KG around the cape summer 2021 - Flipbook - Page 100
A ROU N D TH E SOUTH COA ST
Ned’s Point Lighthouse was built in 1838,
and the stone structure remains an active
lighthouse today. It is one of the smallest
beacons on Buzzards Bay at only 39 feet tall.
Culture
Every summer, Harbor Days Festival fills Shipyard Park with a
craft fair, lobsterfest, fish fry, triathlon, and pancake breakfast.
Mattapoisett Historical Society and Carriage House has
permanent and seasonal exhibits on the history of the town from
its shipbuilding days to the impact of hurricanes. The society
also hosts family events as well as lectures throughout the year.
Salty, an iconic sculpture of a seahorse, can be found at Dunseith
Gardens, which is a three-acre property with a gazebo, open
lawns, and picnic tables.
Education
Schools in Mattapoisett are part of the Old Rochester Regional
School District, which is shared with Marion and Rochester. There
are four schools in Mattapoisett, with Center School handling
children through grade three, grades four through six attending
Old Hammondtown School, grades seven and eight going to
Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, and older students
learning at Old Rochester Regional High School.
Geography
Mattapoisett is 24.2 square miles, and 6.8 of that is water.
The Mattapoisett River flows from Rochester to Mattapoisett
Harbor. Along the coast is Ned’s Point Lighthouse, four beaches,
and Nasketucket Bay State Reservation, which is 400 acres
of protected forests and wetlands. The town is bordered by
Fairhaven, Acushnet, Rochester, and Marion.
History
Mattapoisett belonged to the Wampanoag people until 1664,
when chief Metacomet sold the land to Governor William Brenton.
The town wasn’t settled until 1750 and was originally part of
the neighboring town of Rochester. It wasn’t until 1857 that
Mattapoisett was incorporated.
Mattapoisett was best known as a whaling and shipbuilding
center, until the decline of the whaling industry led to a change
in the direction of the town’s economy. With little industry in
Mattapoisett, the town slowly became a summer vacation
destination, which is what it remains to this day.
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