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Home My WebLink About1956 Monograph - Town of Lexington 4): TOWN AND CITY se /� MONOGRAPHS 334 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON Monograph #112 TOWN OF T,FXINGTON Prepared — 1955 Revised — 9-56 INDEX OF moNcGRAPH I. GENERAL INFORMATION V. Ealmaz aaft PAYROLLS A. 1. City or To A. All Industries 2. County 3. Location B. Manufacturing 4. Population 1950 5, Land Area VI, MUNICIPAL FINANCE 6. Density 7. Climate A. 1. General Statement S. Elevation 2. Extent of Services 9. Topo. Characteristics 3. Comparative 10, U.S,G.S. Topo, Plates 4. Tax Rates 11. Aerial Survey Photo, Nos, 5. Tax Levy 6. Assessed Valuation B. 1, Date Established 7, Debt 2, Date Incorporated VII. PUBLIg EDUCATION C. 1. Type of Government 2. Special Districts A. 1. Enrollment 2. Number of Teachers 3, Pupil-Teacher Ratio IT, POPULATION 4, Expenditure Per Pupil 5. Teachers v Salaries A. 1, General Description VIII. TRANSPORTATION B. 1. Number of People 2, Age Composition A, General Statement 3. Nativity 4. Education B. Rail 5. Occupation 6, Politics C. Highway 7. Income D. Other HOUSING IX. PLANNING A. 1. General Information A. Planning B. 1. Type of Structure B. Zoning 2. New Construction 3. Age C. Subdivision Control 4. Density 5. Condition X, Imung„ DEVELOPU,g_ 6. value 7. Monthly Rents A. General Description XI. UTILITIES IV. ECONOMIC BASE A. Electric Service A. Historic Trends B. Gas Service B. Present Economy C. Water Service GENERAL INFORMATION A 1. Town: Lexington 2. County: Middlesex 3. Location: Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Lincoln on the south- west, Bedford on the northwest, Burlington on the north- east, Woburn, Winchester and Arlington on the east and Belmont and Waltham on the south. 11 miles from Boston, 10 miles from Lowell and 220 miles from New York City. 4. Population,1950: 17,335 5. Land Area: 16.48 square miles 6. Density, 1950: 1,052 persons per square mile 7. Climate: Mean temperature in January: 29.40F. Mean temperature in July: 74.3°F. Mean annual precipitation: 40.17 inches 8. Elevation at Town Hall: Approximately 200 feet above mean sea level 9. Topographical Hilly-soil wet with some moist but somewhat rough and Characteristics: stony. 10. U.S.G.S. Topographic Plates: Concord, Lexington 110 Aerial Survey DPQ - 6K - 31 DPQ IIK 55 DPQ 11K - 104 Photos: 32* 56* 105* 33 57 106 34* 58* 107* 35 59 60* 61 • asterisk indicates those photos needed for complete physical coverage. All numbers are needed for stereoscopic coverage.) B 1, Established: March 20, 1713 C 1. Type of Govt: Limited Town Meeting 2. Special Districts: 5th Massachusetts Congressional District 7th Middlesex District for State Senator 19th Middlesex District for Representative in General Court 6th Councillor District Boston Metropolitan Area Metropolitan Water and Sewerage Districts Year Prepared - 1955 Year Revised- . . Lexington II POPULATION - U. S. CENSUS 1950 A-1 Lexington is a growing suburban community. For the decade 1940 to 1950, its population increased 4,148 or 31.5%. Of this number 3,019 were due to a net in-migra- tion and 1,129 to an excess of births over deaths. For the 1945-1955 decade, the pop- ulation increased by 7,804, or about 54%, of which 5,853 were from in-migration' and 1,951 from natural increase. During 1954 the birth rate for Lexington was 24.1 per 1,000 of population; the death rate was 7.8. Comparable rates for Middlesex County were birth, 23.5; death, 9.9. B-1 NUMBEWIZTEI B-2 AGE COMPOSTTIOM Ratio to 1930 Percent of total Year Number LexiaLm_Boston Met. Area Age Number Lexington Boston Met. A. 1910 4,918 51.9% 73.7% Under 5 1,733 10.0% 9.4% 1920 6,350 67.1 86.1 5 - 13 2,392 13.8 12.6 1930 9,467 100.0 100.0 14 - 19 1,223 7.1 7.9 1940 13,187 139.3 101.7 14 & over 13,210 76.2 78.0 1945 14,452 152.7 106.4 21 & over 11,802 68.1 68.6 1950 17,335 183.1 110.7 65 & over 1,851 10.7 9.7 1955 22,256 235.1 111.9 B-3 NATIYITY Percent of total Of the 2,264 foreign-born persons in No. LexlmagnLato M,...A.2. Lexington, 32.9% were Canadian other Native-born White 14,982 86.4% 81.5% than French in origin, 16.0% Irish, Foreign-born White 2,264 13.1 16.2 5.1% Swedish, 3.6% Scotch and 3.1% Negro 74 .4 2.1 French Canadian, 13.1% Italian, and Other 15 .1 .2 6.3% English. B-4 EDUCLTICfLpersoM.25,....Vs...2.-9144...9.Y9S1 B-5 OCCUPATION IszingIsza_Boston M.A. Of the 13,210 persons 14 years old or Median No. of older, 5,777 or 43.7% were in the civilian School yrs. completed 12,3 11.9 labor force. Of these, 73.9% were male and Completing less than 26.1% were female. 2.5% of the civilian 5 grades 5.7% 7.0% labor force were unemployed, which is much Completing High lower than the 5.7% unemployed in the Boston School or more 58.4% 49.0% Met. Area and the 5.8% in the State. B-6 POLITICS* % of total in Groun ____221._Lexingtz_agaltsaMet. A. Actual Voters 1952 Pres, Elec. 9,384 Prof Tech .9 , Voted Republican 1952 " " 77.1% & Kindred 1077 19.1% 12.1% Voted Democratic 1952 " " 22.7% Mgrs., Off. & Prop. 930 16.5 9.8 B-7 INCOMES OF FAMILIES & UNRELATED INDIV. Clerical, etc. 807 14.3 17.9 T,exingtgajoston M,A. Sales 584 10.4 8.7 Income under $1,500 16.0% 23.7% Craftsmen, From $1,500 - 2,999 17.3 25.3 Foremen, etc. 871 15.5 14.9 From 3,000 - 4,499 26.2 26.0 Operatives 531 9.4 19.4 $4,500 and over 40,5 25.0 Pvt, Hshld. Median Income $3,958 3,042 Workers 135 2.4 1.9 Service wkrs. 370 6.6 9.4 Laborers 261 4.6 50 Not Reported 66 1.2 .9 *Secretary of the Conmionwealth. Lexington III HaSZ.213\TELS ].„...25.2 A-1 Of a total of 4,13 dwelling units in Lexington, 3,986 were occupied and 54 or 1.3% were vacant and available for occupancy. Of the occupied units 85.0% were owner-occupied and 15.0% were tenant-occupied. In the Boston Metropolitan Area, /1);.6% of all occupied dwelling units were owner-occupied and 55.4% were tenant- occupied. 1.0% of all dwelling units in the area were vacant and available for occupancy. The average estiated cost of new dwellings built during 1953 was ' 11,,n57 per unit, compared to $9,321 per unit for all new dwellings reported by 146 municipalities in the State. B-1 TY17T, OF STRUCTURE B-2 NEW DWELLINGS* Percent of total Number Lexington Boston. Met.A. Year No. of Units 1 Unit Detached 3,519 85.8% 33.0% 1946 174 1955-438 1 Unit Attached 10 .2 1.1 1947 207 1&2 Units Semi-detached 147 3.6 2.2 1948 330 2 Unit Structures 322 7.9 23.0 1949 223 3&4 Unit Structures 96 2.3 23.0 1950 450 5 or more Unit Structures 9 .2 17.1 1951 290 1952 358 1953 376 1954 277 B-3 AGE B-4 PERSONS PER UNIT Percent in Year Built Units Percent Persons Units Lexington BostonMet. 1940-1950 1,135 27,50 1 person 153 3.8% 8.7% 1930-1939 635 15.4 2 persons 866 21.7 25.2 1920-1929 790 19.1 3 persons 920 23.1 23.0 1919 or earlier 1,570 38.0 4 persons 982 24.6 19.9 5&6 persons 827 20.7 17.8 13o 7 persons or more 238 6.0 5.4 Median persons per unit 3.6 3.2 B-5 CONDITION Percent of Lexington Boston Met.Area Units having no private bath, no running water or dilapidated 3.0% 10.4% Units having central heating 95.6 82.3 Units having mechanical refrig. 95.1 88.2 B-6 VALUE OF ONE-DWELLING-UNIT STRUCTURES C-1 Lexington has not accepted Chapter 434, Acts of 1953 Number LeZiDE19111at-A. providing for rent control, Less than 3,000 17 .6% 1.6% C-2 MONTHLY RENTS - TEN. OCC. UNITS 63,00043,999 14 .5 1.8 4,000- 4,999 22 .7 2.6 Percent of 5,000- 7,499 201 6.5 15.3 L.9xington Boston .. 7,500- 9,999 413 13.4 22.4 Under20 3.5% 7.9% 10,000-14,999 1,443 46.8 34.1 1;20 to 3;'.'39 44.9 49.7 15,000 & over 969 31.5 22.2 $40 to $59 35.1 29.5 Median Value 13,025 $10,878 t60 & over 16.5 12.9 Median Rent $40,89 636.53 "From building permits issued. Lexington IV. ECONOMIC BASE A. HISTORIC TRENDS Lexington was originally settled in 1640 and until its incorporation as a town in 1713, it was known as Cambridge Farms, a part of the town of Cambridge. The town was named after Lord Lexington, an English nobleman. It was settled for farming and remained an agricultural town for many years. In its early his- tory, saw and grist mills were built and maintained for a long time. A small tannery was also established in the town, Other small mills were built at var- ious periods. but were eventually abandoned. Industry had few locational or, other natural advantages in Lexington and as other communities surpassed it in industrial development, it returned to its agricultural pursuits. In recent years, the town had gradually been transformed into a residential suburb. Lex- ington is famous for the glorious part it played at the outbreak of the Revo- lutionary War, B. PRESENTECS B 1. General Today Lexington is a desirable residential suburb of the Greater Boston Area. In 1955, 292 firms reported to the Massachusetts Division of Employment Security. These firms employed 2,006 persons in November, 1955 and had an an- nual payroll of $6,025,000.. The construction industry was the second largest source of employment with 29.8% of the total employed population reported. First in importance was wholesale and retail trade with 42.9% of the total employees. The 1950 U.S. Census of Population reported 4,164 private wage and salary work- ers living in Lexington, Although these figures may be used in general terms only, they do indicate that many Lexington residents are employed outside of the community. 2. Manufacturing 11 manufacturing firms reported 169 employees during November, 1955 with an annual payroll of $515,000. The principal manufacturing firms are Crowell Tube Company, cold drawn seamless steel, carbon, nickel and nickel alloy; Jefferson Union Company, air furnace pipes, elbows and unions; John E. Allen & Company, Inc., wood doors, windows, and overhead garage doors; and the Adams Press Inc., commercial printing. 3. Trade Wholesale trade establishments employed 37 persons in November, 1955 with an annual payroll of $161,000, while retail trade establishments had 823 em- ployees in November, 1955 and an annual payroll of1,854,000. The 1948 U.S. Census of Business reported retail sales in Lexington at X8,995,000. The per capita retail sales were $519, compared to $722 for Middlesex County. 4. Self Employed and Government Workers The 1950 U.S4. Census of Population, which reported occupational information on the basis of residence rather than place of employment, showed that there were 719 Government workers and 738 self-employed workers living in Lexington. , . Lexington V. EMILPINEM11212Illagas reported to the DIVISION OF EMPLOYMENT SECURITY A. ALL INDUSTRY 1955 Nov. 1955 Distribution Industry No. of Firms Annual_Po.12. 11oees_13,y_l_p_miclyees 1. Agriculture & Mining 11 $ 148,000 46 2.3% 2. Construction 84 2,370,000 595 29,8 3. Manufacturing 11 515,000 169 8.4 4. Trans., Comm., & Utilities 15 82,000 39 1.9 5. Wholesale & Retail Trade 90 2,015,000 860 42.9 6. Finance, Ins. & Real Estate 24 515,000 139 6.9 7. Service Industry 53 374,000 153 7.6 S. Unclassified 4 6,000 5 0.2 Lexington VI MUNICIPAL FIANCE A-1 Lexington has a tax rate well below the state average. This lowrate is the result, primarily, of a high level of assessed values. Like most rabidly graying residential towns, Lexington has a heavy debt load resulting from the provision of schools, sewers and highways to service an expanding population. Principal and interest payments on debt are the principal cause of the high per capita tax levy. J -.2 The tax rae given below is the complete cost of munici7alzervices -:Jer .)1,0010. of assessed valuations. There is no additional county or school district levy. A-3 For the 52 municipalities in Massachusetts with. populations of from 10,.000 to 25,000, the per capita assessed valuation was '1810 in 1955 and the per cacita tax levy was :93.93. :.:.s of January 1, 1955 per capita net debt for t hts group Was 11 .30 of. Tlicb. ';100.06 was for general Purpose and $15.54 for public service debt® A-4 TAX. RATE A-5 TAX LEVY Year Amount Year Amount Per Capita 1777-2;577 -7117707 1954 V.000 1954 2,095,751 120.20 1953 44.00 1951TD0 i.4_r'24.,n _, ..).7 106.09 A-6 ASSESSED VALUATTO 2,-7 DEBT, 1/1/55 ----_-__- Year Amoubt Per Capita Amount Per Capita -757-771.8,-55,363 1270-- General Purpose (net7-77777550 •1'.35.36 • 1954 115008,310 2614 Public Service (net) 457 000 26.36 1953 41,501700 2397 Not total VII PUBLIC PUBLIC EDUCATION Lexington State A-1 Pupil Enrollment 3,909 724,885 A-2 Number of TeacLers 154 27,232 A-3 Pupil-Teacher Ratio 25. 26.6 A-4 Expenditures per 2apil in not average membership _ . .2.3.0A.3 .. , $252, 44 1,5 Teacherst Salaries (mm -max) 13,=-45700 ;A2,450-$7, 000 Lexington VIII TRANSPORTATION A. GENERAL Excellent rail and bus facilities are available in the town. Lexington is within easy commuting distance to Boston where railroad, bus and airport connections may be made to all points. The public roads and highways are generally in good condition and meet the requirements of automobile, bus and truck transportation. B. RAIL The Boston and Maine Railroad Company provides passenger service to Lexington. There are three trains each way on weekdays, which stOp at five different stations in Lexington. The first stop is 9.0 miles from the North Station in Boston and the last is 12.3 miles. The average commuting time to or from the Lexington station stop is about 33 minutes. C. HIGHWAY Lexington is located on Route #128 which goes southeast and northeast. Other highways that go through Lexington are Route #4. - north and south, Route #25 which joins Route #4 on the north, and Routes #2 and #2A-east and west. BUS The Middlesex-Boston Street Railway Company provides bus service to Boston., Concord, Waltham, Bedford, and Arlington, where M.T.A. connections may be made for various points in Boston. Interstate transportation. is available via the Boston and Maine Transportation Company, and the Vermont Transit Company. D. OTE About 50 established trucking firms provide competitive freight service locally and to long distance points. Lexington is within easy commuting and trucking distance of the Boston Docks and, the Logan International Airport, thus providing intercity and international ocean and air carrier service. The Bedford Airport, which is located in the neighboring town of Bedford andwhich has two runways each over 5,000 feet, is easily accessible from Lexington and is available to aircraft. . „ Lexington IX PLANNING A. PLANNING A planning board was first established in Lexington in 1918. Later, in 1948, the town accepted the provisions of Section 81A, Chapter 41 of the Gen- eral Laws, for the planning board, thereby giving it increased responsibili- ties. Over the years, the town has maintained a progressive interest in mat- ters pertaining to planning. This interest culminated in 1954 with the ap- pointment of a full-time planning director, making Lexington the only commun- ity of comparable size in the State with such an official. B. ZONING LexingtonQs first zoning by-law was adopted in 1929. As amended to De- cember 31, 1955, the following districts and minimum lot sizes are provided: Use Districts frqJtFrontage 1E141 1. One family dwelling-R-1-a 30,000 150 2. One family dwelling-R-1-b 15,500 125 3. Two family dwelling-R-2 15,500 125 4. Local business C-I (see note) 5. General business C-2 " " 6. Trunk highway T-1 se 1? 7. Light 1,1anufacturing M-1 " 8. Garden Apartment & Hotel A-1 - 3,000 sq. ft., 1 bedroom - 3,500 sq. ft., 2 bedrooms - 4,000 sq, ft. per 3, or more, bedroom unit. Note; For special regulations covering other uses permitted in these districts consult. building inspector or local planning board. C. SUB-DIVISION CONTROL The planning board exercises sub-division control under the provisions of Sections 81-K to 8l-GG, Chapter 41 of the General Laws. Regulations of the Board may be obtained from the Planning Director. D. BUILDING CODE A building code was first adopted in 1915. This has subsequently been amended and revised. X INDUSTgAL DEVELOPMENT Information on available sites and factory space may be obtained from the Board of Selectmen, Town Hall, Lexington; the Lexington Chamber of Commerce; or from the Development Division, Massachusetts Department of Commerce. kxington XI UTILITTES A. ELECTRIC SERVICE Electric power is supplied to the town of Lexington by the Boston Edison Company. Details on rates and capacities may be obtained from the Industrial Development Division, Boston Edison Company, 39 Boylston Street, Boston; or from the Research Division, Massachusetts Department of Commerce. B. GAS SERVICE The Mystic Valley Gas Company provides gas to the town of Lexington. Details on rates and capacities may be obtained from the firm located at 299 Broadway, Arlington; or from the Research Division, Massachusetts De- partment of Commerce. C. WATER SERVICE Water is supplied by the Public Works Department of Lexington and it is obtained from the Metropolitan Water Supply. Results of a chemi- cal analysis of 3 samples taken in 1954 by the Division of Sanitary En- gineering, Massachusetts Department of Public Health showed the follow-. ing results: Parts per Million Metropolitan Water S Color 10 to 30 Ammonia Free .009 .217 Total Albuminoid .080 .174 Chlorides 2.2 6.6 Hardness 10 39 Alkalinity 3 6.3 Fe pH. 6.7 6.4 Publication approved by George J. Cronin, State Purchasing Agent - #30