Insurance in Belmont, MA

Proudly Providing Insurance to the Great Town of Belmont, MA

Garrity Insurance Agency has deep roots within the Belmont community – check out some interesting facts about the historical town!

History of Belmont

Belmont, Massachusetts is a residential community that was first settled by European settlers in 1630, when 40 families moved inland from the Massachusetts Bay Colony seeking to form an agricultural community. It was purchased from the local Native American tribe in 1638 as part of Watertown. The settlement also included parts of Waltham, Weston, Lincoln, and Cambridge.

Belmont was formed by the railroad. The rails were first used to transport ice from Fresh Pond to the shore, but was soon extended west through Belmont into Waltham. With three stops – Wellington Station, Waverly Station, and Hill’s Crossing – settlements soon began to spring up with residents using the railroad to commute into Boston for business. In the 1850s, residents including John Perkins Cushing, came together to form the town of Belmont, named after Cushing’s estate. Belmont was established in 1859.

First established as an agricultural community, Belmont remained so into the 1900s with its fresh produce shipped into Faneuil Hall Marketplace for sale. However in the early 1900s, the population exploded with physicians, scientists, artists, and educators drawn to this serene suburban location. The agricultural economy shifted to commercial greenhouses, and faded away. Today, Belmont is largely residential and is referred to as “The Town of Homes.”

Geography

Belmont, Massachusetts is a town in Middlesex County, and a suburb of nearby Boston. It covers 4.7 square miles. Neighboring cities and towns include Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, Waltham, and Watertown.

Belmont has a population of nearly 25,000. Many residents commute into Boston for work, as has been true throughout the history of the town. The MBTA has two commuter rail stations in town running along the Fitchburg line into North Station in Boston. Access to the trains is found at Waverly Station and Belmont Center. Route 2, an east-west highway also runs through the town and Route I-95 is easily accessed.

Belmont Hill is known for its beautiful mansions, but much of the town consists of modest homes in suburban neighborhoods. There are also three distinct commercial areas in town, including Belmont Center. For over 70 years, the main draw in Belmont Center was Filene’s, which later became Macy’s. Currently, that space is occupied by a large retail and restaurant complex.

The Railroad

The railroad has played a central role in both the history and modern-day formation of Belmont. Nearby Fresh Pond was used as an ample source of ice, which needed to be transported to Charlestown on the coast. Once the railroad was established to do this, wealthy Bostonians found Belmont to be an easy ride from the city, with open farm lands for settlement.

Belmont had two railroad lines through town for much of its history, but today has only the one line owned and operated by the MBTA. While there used to be three stations, today there are only two. These two have been upgraded and improved to make the tracks run over and under the roads, freeing up the flow of traffic and reducing safety concerns.

The third station, Wellington Hills, remains as a historic building in town. It was originally built in the 1840s as a school, and was converted into a railroad station that was in service from 1852 to 1879. After being used as a summer home for several years, it was then donated to the town who maintains it today as an important piece of Belmont history.

Belmont, Massachusetts has a long history as a residential town, from the time early Bostonians began using the railroad to commute from this serene and beautiful town. With interesting architecture and an educated professional population base, Belmont is a proud town full of history.