Wakefield, town, Middlesex County, northeastern Massachusetts, near Boston; incorporated 1812. It is a residential and manufacturing center. Principal products include printed materials, chemicals, metal products, and machinery. The Wakefield Historical Society Museum is here. Settled in 1639 as a part of Reading, the community was incorporated as the town of South Reading in 1812 and was renamed in 1868 for the local rattan-products manufacturer Cyrus Wakefield. Population 24,895 (1980); 24,825 (1990); 24,825 (1996 estimate).
