About Us
The Town of Westminster is a suburban hill town which was originally the six-square mile Narragansett Township Number 2, granted to veterans and heirs of veterans of King Philip's War in 1728. The initial grants to settlers were of 60-acre parcels, and in the Colonial period the town fit the description of a poor agrarian community.
Formerly used by Indians for hunting and fishing, the town was actually founded in 1733, although the first permanent settlement of the town didn't take place until 1737. Westminster was incorporated as a town in 1759, but the community wasn't accepted as a town until 1770. The community had been garrisoned as an outpost in the French and Indian Wars during the 1740's.
Every homeowner was a farmer in those early days and some set up sawmills, grain mills and shops to provide other necessities.
By 1820, Westminster's diversity of religious affiliation was great enough to force the town to stop supporting a single minister with public taxes. There were Armenians, Unitarians, Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists and Universalists in the town.
The community took a moderate position during Shays Rebellion, recommending release of the insurgents who had been captured but registering its opposition to the court system.
The "new" road to Fitchburg was built in 1835, and the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad reached town in 1848.
By 1900 East-West electric streetcar service was established from Fitchburg to Gardner through Westminster center.
The Friends of Forbush Library will be sponsoring TWO events "Welcome to Westminster" on Thursday, March 23rd at 6:30 PM This is an opportunity for all Town boards, committees, commissions and related groups to meet the public and hand out written…
Read More »2023 The Town of Westminster Excise Tax bills for 2023 have been mailed out, and are due by Monday March 13, 2023. New Town Hall hours are Monday 7:00am – 7:00pm, Tuesday through Thursday 7:30am - 4:30pm (cash or check at the counter),…
Read More »The Westminster DPW is working with Waste Management to modify recycling collection days in Town. Waste Management (WM) will be adding another recycling collection day and new routes to the Town’s pick-up schedule. Currently, WM collects…
Read More »2023 Dog Licenses are now available for sale in the Office of the Town Clerk. You will need a current rabies certificate in order to purchase a new license. Prices are $10 for a neutered or spayed dog and $15 for a non-neutered or non-spayed dog.…
Read More »Waste Management (WM) will be adding another recycling collection day and new routes to the Town’s pick-up schedule. Currently, WM collects recyclables in Town on Thursday and Friday. To bring stability to recycling collection operations,…
Read More »FY23 The 3rd Quarter Water/Sewer bills have been mailed out and are due by Monday February 13, 2023. New Town Hall hours are Monday 7:00am – 7:00pm, Tuesday through Thursday 7:30am - 4:30pm, closed on Fridays (cash or check at the counter). …
Read More »Hello Friends!!! It is that time of year to produce the 2022 Annual Town Report and we need your beautiful photos of our community!! These photos will not only be for the Town Report, but for our website as well. We are always looking for great…
Read More »3rd Qtr Real Estate / Personal Property Tax Bills have been mailed FY23 The 3rd Quarter Real Estate/Personal Property Tax bills have been mailed out and are due by Wednesday February 1, 2023. New Town Hall hours effective January 1, 2023 are…
Read More »Due to the inclement winter weather in the forecast for this weekend (12/16/22–12/18/22), Waste Management will be suspending service on Friday, December 16, 2022 and resuming collection on Monday, December 19, 2022. Waste Management service…
Read More »Attention: Water customers connected to Westminster’s water supply. Pursuant to the EPA’s forthcoming Lead and Copper Rule Revision, the Town of Westminster is required to develop a Service Line inventory and wants to assist its…
Read More »The Town of Westminster Water Department is pleased to announce that we have achieved compliance and are no longer in violation of a Tier 2 Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulation. Together, our team of water professionals executed a plan to reduce…
Read More »Please dispose of household batteries responsibly. It is recommended that each a battery be placed in a plastic bag or have electrical tape placed over the battery terminal prior to disposal to avoid fire and potential contamination. This includes…
Read More »Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are Above Drinking Water Standards This notice is to advise our customers that our water system is in noncompliance with the drinking water standards for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs).? Although this is not an…
Read More »The waste oil tank at the Solid Waste Drop-off Center is currently unavailable. Something other than waste oil was recently put into the oil tank at the Solid Waste Drop-off Center, resulting in a batch of non-conformal waste oil. At this time, this…
Read More »Reminder: FY23 – 1st & 2nd Quarter Preliminary Real Estate tax and Personal Property tax bills were mailed back in July. The next due date is November 1, 2022. If you do not have your copy of the bill, please contact the…
Read More »The trails within Hager Park and the Crocker Pond Recreation Area need some sprucing up and we need your help!! We are looking for 25 volunteers to join us for a morning of trail maintenance att these two parks. We meet at Crocker Pond at 7:30 AM…
Read More »Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are Above Drinking Water Standards This is an important notice - please translate it for anyone who does not understand English. This notice is to advise our customers that our water system is in noncompliance…
Read More »Early Voting by Mail has now been signed into law for all state elections, state primaries and presidential primaries as well as local elections by our State Legislature. This permanent change in legislation allows all voters to cast their…
Read More »Real Property Assessments - Town of Westminster Starting in July 2022, the Board of Assessors, with the assistance of Vision Government Solutions, will be conducting a full measure and list of real property over the next twelve (12) months.…
Read More »A drought watch is in effect to increase awareness of current dry conditions and to encourage water conservation. The Westminster Department of Public Works is advising municipal water users and private well owners to be mindful of the amount of…
Read More »Reminder: FY23 – 1st & 2nd Quarter Preliminary Real Estate tax and Personal Property tax bills were mailed recently. The next due date is August 1, 2023. If you do not have your copy of the bill, please contact the Treasurer/Collector…
Read More »We have entered a Level 1-Mild Drought Please take measures to conserve water - every drop counts. We have entered a Level 1-Mild Drought following lower than normal rainfall for the past three months. Although this is a mild drought, it is…
Read More »Westminster (8,213 pop.), is seeking a professionally experienced Treasurer/Collector, with strong financial acumen and a demonstrated history of efficiency and success working in public and/or municipal organizations. This small, rural community…
Read More »Please be reminded that the next Household Hazardous Waste Collection event for the Fitchburg/Westminster Landfill, located at 101 Fitchburg Road (RT 31S), will take place on Saturday, June 11 2022 from 9:00AM to 12:00PM. Registration is no longer…
Read More »As a result of the ongoing investigation of PFAS contamination detected in nearby upgradient water wells and an upstream tributary, the Town has delayed the beach opening for swimming at Crocker Pond out of an abundance of caution until an…
Read More »On Monday, May 2, 2022, the Town’s Contractor is scheduled to continue roadway paving operations on Worcester Road and Leominster Street. The duration of this work is anticipated to take place over two days, Monday and Tuesday (5-2-2022…
Read More »The Westminster Water Department is scheduled to begin the process of replacing the existing water storage tank on Ellis Road on Monday, April 25, 2022. Over the next several weeks you may notice some activity taking place at or near the existing…
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