Fairhaven, Massachusetts facts for kids

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Fairhaven, Massachusetts

Sconticut

Town

Fairhaven Town Hall

Seal

Location in Bristol County in Massachusetts

Country

United States

State

Massachusetts

County

Bristol

Settled

1659

Incorporated

1812

Government

• Type

Representative town meeting

Area

• Total

14.1 sq mi (36.5 km²)

• Land

12.4 sq mi (32.1 km²)

• Water

1.7 sq mi (4.4 km²)

Elevation

15 ft (5 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

15,924

• Density

1,129/sq mi (436.3/km²)

Time zone

UTC-5 (Eastern)

• Summer (DST)

UTC-4 (Eastern)

ZIP code

02719

Area code(s)

508 / 774

FIPS code

25-22130

GNIS feature ID

0618281

Website

www.fairhaven-ma.gov

Fairhaven is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It's located on the South Coast of Massachusetts. Here, the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Fairhaven shares a harbor with the city of New Bedford. New Bedford is famous for its history of whaling and fishing. Because of this, Fairhaven's past, economy, and culture are very similar to its larger neighbor. In 2020, about 15,924 people lived in Fairhaven.

History of Fairhaven
Geography
Transportation
Population Facts
Businesses in Fairhaven
Education
Notable People from Fairhaven
Sister city
Images for kids
See also

History of Fairhaven

How Fairhaven Started

Fairhaven was first settled in 1659. It was called "Cushnea" back then. This area was the eastern part of the town of Dartmouth. English settlers from the Plymouth Colony bought the land from the Wampanoag leader Massasoit and his son, Wamsutta.

Dividing the Land

Fairhaven on an 1893 map

In 1787, the eastern part of Dartmouth became a new town called New Bedford. This new town included what are now Fairhaven, Acushnet, and New Bedford itself.

Fairhaven officially became its own town in 1812, separating from New Bedford. At that time, Fairhaven included all the land on the east side of the Acushnet River. Later, in 1860, the northern part of Fairhaven became another independent town called Acushnet. So, what was once one large town, Dartmouth, eventually became four separate towns in less than 75 years.

Fort Phoenix: A Historic Defense

Fort Phoenix is in Fairhaven, right where the Acushnet River meets the ocean. In the past, it was the main defense against attacks from the sea on New Bedford harbor.

The first naval battle of the American Revolution happened nearby on May 14, 1775. A group of 25 Fairhaven minutemen on a ship called Success took back two vessels that a British warship had captured.

In September 1778, British soldiers landed and burned ships and buildings in New Bedford. They marched through Fairhaven, burning homes. The fort was left empty and destroyed by the enemy. However, local militia stopped an attack on Fairhaven village itself.

The fort was made stronger before the War of 1812. On June 13, 1814, British boats tried to land. But the guns at Fort Phoenix warned everyone, and the militia gathered. The British forces did not come ashore.

The fort was closed in 1876. In 1926, it was given to the town by Cara Rogers Broughton, whose father was Henry Huttleston Rogers. Today, the area around the fort is a park with a beach.

Whaling History

Before the late 1800s, whale oil was the main source of light in the United States. The whaling industry was very important for many coastal towns in New England for over 200 years.

Fairhaven was also a whaling port. In 1838, it was the second-largest whaling port in the United States. Twenty-four ships sailed from Fairhaven to hunt whales. Herman Melville, the author of Moby-Dick, left from Fairhaven on the whaleship Acushnet in 1841.

As New Bedford became the biggest whaling port, Fairhaven's economy changed. It started to support New Bedford's whaling industry instead of competing with it. Fairhaven became a town of shipbuilders, ship chandlers (people who sell supplies to ships), ropemakers, coopers (barrel makers), and sailmakers. Many ship owners and captains also chose to build their homes in Fairhaven.

Henry Huttleston Rogers: A Generous Helper

Twain and Rogers

One of Fairhaven's most famous people was Henry Huttleston Rogers (1840–1909). He was a successful businessman and philanthropist (someone who gives money to good causes). Rogers was a key person in John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil company. He also built the Virginian Railway.

Rogers and his wife, Abbie Gifford Rogers, gave many gifts to the community in the late 1800s and early 1900s. These gifts included a grammar school, a beautiful high school, the Town Hall, the George H. Taber Masonic Building, the Unitarian Memorial Church, the Tabitha Inn, the Millicent Library, and a modern water and sewer system. These buildings were built very well, and most are still used today, more than 100 years later.

Mark Twain's Visits

Henry H. Rogers was friends with many important people, including Booker T. Washington, Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller, and Mark Twain. They all visited Rogers in Fairhaven, sometimes for long periods.

Late in his life, Mark Twain had lost a lot of money due to bad investments. Rogers helped him out. Twain tried to return the favor whenever he could.

On February 22, 1894, the Fairhaven Town Hall was officially opened. Mark Twain gave a funny speech for the occasion. This Town Hall was a gift from Abbie Palmer (Gifford) Rogers, Henry's wife.

Geography

Fairhaven covers about 14.1 square miles (36.5 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with about 1.7 square miles (4.4 square kilometers) of water. The town is next to the Acushnet River and New Bedford to the west. To the north is Acushnet, and to the east is Mattapoisett. To the south is Buzzards Bay.

Fairhaven is located on Buzzards Bay, at the mouth of the Acushnet River. The town has areas that stretch into the bay, like Sconticut Neck and West Island. Most of the town's water areas are its harbors, bays, and coves.

The town has two large public parks, Livesey Park and Cushman Park, plus many smaller ones. Cushman Park has tennis courts, ballfields, and a bandstand. It's also where Fairhaven High School's running track is located. Fairhaven has several docks for commercial boats and marinas for recreational boats. There are also a few small beaches, with the largest being at Fort Phoenix State Reservation. A bike path runs along an old railroad track near Route 6.

Transportation

Facing east on the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge

Interstate 195 goes through Fairhaven from east to west. It crosses the Acushnet River where it widens into New Bedford Harbor. U.S. Route 6 also goes through town. It enters Fairhaven on a bridge that connects to Pope's Island, which then connects to New Bedford by the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge.

Massachusetts Route 240 is a short highway that connects Interstate 195 to Route 6. The town's main shopping area is at this intersection. It has several stores, markets, and restaurants.

The SRTA provides bus service between Fairhaven and New Bedford. There are also shuttle routes to Acushnet and Mattapoisett. Fairhaven does not have train or air service directly. The MBTA is working to extend commuter train service to nearby New Bedford. The closest airport is New Bedford Regional Airport. For national flights, the nearest airport is T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Population Facts

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1850	4,304	—
1860	3,118	−27.6%
1870	2,626	−15.8%
1880	2,875	+9.5%
1890	2,919	+1.5%
1900	3,567	+22.2%
1910	5,122	+43.6%
1920	7,291	+42.3%
1930	10,951	+50.2%
1940	10,938	−0.1%
1950	12,764	+16.7%
1960	14,339	+12.3%
1970	16,332	+13.9%
1980	15,759	−3.5%
1990	16,132	+2.4%
2000	16,159	+0.2%
2010	15,873	−1.8%
2020	15,924	+0.3%
2022	15,837	−0.5%
Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.

In 2020, Fairhaven had a population of 15,924 people. The median age in town was 41 years old.

Businesses in Fairhaven

Fairhaven is home to the Acushnet Company. This company is famous worldwide for making golf equipment under the brand name Titleist. Fairhaven also has Nye Lubricants, a company that makes industrial lubricants. This company's history goes back to 1844 and the whaling industry.

Education

Fairhaven High School

Fairhaven has four public schools, all part of the Fairhaven Public School District. There are two elementary schools: East Fairhaven and Leroy L. Wood. The middle school is Elizabeth Hastings. The high school is Fairhaven High.

Fairhaven High School, which Henry Huttleston Rogers donated in 1906, is a very well-known building in town. It's on Route 6 and looks very impressive. The school's sports teams are called the Blue Devils, and their colors are royal blue and white. High school students can also choose to attend Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School in New Bedford or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton for free.

The town also has Saint Joseph's School, a Roman Catholic parochial school. It teaches students from nursery school through eighth grade.

The Northeast Maritime Institute in Fairhaven offers a two-year program in Nautical Science. This program prepares students to work as officers or captains on ships.

Notable People from Fairhaven

Joseph Bates

Joseph Bates (1792–1872): A sea captain and minister who helped start the Seventh-day Adventist Church. His childhood home is now a museum.
William Bradford (1823–1892): A famous painter and photographer known for his marine (ocean) scenes.
The 1st Baron Fairhaven (1896–1966): A wealthy businessman and art collector. He was the grandson of Henry Huttleston Rogers.
Paul Delano (1775–1842): A sea captain who moved to Chile and became important in their early Navy.
Mark Dion (born 1961): A well-known artist and sculptor.
William Le Baron Jenney (1832–1907): An architect and engineer known as the "Father of the American Skyscraper." He was born in Fairhaven.
Herman Melville (1819–1891): The author of the famous novel Moby-Dick. He sailed from Fairhaven on a whaleship in 1841.
"John" Manjiro Nakahama (1827–1898): The first Japanese person to live in America.
Christopher Reeve (1952–2004): The actor famous for playing Superman. He kept his sailboat in Fairhaven.
Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945): The 32nd President of the United States. He was a summer resident in Fairhaven.
Gil Santos (1938–2018): A longtime radio announcer for the New England Patriots football team. He was from Fairhaven.
Captain Slocum's Spray

Joshua Slocum (1844–1909): The first person to sail alone around the world. He rebuilt his ship, the Spray, in Fairhaven.
William H. Whitfield (1804–1886): The sea captain who rescued Manjiro Nakahama and took him to live in Fairhaven.