About Wellesley
A gorgeous and developing town located in Norfolk county, Wellesley is becoming the place to be. With a population of approx. 29,000, Wellesley has a bustling economy with a small-town twist. Wellesley is filled with beautiful outdoor activities like swimming in Morses pond or visiting the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's the Gardens at Elm Bank, as well as great shopping and dining at Linden Square and on Central Street. On top of all that, Wellesley is home to one of the premier’s women’s universities in the country, Wellesley College. When you put all these great attributes together with the fact that Wellesley is located just outside of Boston, Wellesley becomes a great place to live, dine, and spend time!
Brief History
Originally named “contentment” by the original 19 pioneers, the town was bought from the Native Americans for only 5 British pounds and 3 pounds of corn. Over the years, the town moved from the jurisdiction of Dedham, then to Needham, becoming West Needham, and finally become their own town in 1880.
At first only a quaint farming town, many of the residents would commute daily to Faneuil hall in Boston to sell their produce. But when the railroad came through the town in 1830, the town dynamic changed. As more and more businessmen came to town, they brought their more modern way of life, which completely changed the dynamic of this otherwise quiet town.
in 1875 Henry Durant startled the small town by founding Wellesley College, a women’s college which has become one of the most respected educational institutions in the country. He named the college in honor his next-door neighbor, wealthy businessman and town benefactor Horatio Hollis Hunnewell, who’s mansion was named "Wellesley" in honor of his wife, whose maiden name was Welles. This name was also given to the town during it’s christening in 1881 for the same reason.
Getting to & Around Wellesley
- Wellesley has a daily MBTA commuter rail service inbound and outbound from Boston. The Wellesley commuter rail stops are Wellesley Farms, Wellesley Hills, and Wellesley Square.
- The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority provides bus services to run along Walnut Street, Cedar Street, and route 9. The highways that run through Wellesley are I-95/ Rt-128, I-90, & Routes 9, 16, and 35.
- The Ride is an MBTA based service for the elderly and people with disabilities that offers free or low-cost door-to- door service.
- More transportation, as well as public parking information, can be found here.
Climate of Wellesley
- Avg. Rainfall: 49 in. per year
- Avg. Snowfall: 50 in. per year
- Avg. July high: 83° F
- Avg. January low: 16.7° F
Interesting Facts about Wellesley
- Biz Stone, a co-founder of the social media site Twitter, is a former resident of Wellesley, graduating from the Wellesley High School.
- Centennial Park was built in 1981 to celebrate the town’s 100th birthday. This park is a great place to partake in any and all outdoor activities.
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