Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,268 at the 2000 census.

History

Mattapoisett was first settled in 1750 and was officially incorporated in 1857. Originally a part of Rochester, the land the settlers found had most likely been visited by European traders and sailors. There was also evidence of prior Wampanoag settlements, including burial grounds, on the land. In fact, the town name is Wampanoag for "a place of resting."

Lumbering and farming were early trades, but the town thrived when shipyards began opening. From about 1740 to the 1860s, shipbuilding, as well as whaling, were the town's two most important industries. Some 400 ships were built in the shipyards in that period, including the Acushnet, the ship Herman Melville sailed on. The town supplied many of the whalers used on the East Coast in the first half of the nineteenth century, the last one, the Wanderer, being built in 1878, shortly after the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania.

After the whaling industry, as well as most of the shipbuilding, died down, the town became one of the many summer towns for prominent New York and Boston residents, including Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Today the town is mostly a residential community, with many people working in New Bedford and Fairhaven, or operating summer tourist industries.

Geography

Mattapoisett is the southwestern-most town of Plymouth County. It is bordered by Fairhaven to the southwest, Acushnet to the northwest, Rochester to the north, and Marion to the east. Buzzards Bay lies to the south. The town is nine miles east of New Bedford, Massachusetts, 38 miles east-southeast of Providence, Rhode Island and 60 miles south of Boston.

Transportation

Interstate 195 runs through the town, as does U.S. Route 6, which is the main road through town. I-195 has an exit for the town, Exit 19A/B, "Mattapoisett/N. Rochester," which accesses North Street.

Regional bus service can be reached in New Bedford, as can regional air service. The nearest rail service is either in Providence or at the terminus of the Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA's commuter rail service to Boston. The nearest national airline service can be found at T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and the nearest international service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,268 people, 2,532 households, and 1,769 families residing in the town. The population density was 380.4 people per square mile (146.9/km²). There were 3,172 housing units at an average density of 192.5/sq mi (74.3/km²).

There were 2,532 households out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $58,466, and the median income for a family was $68,246. Males had a median income of $48,100 versus $35,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,050. About 2.8% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.5% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

On the national level, Mattapoisett is a part of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district, and is currently represented by Barney Frank. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.

Mattapoisett uses the open town meeting form of government, led by a board of selectmen. The town hall is located on Main Street, between Route 6 and the harbor. The town has its own police department and volunteer fire department, both headquartered on Route 6. The Mattapoisett Free Public Library, located on Barstow Street, is a member of the South-Eastern Massachusetts Library System (SEMLS) and the Massachusetts Library Internet Network (MLIN). The nearest hospitals are Saint Luke's Hospital in New Bedford and Tobey Hospital in Wareham, both of which are members of the Southcoast Hospitals Group.

Education

Mattapoisett is a member of the 2,700-student Old Rochester Regional School District. The town, along with Marion and Rochester, operate as a single school system with each town having its own school subcommittee. Mattapoisett operates the Center School for prekindergarten through third grade students, and the Old Hammondtown School for grades 4-6. Seventh- and eighth-grade students attend Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, and high school students attend Old Rochester Regional High School. Both regional schools are located on Route 6 in Mattapoisett, just before the Marion town line. The high school, commonly known as "O.R.R.," competes in the South Coast Conference for athletics. Their mascot is the bulldog, and their colors are red and white. The town's Thanksgiving Day football rival is Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville.

In addition to public schools, high school students may also choose to attend Old Colony Regional Vocational Technical High School, located in Rochester. The nearest private schools are Tabor Academy in Marion and Bishop Stang High School in Dartmouth.