Westminster, MA

Westminster is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,859 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Boston metropolitan area.

The town was first settled in 1638 as part of Charlestown. The area now known as Westminster was originally part of a tract granted to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and his wife in 1636 by the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony. Gorges named his estate after Westminster Abbey in London, England. In 1638, Gorges' son-in-law Thomas Dudley purchased 1,000 acres (4 km²) from Gorges for £1,100 and laid out the town which he named after his home town of Westminster in England. The first settler arrived that year and built a house on what is now Dudley Street (now Main Street). Dudley Street still bears his name today.

In 1775 during the American Revolution British troops marched through Westminster on their way to Lexington and Concord to confront American Patriots at the Battle of Bunker Hill. On July 4th 1812 an event that would later be known as "The Battle of Bunker Hill" took place near what is now Monument Square when American forces under Major General Henry Dearborn defeated a British force under Lieutenant Colonel Robert Ross at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

In 1892 Westminster became one of the townships within Middlesex County when it separated from Charlestown following increasing political tension between residents from each community over issues such as taxes and representation on county committees. In 1909 Westminster annexed portions of North Reading and West Reading making it geographically larger than it had been before but still remaining a small town with a population under 10,000 people..

Today much has changed since 1909 when Westminster consisted mainly farming communities with modest homes built primarily out of wood or clapboard with some brick or stone construction beginning to appear around 1910 due to increased demand for housing caused by an influx of families moving into Middlesex County seeking better opportunities than those available in rural areas outside major cities like Boston or Lowell . Today there are many large homes built primarily out of concrete block or other modern materials located throughout most neighborhoods with some older neighborhoods retaining more traditional architecture including many Victorians dating back to the late 1800s . There are also numerous commercial businesses located throughout town catering to residents' needs including supermarkets , pharmacies , banks , restaurants , etc .