WORCESTER, Mass., city and county-seat of Worcester County, on the Blackstone River, and on the New York, New Haven and Hart ford, the Boston and Maine and the New York Central railroads, 44 miles west of Boston and 45 miles northwest of Providence. Electric railways extend to all the nearby towns and to Boston. The city was begun in a valley, but it now occupies a number of the surrounding hills; the elevation above sea-level is 481 feet; area, 3841 square miles.
Industries.— Worcester is noted for the number and variety of its manufacturing es tablishments. According to the State census the city's manufactured products in 1915 were valued at nearly $100,000,000, while the figure for 1917 reached nearly $193,000,000. Among the numerous factories are those producing steel, wire, machine-tools, grinding wheels, car pets, leather goods, steam and electric cars, firearms, textile machinery, automobile parts, musical instruments, chains, etc. About 6,500 men are employed in the building trade. There are approximately 34M0 mercantile establish ments employing about 25,000 people. The trading population of the suburbs is estimated at about 430,00U. Owing to its large, up-to-date machinery equipment, Worcester became one of the most important war material producing cities in the country.
Buildings and Municipal Improvements,— The principal public buildings are the Federal building., courthouse, city hall ($650,000), State armory, Mechanics Hall, the Young Men s Christian Association, the Young Women's Christian Association, buildings of the women's chills and of several fraternal organizations, the State Mutual Assurance Company, Masonic temple, one of the finest in New England, sesural charitable institutions, the religious and educational institutions and the union station. There are 17 public parks, having a combined area of 10)1 8.‘z acres; Lake Park has 110 acres and Elm Park hi) acres. Playgrounds occupy 74 acres. The system of waterworks cost $7,150,000 The sewer covers about 240 miles and ei.st Together with the
sewerage pumping and purification works the total cost is over $7,000,000. The city is divided into 10 wards, which diverge from its centre like the spokes of a wheel. The pm cipal business streets run north and south There are 221 miles of public streets. 12 theatres and 33 hotels.
Churches, Charitable and Educational In stitutions.— There are over 100 church on izations with property valued at $3,000,000. denominations rank, according to the number of their buildings, as follows: Congregational ist, Baptist, Methodist Roman Catho lic, Protestant Episcopal, Unitarian and others one or two each. The hospitals are the Vs asb burn Memorial Hospital, for women and chil dren, the City Hospital, Homoeopathic Hospital. and Saint Vincent's Hospital. Other Institutions are the State Insane Asylum, the State Odd Fellows' Home, Saint Ann's Orphan Asylum. Saint Vincent's Home for the Aged. Saint Francis' Home for the Aged. Our Lady of Mercy Orphanage, a home for the friendless, and a number of private hospitals. The educational institutions are Clark University, a post-grad uate school for original research, opened in 1889, Clark College, Worcester Polytechnic In stitute, College of the Holy Cross (Roman Catholic), opened in 1843, the Bancroft School, Kimball's School for Girls, Saint John's School (Roman Catholic), Worcester Academy. As sumptionist College, Becker's Business College. Hinman's Business College, State Normal School, Boy's Trade School and Girls' Trade School, the evening high school, 74 public school buildings (four public high schools) and 10 portable schoolhouses, the Free Public Li brary, two antiquarian societies, historical and literary societies and several school libraries. There are altogether snore than 30 libraries with some 600,000 volumes; the Public Library con tains 219,000 volumes. There are also 594 newspaper and magazines. Worcester boasts one of the finest art museums in the United States, with an endowment of $4,000,000.