once said to be the richest town in the world and is currently the richest county in Massachusetts.

What to see or do in Brookline, MA

The 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, was born and bred in Brookline, MA. His family house, “The John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site,” is located at Beals Street in Brookline. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and is currently owned by the National Park who runs it as a tourist attraction and Historic site.

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum is the oldest collection of vehicles in the US. It was built in 1888, and it exhibits the evolution of automobiles to the present day. Another National Historic Site to see is the Federick Law Olmsted Site. In 1883, Federick Law Olmsted, who is recognized as the Founder of American Landscape architecture, established “Fairsted,” the world’s first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design.

Crime statistics

Brookline has an overall crime rate of 12 per 1000 residents, and according to FBI crime data analysis, the chances of becoming a victim of violent crime is 1 in 85. The town is safer than 54% of other US cities with a crime rate average of 12 per 1000 residents.

Brookline’s crime rate is lower than 36% of cities in Massachusetts. Violent crimes such as assault, rape, murder, and armed robbery happen less often in Brookline than in most of America. One’s chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime here is 1 in 1041, which is a violent crime rate of 1 per one thousand residents.

Notable people

• John F Kennedy, 35th President of the United States, was born in Brookline.
• Michael Dukakis, former governor of Massachusetts. Dukakis was the governor from 1975 – 1979 & from 1983 – 1991, the longest-serving governor.
• Conan Christopher O’Brien, O’Brien is a popular American comedian, television producer, and a TV host