Watertown, town, Middlesex County, northeastern Massachusetts, on the Charles River, near Boston; settled and incorporated 1630. It is a manufacturing and banking center; products include communications equipment, electronic and electrical parts, fabricated metal, machinery, and clothing. Perkins School for the Blind, founded in Boston in 1829, has been situated here since 1912. The first inland settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Watertown played an important role during the American Revolution, when it served (1775-76) as the temporary capital of Massachusetts. It was the site of a major U.S. arsenal from the early 19th century until the mid-20th century. Population 34,384 (1980); 33,284 (1990); 32,986 (2000).
