62-546: The American Antiquarian Society ( AAS ), located in Worcester, Massachusetts , is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in the United States with a national focus. Its main building, known as Antiquarian Hall, is a U.S. National Historic Landmark in recognition of this legacy. The mission of
124-460: A Mayor/ Bicameral form of government. Together, the two chambers—the 11-member Board of Aldermen and the 30-member Common Council—were vested with complete legislative powers. The mayor handled all administrative departments, though appointments to those departments had to be approved by the two-chamber City Council. Seeking to replace the 1848 charter, Worcester voters in November 1947 approved
186-604: A blizzard traversed over the city as it shed almost 32 inches (81 cm) of snow. This was the highest single-day snowfall total for anywhere in Massachusetts since data collection began in 1892. While rare, the city has had its share of extreme weather. On September 21, 1938, the city was hit by the brutal New England Hurricane of 1938 . Fifteen years later, Worcester was hit by a tornado that killed 94 people. The deadliest tornado in New England history, it damaged
248-508: A center of American revolutionary activity. The Worcester Revolt on September 6, 1774, was an early successful attempt to throw off British rule. British General Thomas Gage was given information of patriot ammunition stockpiled in Worcester in 1775. That same year, Massachusetts Spy publisher Isaiah Thomas moved his radical newspaper out of British occupied Boston to Worcester. Thomas would continuously publish his paper throughout
310-541: A ceremony at the White House. See also: Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( / ˈ w ʊ s t ər / WUUST -ər , locally [ˈwɪstə] ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the 114th most populous city in the United States . Named after Worcester, England ,
372-502: A change to Plan E municipal government . In effect from January 1949 until November 1985, this charter (as outlined in chapter 43 of the Massachusetts General Laws) established City Council/City Manager government. This type of governance, with modifications, has survived to the present day. Initially, Plan E government in Worcester was organized as a 9-member council (all at-large), a ceremonial mayor elected from
434-638: A deed to eight square miles of land in Quinsigamond from the Nipmuc people and English traders and settlers began to inhabit the region. In 1675, King Philip's War broke out throughout New England with the Nipmuc Indians coming to the aid of Indian leader King Philip . The English settlers completely abandoned the Quinsigamond area and the empty buildings were burned by the Indian forces. The town
496-485: A five-alarm fire at the Worcester Cold Storage & Warehouse Company . The fire took the lives of six firemen and drew national attention as one of the worst firefighting tragedies of the late 20th century. President Bill Clinton , Vice President Al Gore and other local and national dignitaries attended the funeral service and memorial program in Worcester. In recent decades, a renewed interest in
558-502: A hand-woven cloth to an industrial pulp. AAS undertakes special efforts to preserve printed records from this time period, as the Society maintains an on-site conservation department with various sewing, cloth, and binding materials to aid in the preservation process. Over its two-hundred-year history, the Society has had 14 formal leaders who have shaped the organization's vision, collections, and day-to-day operations. Leadership roles at
620-531: A heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester is the historical seat of Worcester County . Worcester developed as an industrial city in the 19th century because the Blackstone Canal and railways facilitated the import of raw materials and the export of such finished goods as machines, textiles, and wire. Many European immigrants made up the city's growing population. After World War II , manufacturing there waned; economic and population decline
682-400: A large area of the city of Worcester. The tornado left massive destruction and killed 94 people. The Worcester tornado would be the deadliest tornado ever to hit Massachusetts. Debris from the tornado landed as far away as Dedham . In the 1960s, Interstate 290 was built right through the center of Worcester, permanently dividing the city. In 1963, Worcester native Harvey Ball introduced
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#1732769726633744-489: A large part of the city and surrounding towns. It struck Assumption Preparatory School , now the site of Quinsigamond Community College . According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Worcester had a population of 206,518, of which 104,911 (50.8%) were female and 101,607 (49.2%) were male. In terms of age, 81.0% were over 18 years old and 13.6% were over 65 years old; children under 5 made up 5.2% of the city's population. In terms of race and ethnicity, Worcester's population as of 2020
806-628: A new retail, commercial and living destination in the city. After struggling to secure finances for a number of years, Hanover Insurance took over the project and demolition began on September 13, 2010. Unum Insurance and the Saint Vincent Hospital leased into the project and both facilities opened in 2013. The new Front Street opened on December 31, 2012. Worcester has become home to many refugees in recent years. The city has successfully resettled over 2,000 refugees coming from over 24 countries. Today, most of these refugees come from
868-677: A number of them are unique. Historic materials from all fifty U.S. states, most of Canada and the British West Indies are included in the AAS repository. One of the more famous volumes held by the Society is a copy of the first book printed in America, the Bay Psalm Book . AAS has one of the largest collections of newspapers printed in America through 1876, with more than two million issues in its collection. Its collections contain
930-439: A riot broke out. Klansmen's cars were stoned and burned, and their windows smashed. KKK members were pulled from their cars and beaten. Klansmen called for police protection, but the situation raged out of control for most of the night. The violence after the "Klanvocation" had the desired effect: Membership fell off, and no further public Klan meetings were held in Worcester. Robert Stoddard , owner of The Telegram and Gazette ,
992-724: A schoolteacher and studied law in Worcester. Worcester also had a role in the start of the American Revolution , with an event that is oft-forgotten. On September 6, 1774, 4,622 militiamen from 37 towns in Worcester County assembled and marched on Main Street, Worcester; they sought to shut down the Crown's court before it could sit for a new session. The event was dubbed the Worcester Revolution , or
1054-559: A soda-water fountain and some lovely colored dishes." On October 19, 1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) ever held in New England took place at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester. Klansmen in sheets and hoods, new Knights awaiting a mass induction ceremony, and supporters swelled the crowd to 15,000. The KKK had hired more than 400 "husky guards", but when the rally ended around midnight,
1116-588: A year, as well as an average of 64 inches (160 cm) of snowfall a season, receiving far more snow than coastal locations less than 40 miles (64 km) away. Massachusetts' geographic location, jutting out into the North Atlantic , as well as Worcester's elevation relative to the surrounding terrain, makes the city very prone to Nor'easter weather systems that can dump heavy snow on the region. Extreme winters have brought up to 120 inches (300 cm) of snowfall, as happened in 2005. In late January 2015,
1178-474: Is printing technology , especially in eighteenth-century British North America. Since Isaiah Thomas was a newspaper man himself, he collected a large number of printed materials. With regard to printing, paper making , edition setting, and reprinting, not much had changed in European technology by the eighteenth century. It was not until the late eighteenth century that paper-making material began to evolve from
1240-408: Is 102 °F (39 °C), recorded on July 4, 1911, the only 100 °F (38 °C) or greater temperature to date. The all-time record low temperature is −24 °F (−31 °C), recorded on February 16, 1943. Worcester is known for being particularly snowy in the cold months, sometimes even experiencing intense autumn blizzards. The city averages 48.07 inches (1,220 mm) of precipitation
1302-530: Is a regional hub of government, industry, and transportation hub. Since the 1970s, and especially since the construction of Route 146 and interstates 90 , 495 , 190 , 290 , and 395 , both Worcester and its surrounding towns have become more integrated with Boston's suburbs. The Worcester region now marks the western periphery of the Boston–Worcester–Providence (MA–RI–NH) U.S. Census Combined Statistical Area (CSA), or Greater Boston . The area
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#17327697266331364-415: Is governed by a council–manager government , with a popularly elected mayor . A city council acts as the legislative body, and the council-appointed manager handles the traditional day-to-day chief executive functions. City councilors can run as either a representative of a city district or as an at-large candidate. The winning at-large candidate who receives the greatest number of votes for mayor becomes
1426-542: Is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth" because of its proximity to the center of Massachusetts. The city is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston , 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield , and 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Providence, Rhode Island . The Blackstone River forms in the center of Worcester by the confluence of the Middle River and Mill Brook. The river courses underground through
1488-766: The American Revolutionary War . On July 14, 1776, Thomas performed the first public reading in Massachusetts of the Declaration of Independence from the porch of the Old South Church, where the 19th-century Worcester City Hall stands today. He would later go on to form the American Antiquarian Society in Worcester in 1812. During the turn of the 19th century, Worcester's economy moved into manufacturing. Factories producing textiles, shoes and clothing opened along
1550-558: The Democratic Republic of the Congo , Iraq , Somalia , Bhutan , Syria , Ukraine and Afghanistan . Worcester has a total area of 38.6 square miles (100 km ): 37.6 square miles (97 km ) of land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km ), comprising roughly 2.59%, of water. Worcester is bordered by the towns of Auburn , Grafton , Holden , Leicester , Millbury , Paxton , Shrewsbury , and West Boylston . Worcester
1612-423: The poverty threshold . Worcester is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese , Brazilians , Albanians , Puerto Ricans , Ghanaians , Dominicans , along with Chinese and Indian Americans. 22% of Worcester's population in 2018 was born outside the United States. Data is from the 2015–2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Worcester
1674-516: The 1650s. On the initiative of Isaiah Thomas , the AAS was founded on October 24, 1812, through an act of the Massachusetts General Court . It was the third historical society established in America, and the first to be national in its scope. Isaiah Thomas started the collection with approximately 8,000 books from his personal library. The first library building was erected in 1820 in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1853,
1736-438: The AAS have historically overlapped in chronology, as different roles oversaw different aspects of the Society simultaneously. The American Antiquarian Society's membership includes scholars, writers, journalists, historians, artists, filmmakers, collectors, American presidents, and civic leaders. Notable members include the following individuals: AAS was presented with the 2013 National Humanities Medal by President Obama in
1798-516: The AAS is to collect, preserve and make available for study all printed records of what is now known as the United States of America. This includes materials from the first European settlement through the year 1876. The AAS offers programs on a wide variety of subjects including but not limited to Environmental History, Indigenous Peoples Studies, and American Religion for professional scholars, pre-collegiate, undergraduate and graduate students, educators, professional artists, writers, genealogists , and
1860-723: The Canal District Business Association, have proposed restoring the canal and creating a Blackstone Valley National Park . Worcester is one of many cities claimed, like Rome , to be found on seven hills : Airport Hill, Bancroft Hill, Belmont Hill (Bell Hill), Grafton Hill , Green Hill, Pakachoag Hill and Vernon Hill. However, Worcester has more than seven hills, examples of which include Indian Hill, Newton Hill, Poet's Hill, and Wigwam Hill. Worcester has many ponds and two prominent lakes: Indian Lake and Lake Quinsigamond . Lake Quinsigamond (also known as Long Pond) stretches four miles (6.4 km) across
1922-521: The Earles and the Chases, whose organizing efforts were crucial to the anti-slavery cause in central Massachusetts and throughout New England. Anarchist Emma Goldman and two others opened an ice cream shop in 1892. "It was spring and not yet warm," Goldman later wrote, "but the coffee I brewed, our sandwiches, and dainty dishes were beginning to be appreciated. Within a short time, we were able to invest in
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1984-644: The Performing Arts . In 2000, the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences built a new campus in downtown Worcester. In 2007, WPI opened the first facility in their new Gateway Park center in Lincoln Square. In 2004, Berkeley Investments proposed demolishing the old Worcester Center Galleria for a new mixed-used development called City Square . The ambitious project looked to reconnect old street patterns while creating
2046-480: The Society moved its collections to a larger building at the corner of Highland Street, also in Worcester. This building was later abandoned and another new building was constructed. Designed by Winslow, Bigelow & Wadsworth , the Georgian Revival building was completed in 1910 and stands on the corner of Park Avenue and Salisbury Street. There have been several additions to this building to accommodate
2108-462: The United States. Worcester would also claim many inventions and firsts. New England Candlepin bowling was invented in Worcester by Justin White in 1879. Esther Howland began the first line of Valentine's Day cards from her Worcester home in 1847. Loring Coes invented the first monkey wrench and Russell Hawes created the first envelope folding machine. On June 12, 1880, Lee Richmond pitched
2170-529: The Worcester Revolt. Having seized the courthouse, the militiamen waited for the 25 appointees from the Crown to arrive, where they were denied entry and later forced to disavow their appointments by King George III. Bloodshed and violence was avoided, with not a shot fired. British authority had been demonstrably overthrown in the American colonies for the first time. In the 1770s, Worcester became
2232-547: The Worcester and Shrewsbury border and is a very popular competitive rowing and boating destination. Worcester's humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ) is typical of New England . The weather changes rapidly owing to the confluence of warm, humid air from the southwest; cool, dry air from the north; and the moderating influence of the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Summers are typically hot and humid, while winters are cold, windy, and snowy. Snow typically falls from
2294-596: The center of the city, and emerges at the foot of College Hill. It then flows south through Quinsigamond Village and into Millbury. Worcester is the beginning of the Blackstone Valley that frames the river. The Blackstone Canal was once an important waterway connecting Worcester to Providence and the Eastern Seaboard , but the canal fell into disuse at the end of the 19th century and was mostly covered up. In recent years, local organizations, including
2356-465: The city had 206,518 people at the 2020 census , also making it the second- most populous city in New England , after Boston . Worcester is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston, 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield , and 40 miles (64 km) north-northwest of Providence . Because it is near the geographic center of Massachusetts, Worcester is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth";
2418-591: The city's downtown has brought new investment and construction to Worcester. A Convention Center was built along the DCU Center arena in downtown Worcester in 1997. In 2000, Worcester's Union Station reopened after 25 years of neglect and a $ 32 million renovation. Hanover Insurance helped fund a multimillion-dollar renovation to the old Franklin Square Theater into the Hanover Theatre for
2480-541: The council by the councilors, and a council-appointed city manager. The manager oversees the daily administration of the city, makes all appointments to city offices, and can be removed at any time by a majority vote of the council. The mayor chairs the city council and the school committee, and does not have the power to veto any vote. From 1949 through 1959, elections were by the single transferable vote . Voters repealed that system in November 1960. Despite non-partisan elections, two groups alternated in control of council:
2542-571: The country and Washburn became one of the leading industrial and philanthropic figures in the city. Worcester would become a center of machinery, wire products and power looms and boasted large manufacturers, including Washburn & Moen, Wyman-Gordon Company, American Steel & Wire, Morgan Construction and the Norton Company . In 1908, the Royal Worcester Corset Company was the largest employer of women in
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2604-423: The first American women's magazine edited by a woman, The Humming Bird, or Herald of Taste . The collection also contains over 60,000 pieces of sheet music, over 300 games (including puzzles, board games, and cards), a large historical pottery collection, extensive New England diaries and personal papers, a diverse collection of photographs dating from the 1830s to the 1920s, and children's literature dating back to
2666-731: The first perfect game in Major league baseball history for the Worcester Ruby Legs at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds . The first three-decker homes were built by Francis Gallagher (1830–1911) in Worcester. After World War II, Worcester began to fall into decline as the city lost its manufacturing base to cheaper alternatives across the country and overseas. Worcester felt the national trends of movement away from historic urban centers. The city's population dropped over 20% from 1950 to 1980. In
2728-410: The general public. The collections of the AAS contain over four million books, pamphlets, newspapers, periodicals, graphic arts materials and manuscripts. The Society is estimated to hold copies of two-thirds of the total books known to have been printed in what is now the United States from the establishment of the first press in 1640 through the year 1820; many of these volumes are exceedingly rare and
2790-438: The growing collection. The most recent addition was completed in 2019 and created room for an updated HVAC system, conservation lab, and multi-use learning lab. AAS was presented with the 2013 National Humanities Medal by President Obama in a ceremony at the White House. As part of AAS's mission as a learned society, it offers a variety of public lectures and seminars. One topic to which AAS dedicates significant academic energies
2852-572: The humanities." The annual Charles Frankel Prize in the Humanities was established in 1988 and succeeded by the National Humanities Medal in 1997. The token is a bronze medal designed by a 1995 Frankel Prize winner, David Macaulay . Medals are conferred annually, usually by the U.S. President , to as many as twelve living candidates and existing organizations nominated early in the calendar year. The president selects
2914-563: The iconic yellow smiley face to American culture. In the late 20th century, Worcester's economy began to recover as the city expanded into biotechnology and healthcare fields. The UMass Medical School has become a leader in biomedical research and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park has become a center of medical research and development. Worcester hospitals Saint Vincent Hospital and UMass Memorial Health Care have become two of
2976-538: The largest employers in the city. Worcester's many colleges, including the College of the Holy Cross , Worcester Polytechnic Institute , Clark University , UMass Medical School, Assumption University , Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences , and Worcester State University , attract many students to the area and help drive the new economy. On December 3, 1999, a homeless couple accidentally started
3038-527: The local Democratic Party and a slate known as the Citizens' Plan E Association (CEA). CEA members included the Republican Party leadership and other groups not affiliated with the regular Democratic Party. In 1983, Worcester voters again decided to change the city charter. This "Home Rule" charter (named for the method of adoption of the charter) is similar to Plan E, the major changes being to
3100-554: The mayor (at-large councilor candidates must ask to be removed from the ballot for mayor if they do not want to be listed on the mayoral ballot). As a result, voters must vote for their mayoral candidate twice, once as an at-large councilor, and once as the mayor. The mayor has no more authority than other city councilors, but is the ceremonial head of the city and chair of the city council and school committee. Currently, there are 11 councilors: 6 at-large and 5 district. Worcester's first charter , which went into effect in 1848, established
3162-530: The mid-19th century and later many immigrants of Lithuanian, Polish, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Armenian, Syrian, and Lebanese descent. Immigrants moved into new three-decker houses (which originated in Worcester) lining hundreds of Worcester's expanding streets and neighborhoods. In 1831, Ichabod Washburn opened the Washburn & Moen Company . The company would become the largest wire manufacturing in
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#17327697266333224-692: The mid-20th century, large urban renewal projects were undertaken to try to reverse the city's decline. A huge area of downtown Worcester was demolished for new office towers and the 1,000,000 sq ft (93,000 m ) Worcester Center Galleria shopping mall. After only 30 years, the Galleria would lose most of its major tenants and its appeal to more suburban shopping malls around Worcester County. On June 9, 1953, an F4 tornado touched down in Petersham , northwest of Worcester. The tornado tore through 48 miles (77 km) of Worcester County including
3286-501: The nearby Blackstone River . However, the manufacturing industry in Worcester would not begin to thrive until the opening of the Blackstone Canal in 1828 and the opening of the Worcester and Boston Railroad in 1835. The city transformed into a transportation hub and the manufacturing industry flourished. Worcester was officially chartered as a city on February 29, 1848. The city's industries soon attracted immigrants of primarily Irish, Scottish, French, German, and Swedish descent in
3348-622: The second half of November into early April, with occasional falls in October; May snow is much rarer. The USDA classifies the city as straddling hardiness zones 5b and 6a. The hottest month is July, with a 24-hour average of 70.2 °F (21.2 °C), while the coldest is January, at 24.1 °F (−4.4 °C). There are an average of only 3.5 days of highs at or above 90 °F (32 °C) and 4.1 nights of lows at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) per year, and periods of either extremes are rarely sustained. The all-time record high temperature
3410-446: The structure of the council and the election of the mayor. The 9-member Council became 11, 6 at-large and 1 from each city district. The mayor is chosen by popular election, but must also run and win as an at-large councilor. Worcester's history of social progressivism includes a number of temperance and abolitionist movements. It was a leader in the women's suffrage movement: The first national convention advocating women's rights
3472-491: Was 67.7% White (including Hispanics), 13.0% Black or African American , 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.2% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5.2% from Some Other Race, and 6.4% from Two or More Races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 24.6% of the population (of whom nearly half were Puerto Rican). Non-Hispanic Whites were 48.93% of the population in 2020, down from 96.8% in 1970. In 2010, 19.7% of Worcester's population are below
3534-428: Was again abandoned during Queen Anne's War in 1702. Finally, in 1713, Worcester was permanently resettled for a third and final time by Jonas Rice . Named after the city of Worcester, England , the town was incorporated on June 14, 1722. On April 2, 1731, Worcester was chosen as the county seat of the newly founded Worcester County government. Between 1755 and 1758, future U.S. president John Adams worked as
3596-438: Was born outside the United States. A center of higher education, it is home to eight colleges and universities, including the College of the Holy Cross , Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and Clark University . Worcester has many 19th-century triple-decker houses, Victorian-era mills and related buildings , and lunch-car diners, such as Miss Worcester . Worcester is the principal city of Central Massachusetts , and
3658-533: Was held in Worcester on October 23–24, 1850. Two of the nation's most radical abolitionists, Abby Kelley Foster and her husband Stephen S. Foster, adopted Worcester as their home, as did Thomas Wentworth Higginson , the editor of The Atlantic Monthly and Emily Dickinson 's avuncular correspondent, and Unitarian minister Rev. Edward Everett Hale . The area was already home to Lucy Stone , Eli Thayer , and Samuel May Jr . They were joined in their political activities by networks of related Quaker families such as
3720-524: Was inhabited by members of the Nipmuc tribe at the time of European contact. The native people called the region Quinsigamond and built a settlement on Pakachoag Hill in Auburn . In 1673, English settlers John Eliot and Daniel Gookin led an expedition to Quinsigamond to establish a new Christian Indian praying town and identify a new location for an English settlement. On July 13, 1674, Gookin obtained
3782-503: Was not reversed until the 1990s, when higher education, medicine, biotechnology , and new immigrants started making their mark. The population has grown by 28% since 1980, reaching its all-time high in the 2020 census and effecting urban renewal . Modern Worcester is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese , Brazilians , Albanians , Puerto Ricans , Ghanaians , Dominicans , and others. Twenty-two percent of Worcester's population
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#17327697266333844-486: Was one of the founders of the John Birch Society . National Humanities Medal The National Humanities Medal is an American award that annually recognizes several individuals, groups, or institutions for work that has "deepened the nation's understanding of the humanities , broadened our citizens' engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in
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