“Blue Star Memorial”
This memorial sign in downtown Westborough is part of the nationwide Blue Star Memorial Highway Program, a tribute created to honor members of the United States Armed Forces.
The term “Blue Star” comes from the blue star banners that families displayed in their windows during World War I and World War II when a family member was serving in the military. A blue star symbolizes that someone from the household was actively serving the country.
After World War II, the National Council of State Garden Clubs began creating Blue Star Memorial Highways across America as living memorials to veterans and active-duty military personnel. The program officially began in 1945, soon after the end of the war. Rather than commemorating a single battle or event, Blue Star Memorials were designed as ongoing tribute places along highways, roads, parks, and civic spaces throughout the country.
Originally, certain major highways were formerly designated as “Blue Star Memorial Highways,” with markers placed along travel routes to honor those who served. Over time, the program expanded beyond highways to include individual memorial markers like the one in Westborough. Communities across the United States installed these signs as visible reminders of military sacrifice and service.
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Civil War Memorial
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Lyman School for Boys
In Westborough, an entire landscape tells a deep, complex story. In 1848, Westborough became home to something new in the United States: The State Reform School for Boys, the first publicly funded reform school for boys in the country. The idea behind it reflected a changing view of childhood. Rather than sending young offenders to prison, […]
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