Westminster, MA

Town of Westminster

Westminster Historical Society

Priority Landscapes

Heritage Sites

Many sites of historical significance exist in the Freedom's Way Heritage Area. Below are some that are of interest.

Note: Private residences are only to be viewed from a public way.

Venue Description  

Lawrence House
34 Carter Road
ca. 1754
private

This colonial house was first known as the Reuben Miles House and later as the Carter Place.

 

M House
70 Knower Road
ca. 1855
private

Also known as the Patrick Gately House, it is a Gothic Revival house.  

Miles Birthplace
104 Turnpike Road
1824
private

This Federal style house is known as the General Nelson Miles house.

 

Miles Boyhood Home
103 Turnpike Road
1845
private

This house is also known as the Daniel Miles House. It is a Greek Revival style house across the street from the Miles Birthplace.

 

Daniel C. Miles House
116 Main Street
private

   

Miller House
13 Leominster Road
1890
private

Built for Frank A. Miller in the Greek Revival style.

 

Warner House
165 State Road East
ca. 1759
private

This Georgian center-chimney house was also known as the Ezra Wood House and later as the Valley Hotel.  It was moved back from the road in the early 1980s and now faces State Road East. The original address was 165 Depot Road.

 

Whitman Tavern
South Ashburnham Road
Ca. 1780
private

This Federal style house is also known as the Zebediah Whitman House and served as a tavern under Whitman’s proprietorship.

 

Whitney Homestead
260 Davis Road
private

Located in the Merriamville area, this is the only old house in Westminster lived in by the same family since it was constructed.

 

Wyman Lake Cottagesprivate

These are early 20th century lake-side cottages known as Baker’s Grove, Lakewood Park and Leino Park. Most are small-scale bungalows and camps built as summer cottages.

 
Leominster State Forest
90 Fitchburg Road
public
Located in 5 towns (Princeton, Westminster, Sterling, Fitchburg and Leominster) the state forest comprises 4,300 acres. The Crow Hill ledges are within the forest and thought to have been used by Native Americans. Land grants near each of the above mentioned towns became known as Notown until they were annexed to each of the towns in 1838. Notown exists within Leominster State Forest. The Midstate Trail passes through the Forest. A Civilian Conservation Corp. camp was built here in 1933.  

Midstate Trail
public

This Field and Forest Club trail was constructed in 1927 linking Mt. Watatic with Wachusett Mountain and since the 1970s has linked Rhode Island with New Hampshire. It meanders through Westminster from Princeton to Round Meadow Pond and north to Ashburnham. The Midstate Trail Committee, an affiliate of the Appalachian Mountain Club, maintains it.

 
Priority Landscapes

Westminster’s heritage landscape identification meetings were conducted in 2006 under the auspices of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation in partnership with Freedom’s Way Heritage Association. Town residents, some of whom represented town boards and local non-profits, attended the meetings. Based upon the information gathered by community members and the consultants to MDCR/FW, several priority landscapes were identified as highly valued and contributing to community character that needed to be permanently protected or preserved. There are undoubtedly other heritage landscapes that were not identified during this process. Future planning meetings might select other sites. This list includes landscapes selected in 2006.

Landscape Description  

Academy Hill – Westminster Village

Academy Hill rises from Main Street/South Street/Bacon Street and is the site of the first town center at the top of the hill with the meetinghouse site, town pound and some early dwellings arranged around the Town Common. Westminster Village at the bottom of Academy Hill is the present linear town center along East and West Main Street and Bacon Street where the 1839 Town Hall is located. In between these two areas are the 1912 Upton School (now vacant) and the modern Westminster Elementary School adjacent to it. The two areas and the link (Academy Hill Road) are listed in the National Register as one district; the Westminster Village – Academy Hill Historic District. Academy Hill retains high integrity and has a magnificent vista of Wachusett Mountain from the 1815 Rev. Cyrus Mann House and a quiet setting around the Town Common. Westminster Village, on the other hand, is on a heavily traveled main route.

 

Cedar Swamp

Located south of Partridge Pond with frontage on Minott Road is a cedar swamp, which is within two privately owned parcels. The Cedar Swamp is a highly sensitive wildlife and ecological habitat, and provides scenic views. Protection of these two large parcels would connect other adjacent parcels of Westminster State Forest, which is owned by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Westminster State Forest comprises three parcels of land; one large parcel immediately adjacent to Cedar Swamp with some frontage on Partridge Pond; one parcel south of Minott Road opposite the Cedar Swamp privately owned parcels; and one small parcel that is land locked. Current access to the state-owned land is minimal.

 

Cowee-Smith Site

The Cowee-Smith Site is located within the Westminster Business Park, in the area named for its historic owner, James Cowee who had slaves working his farm in the 18th century. It is a documented historic archaeological site that was the subject of an intensive archaeological survey in 1993. Historic features and archaeological deposits associated with two historic farmsteads dating from the mid-18th through the 20th centuries were found here. The Cowee-Smith complex was occupied ca. 1742-1750 by Westminster's first minister, the Rev. Elisha Marsh; later by James Cowee (or Cohee), a slaveholder (ca. 1750-?); and then continuously occupied by his descendants at least up to the mid-19th century.

 

Savilampi Farm

This old farm on the south side of South Ashburnham Road is near the southeastern edge of Crocker Pond and opposite a modern subdivision. The 33-acre property, once a farm, is no longer active. The farmhouse and farm buildings are set back from the road at the end of an unpaved lane. The rambling farmhouse with ells is at the center of several farm buildings including a couple of vertical board sheds and a long low barn. Meadows surround this farmstead.

 

Schenck Farm

The Schenck Farm is at the end of Howard Road, a dirt road that is lined with stonewalls and old trees. Howard Road once extended through to Town Farm Road, but has been discontinued beyond the Schenck Farm adding to the farm’s remote location. The landscape is one of the most scenic in the area with rolling meadows, forested edges, views in all directions, an early 20th century gable front farmhouse up on a knoll close to the dirt road and a magnificent New England barn with picturesque cupola. The Midstate Trail passes along the edge of one of the meadows providing views of this lush agricultural landscape.

 

The Narrows

Also known as Wachusett Village, this industrial area, southeast of Westminster Village, developed in the early 19th century with paper mills. Mill buildings lined Wyman Brook downstream from the Wyman Pond. Most were removed when the businesses moved to Fitchburg and Gardner to be near railroad depots. At about the same time that industry in Wachusett Village ceased, the Wachusett Reservoir was built to supply water to Fitchburg.

 

Van Hazinga Farm

The Van Hazinga Farm encompasses fields and forest on both sides of Ashburnham State Road (Route 12) and part of Fred Smith Road that rises to the northeast. Phillips Brook winds its way through the property and ultimately to the North Nashua River in Fitchburg. An abandoned gravel pit is on the property. The farmhouse and barns are in disrepair; the outbuildings are no longer used. The sprawling fields that line the road are leased to Vietnamese farmers who grow vegetables here.

 

Portions of the above text have been excerpted from the Westminster Reconnaissance Report, part of the Freedom’s Way Landscape inventory of 22 Freedom’s Way communities. The full text can be downloaded at: http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/histland/essex.htm
See individual reports and maps by town name.

We are grateful for the many volunteers who have supplied entries for the town pages. If you wish to volunteer additional information for your town, please contact the Freedom's Way office or mail@freedomsway.org