Whitman
 Whitman’s unique memorial to American servicemen and women who have died in Iraq. (GLOBE PHOTOS/JOSH REYNOLDS) |
Miles from Boston 21
Population 13,882
Median house price $329,000 (January to May 2005)
Tax rate $11.67
Transportation Routes 18, 27, and 58; MBTA commuter rail
MCAS Whitman-Hanson Regional School District ranked 150th out of 373 systems statewide, just behind the Neighborhood House charter school in Dorchester, according to a Boston Globe analysis of 2004 MCAS results.
Census facts Median family income is $63,706, compared to a national rate of $50,046, and 22 percent of residents held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to national rate of 24 percent.
Website www.whitman-ma.gov
WHITMAN -- At the intersections of Routes 18 and 14 here is a reminder of something sweet that gave this bedroom community a role in kitchens across America -- a sign that marks the spot where the Toll House restaurant once stood. Now a condo development and home to a
A short distance away, behind Town Hall, is the project that has given Whitman national attention once again -- a unique memorial to American servicemen and women who have died in the Iraq war. The name of each service member is inscribed on a baseball and then placed in a glass cabinet. Christopher Johnson, president of the Whitman Little League, came up with the idea last year and now says 1,400 balls have been installed. A new cabinet to handle 300 more will be added soon.
''I've gotten phone calls from all over the country" from people and reporters asking about the memorial, said Johnson, an electrician at The Boston Globe. He said ''hundreds" of servicemen on leave have stopped by, as have the merely curious and those who lost a relative in Iraq. ''Everybody is a little unique in their own story," he said.
Johnson said the future of the memorial depends on the future in Iraq.
''Until the soldiers are coming home, that wall will stay; as long as they are dying over there, it's going to stay there," he said.
As with many neighboring towns, Whitman was first settled by Europeans in the early 1700s, but it wasn't until 1875 that this town literally came into its own. That year, the Legislature carved off pieces of Abington and East Bridgewater and created what was first known as South Abington. In 1886, residents renamed the town Whitman.
On a recent week, Realtor.com listed 44 single-family homes, ranging from $265,000 for a three-bedroom, one-bath, 1,138-square-foot home to $539,000 for a three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bath, 1,944-square-foot home. Condo prices were $205,000 to $429,000.
JOHN ELLEMENT
501 Auburn St., Unit 301 Condominium, built in 1988, 1,366 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths. $280,000
111 Hogg Memorial Drive One-family ranch, built in 1958, 1,236 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, on 12,632-square-foot lot. $297,000
93 Lantz Ave. One-family ranch, built in 1960, 925 square feet, 6 rooms, 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, on 13,939-square-foot lot. $268,000
54 Linden St. Three-family, built in 1895, 2,689 square feet, 14 rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 baths, on 8,276-square-foot lot. $475,000
75 Loring Ave. One-family ranch, built in 1900, 1,016 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, on 13,068-square-foot lot. $305,000
