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Our Community |
Bourne |
Marion |
Mattapoisett |
Wareham
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, is a beautiful coastal town rich in maritime history and renowned as a summertime destination for many vacationers. Swimming at local beaches and boating in Buzzard’s Bay are popular pastimes, and Mattapoisett’s quaint, historical charm is appealing to visitors and local residents alike.
Present-day Mattapoisett was originally part of Rochester, MA. Mattapoisett is an Indian name believed to mean “a place of resting.” A settlement was founded in the area around 1750, and Mattapoisett was separated from Rochester and incorporated as a separate town in 1857. Its sheltered harbor on Buzzard’s Bay made Mattapoisett a perfect spot for the shipbuilding industry, an important part of the town’s legacy since its earliest days.
Mattapoisett was one of the most important shipbuilding sites on the East Coast throughout the 1800s, with over 400 ships being built in this period. Many of the whaling ships that sailed from New Bedford (including the Acushnet of Herman Melville fame) and other New England ports were built in Mattapoisett. The shipbuilding trade was centered around the present-day Ship Yard Park, which overlooks the spectacular harbor view.
Ship Yard Park Gazebo
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Mattapoisett Shoreline |
Ned's Point Lighthouse
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After the decline of the whaling industry in the 1870s, Mattapoisett became known as a popular vacationing spot for the affluent, many of whom built summer homes on large estates overlooking the ocean. Historical homes are found throughout Mattapoisett’s village, and the former Mattapoisett Inn, a popular local landmark now called the Kinsale Inn, is the oldest seaside inn in the United States still operating in its original building (built in 1799).
The town comes alive in the summer. An annual tradition, the Mattapoisett Harbor Days festival, offers great seafood, diverse entertainment, and the work of over 100 arts & crafts vendors. Many concerts, dances, and community events are held at the Ship Yard Park Gazebo, next to the town wharf, filling the summer air with the sound of music and festivities.
Kinsale Inn
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Town Wharf
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Waterfront Home
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Homes tend not change hands in Mattapoisett often and new building is kept at a minimum, resulting in a real estate market that is competitive and expensive. Mattapoisett’s property value and tax rate have been rising (the 2004 tax rate increased to $12.35 per $1,000 of assessed value). Town real estate prices range from the low end of $200,000 to $1 million and above for prime waterfront property.
Mattapoisett Harbor
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Mattapoisett River
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Ocean View
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- Total valuation (2004): $990,208,100
- Residential, 94%; commercial, 3.7%; industrial, 0.99%; personal, 1.20%
- FY2003 Tax rate: $12.35
- 2004 population: 6,548
- Per capita income: $19,955
- Area: 17.46 square miles
- Miles of public road: 73.68
- Local School Committee
- Andrew F. Lynch, chairman
- Daniel J. Bungert, vice chairman
- William H. Reed
- Gerald E. Johnson
- Elizabeth Henderson Milde
- Old Rochester Regional School Committee (Mattapoisett members)
- Deborah DeWalt
- Carol Ingram
- Administration, 508-758-2772
- School Superintendent -- William R. Cooper
- Associate Superintendent for Finance and Planning -- Timothy J. O'Connor
- Director of Special Education -- Teresa M. Hamm
- Curriculum Coordinator -- Michelle Roy
- Technology Coordinator -- Ann Petruzziello
- Center School
- Address: 17 Barstow Street
- Telephone: 508-758-2521
- Grades: Preschool - 3
- Principal: John Murphy
- Old Hammondtown School
- Address: 20 Shaw Street
- Telephone: 508-758-6241
- Grades: 4 - 6
- Principal: Rosemary Bowman
- Old Rochester Regional Junior High School
- Address: 133
- Telephone: 508-758-4928
- Grades: 7 - 8
- Principal: Stephen Helman
- Old Rochester Regional High School
- Address: 135 Marion Road, Mattapoisett
- Telephone: 508-758-3745
- Grades: 9 - 12
- Principal: Bruce Clarke
- Water: 84 percent of town served by town water.
- Sewer: 18 percent served by town sewer.
- Trash: 100 percent has town trash collection.
- Library: 7 Barstow St., 508-758-4171
- Shipyard Park, Water Street, located on the waterfront, open for picnics, scenic view.
- Veteran's Memorial Park, Neds Point, location of lighthouse, scenic picnic area.
- Town Beach, Water Street.
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Our Community |
Bourne |
Marion |
Mattapoisett |
Wareham
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