Waban, Massachusetts
Waban is one of the 13 villages of Newton, Massachusetts.
Origin of name
Waban was named for Waban, the first Massachusett Indian converted to Christianity, in 1646. Although Waban lived in Nonantum, a hill in the northeasternmost part of Newton, the area around the present village of Waban was a favored hunting ground.
Education
Waban has two elementary schools, Angier and Zervas.
The village is one of Newton's few to retain its branch library.
Richest/Best-Educated ZIP Code
Waban's 02468 ZIP Code is the richest/best-educated in the United States; to appreciate the significance of that virgule—Waban is not the richest ZIP Code even in Newton, but factor in education and it's the combined richest/best-educated. How can this be? Well, Newton and Brookline together have 4% of the country's psychiatrists, many working out of offices in their homes. Waban, all by itself, however, has 1%, and all those Ph.Ds result in 02468 having attained its distinction.
Poor Farm
An area near where the shopping area of Waban now stands was originally the site of a working farm for the indigent.
Notable residents
- Ralph Waldo Emerson spent time on a Waban farm after being graduated from Harvard College and before taking up his profession and residence in Concord.
- Mark Sandman, rock and roll musician, singer, and songwriter, member of the groups Treat Her Right and Morphine
- Paul Wiggin (not the football player), tenor, founder of M.U.S.E. (MUsic in Service to the Elderly), a non-profit that sends professional singers to perform free concerts in nursing homes and other shut-in venues; since their inception in 1973 they have produced over 30,000 programs
See also
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42°19′40″N 71°13′38″W / 42.32778°N 71.22722°W