Somerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland (1883 - 1924), the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City.

History

Somerset was first settled in 1677 on the Shawomet lands, and was officially incorporated in 1790. It was named for Somerset Square in Boston, which was, in turn, named for the county of Somerset, England. It was once a vital shipping point, and after the War of 1812 it was one of America's chief distribution points. In 1872, it became the site of a major coal port, and in the early 20th century a large cannery existed in the town. However, as neighboring Fall River's industry grew, it absorbed much of Somerset's, and the town took on more of a suburban character. In fact, the town's population grew during the Great Depression, as many people from Fall River and other localities moved to the suburb. Today, the town's major industry (other than suburban services) is power generation, with the Montaup Electric Company plant upriver (founded in 1923) and the Brayton Point Power Plant at the town's southern tip (founded in 1963). Brayton Point has been the target of much criticism for its pollution problems.

Historically, the town has had a connective relationship with Fall River. Originally, Slade's Ferry ran across the Taunton River to connect the two towns since the late 18th century. In the late 19th century, the Slade's Ferry Bridge connected the two towns, from the current southern terminus of Brayton Avenue in Somerset to Brownell Street in Fall River, and was double-decked, with a railroad section on the top level. The bridge was dismantled after closing in 1970 due to its rapid deterioration and its low height. Its replacement, the Brightman Street Bridge, was opened in 1908. (The path of the old bridge is still somewhat visible; two large sets of power lines cross the river at the same point.) Currently, a new bridge is in construction to replace the deteriorating Brightman Street Bridge. Completion is expected in 2011.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.0 square miles (31.0 km²), of which, 8.1 square miles (21.0 km²) of it is land and 3.9 square miles (10.0 km²) of it (32.30%) is water. It borders on the Mount Hope Bay and Narragansett Bay, and its east border is formed by the Taunton River, an arm of that bay.

Somerset is bordered by Swansea on the west, Dighton on the north, Fall River on the east (across the Taunton River, and Bristol, Rhode Island to the south. The border with Bristol is located in the middle of the bay. Cities close to Somerset include Fall River, New Bedford, Providence, and the town is one hour's drive south of Boston.

The town is accessed via Interstate 195, which enters the town via the Braga Bridge from Fall River. It is also connected to Fall River via the Brightman Street Bridge, a 100-year old bascule bridge which US Route 6 crosses. Currently, a replacement bridge is being built which has been hampered by problems, and was at one point the third largest construction project in the state (after the Big Dig and the widening of Route 3). Recently, the controversy in Fall River over the proposed building of an LNG terminal has caused officials to consider keeping the old bridge open, as the tankers would not fit through it, and the terminal's proposed site is upriver of the bridges. Route 138 and Route 103 also pass through the town.

Somerset has bus service along Route 6 provided by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA). The nearest regional bus service is in Fall River, and the nearest rail service is in Providence. There are plans in the works to bring commuter rail service to Fall River, which would give the town rail access to Boston. The town's nearest regional airport is in New Bedford, 18 miles away. Until the late 1990s, the nearest airport was in Fall River; however, the airport closed due to various issues, and is now the site of a trash dump. The nearest national airport is T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, 27 miles away. The nearest international airport is Logan International Airport, 55 miles away.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,234 people, 6,987 households, and 5,261 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,248.6 people per square mile (868.1/km²). There were 7,143 housing units at an average density of 880.9/sq mi (340.1/km²).

There were 6,987 households out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,770, and the median income for a family was $60,067. Males had a median income of $42,036 versus $29,851 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,420. About 3.2% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 8.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

On the state level, Somerset is represented as part of the Fifth Bristol state representative district, which includes Dighton and parts of Swansea and Taunton. In the state senate, Somerset is part of the First Bristol and Plymouth district, which includes Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester, Swansea and Westport. Somerset is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 3rd (Dartmouth) Barracks of the Massachusetts State Police. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 3rd congressional district, which is represented by Jim McGovern. The state's senior (Class I) Senator, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy, and the state's junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.

The town's library is located north of the town hall in the center of town, and was recently expanded for more resource and meeting areas. The town's historical society is located in the north end of town, and also operates a museum in that location (in the former Village School building). The old Town Hall, to the north of the library is still in use for various public gatherings. The town is served by one centralized police and fire headquarters, along with a smaller branch fire station in the Brayton Point area which is also trained to handle emergencies at the Brayton Point Power Plant. The town's zip codes are 02725 and 02726, although both are now located in the central post office in the heart of town. The town maintains five parks, as well as a town beach, Pierce Beach, located next to Pierce Playground along the Taunton River in the north end of town. A sixth park, Slade's Ferry Park, was closed by eminent domain for the right-of-way of the new Brightman Street Bridge being built.

Education

Somerset is served by its own public school system. It has four elementary schools, from north to south they are the North Elementary School, the Chace Street School, the South Elementary School and the Wilbur Elementary School. Somerset Middle School (Formerly known as Somerset Junior High School) is located adjacent to South Elementary along Brayton Avenue, and handles grades 6 through 8. Somerset High School is located along County Street (Route 138). Its nickname is the "Blue Raiders," its mascot is a mounted knight, and its colors are dark blue and white. The school is known locally for having two former baseball players play professionally, Greg Gagne and Jerry Remy. The town is a member of the Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School system in Fall River, and high school students may also attend Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. Many students of all grades attend religious schools in Fall River, including Bishop Connolly High School. There are no private schools in the town.

Notable residents

• Greg Gagne, former major league baseball player, known as starting shortstop of the Minnesota Twins' two world championship teams
• Jerry Remy, "The RemDawg", former major league baseball player for the California Angels and Boston Red Sox, and current Red Sox color commentator for NESN
• Clifford Milburn Holland, chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City
• Nancy Pimental, A famous writer known for her movie, The Sweetest Thing