Fairhaven

The town shares a harbor with the city of New Bedford, a place well known for its whaling and fishing heritage. The population of Fairhaven was 15,924 at the time of the 2020 census. This new town included areas that are the present-day towns of Fair Haven, Acushnet, and New Bedford itself. At that time, Fairhaven included all of the land on the east bank of the Acushne River, and it was officially incorporated in 1812. The town is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts, and the area it shares with is called Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is adjacent to the town by Cara Rogers Broughton (a daughter of Henry Huttleston Rogers) and it is on the same side of the road as the town of Bristol County. The area around the town is known as Bristol County and the city is called New Bedford. The city is also known as New Bedford and the road is called the New Bedford Road. The New Bedford River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. This is the place where the town's history, economy, and culture are closely aligned with those of its larger neighbor. It's also the place that the town shares with the area that is called Bedford County, and that is also the same place as the city. In less than 75 years, four separate municipalities became a fifth town, Westport, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.

History

Fairhaven was first settled in 1659 as "Cushnea", the easternmost part of the town of Dartmouth. It was founded on land purchased by English settlers at the Plymouth Colony from the Wampanoag sachem Massasoit, and his son, Wamsutta. In 1787, the eastern portion of Dartmouth seceded and formed a new settlement called New Bedford. Fairhaven eventually separated from New Bedford, and it was officially incorporated in 1812. The northern portion of Fairhaven, upriver from Buzzards Bay, formed another independent town, called Acushnet, in 1860. In the year 1838, Fairhaven was the second-largest whaling port in the United States, with 24 vessels sailing for the whaling grounds. The author of Moby-Dick, Herman Melville, departed from the port of Fair Haven aboard the whaleship AcUSHnet in 1841. Fort Phoenix is located in Fairhaven. It served, during colonial and revolutionary times, as the primary defense against seaborne attacks on New Bedford harbor. It is adjacent to the Fort Phoenix State Beach and Reservation operated by the state of New Hampshire. The fort was decommissioned in 1876, and in 1926 the site was donated to the town by Cara Rogers Broughton (a daughter of Henry Huttleston Rogers). Today, the area surrounding the fort includes a park and a bathing beach, and the fort lies just to the seaward side of the harbor's hurricane barrier.

Geography

The town is located on Buzzards Bay, on the eastern bank of the Acushnet River at its mouth. It is approximately 54 miles (87 km) south of Boston, 21 miles (34 km) by land west of Cape Cod, and 32 miles (51 km) southeast of Providence, Rhode Island. Most of the town's population lies either in the west side of town, along Sconticut Neck or in the village of East Fairhaven. The town has two large public parks, Livesey Park and Cushman Park, as well as a number of smaller ones. There are several small bathing beaches, the largest being the Fort Phoenix State Reservation, a south-facing beach to the east of the fort and the New Bedford Harbor Hurricane Barrier. There is also a bike path which travels along a long-unused railroad right-of-way, just to the south of Route 6. Fairhaven is the southeastern corner of Bristol County, and contains the easternmost point of the county, on West Island. The town lies along coastal plain, and has some swampland along the Nasketucket and around Boy's and Girl's Creeks, north of Priest's Cove. It has several commercial wharves, a yacht club, and several marinas for recreational craft. It also has several small parks, including a large park with tennis courts and ballfields and a bandstand, which is the location of Fairhaven High School's running track.

Transportation

Interstate 195 travels on an eastwest path through town, crossing the Acushnet River at the point where it begins to broaden as it approaches New Bedford Harbor. U.S. Route 6 enters the town on a bridge between the mainland and Pope's Island, which is connected to the rest of New Bedford by the New Bedford-Fairhaven Bridge. Massachusetts Route 240, a short, 1 mile (1.6 km) divided highway, connects Interstate 195 at Exit 29 to the intersection of Route 6 and Sconticut Neck Road. The town's retail center is located at this intersection, and includes several stores, markets, and restaurants.SRTA provides bus service between Fairhaven and New Bedford, as well as two short shuttle routes between the town and AcUSHnet and Mattapoisett. The town has no rail or air service. The nearest national air service is at T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island. The MBTA is in the process of extending commuter rail service to neighboring New Bedford. Keeping the southcoast financially depressed by the lack of access to better the paying jobs in greater Boston. New Bedford also is the location of the nearest airport to Fairhaven, the New Bedford Regional Airport. Most believe that this will never come to fruition and most believe that it will never be possible to get to Boston from Fairhaven by rail or by air in the first place. It is a long standing promise that has never came to fruition.

Demographics

As of the census of 2008, there were 25,065 people, 8,423 households, and 4,354 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,303.4 inhabitants per square mile (503.2/km²). There were 7,266 housing units at an average density of 586.1 per squaremile (226.3/ km²) The racial makeup of the town was 96.32% White, 0.60% African American, 0,26% Native American, 1.19% from other races, and 1.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.84% of the population. The town's population was spread out, with 21.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there are 89.4 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there is 85.3 males. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was2.98. the town's median income was $41,696. The per capita income for the town is $20,986. About 11.4% of those under 18 and 11.6%. of those age 65 or over. were below the poverty line.

Business

Fairhaven is the home of the Acushnet Company, a world-renowned manufacturer of golf equipment under the brand name Titleist. Fairhaven is also home to Nye Lubricants, a firm dealing in industrial lubricants and whose history dates back to 1844 and the whaling industry. The town is home to the Fairhaven Golf Club, which was founded in 1858. The club is one of the oldest golf courses in the world, dating back to the early 19th century. It is located on the banks of the River Lea, which runs through the centre of the town. The city is also known as the birthplace of golfing legend Jack Nicklaus, who was born in Fairhaven and grew up in the area. It was also the site of the first golf tournament in the United States, held in 1872 and 1875. It has been home to a number of other major sporting events, such as the US Open and the British Open, as well as the Australian Open and Australian Open. It also hosts the World Cup, which is held every year from August to October. The Fairhaven golf club was established in 1852 and is located in the heart of the city. The first golf course was built in 1854 and was named after the nearby Fairhaven village. The current golf course is named after Fairhaven's first owner, William Fairhaven, who founded the club in 1855. The village also has its own version of the Sydney Opera House, which opened in 1861.

Government

Fairhaven is located in the 10th Bristol state representative district, which includes all of Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. The town is represented in the state senate in the 2nd Bristol-Plymouth district. On the national level, Fairhaven is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William R. Keating. The state's senior member of the U.S. Senate is Elizabeth Warren, and the junior senator is Ed Markey. The police, fire, and rescue all are located at the same site on Washington St. The town has one library (the Millicent Library), one fire station, a central police department, and one post office. The Fairhaven police department is located on Byrant Lane, a half-mile east of the center of town. Fairhaven has one town hall, run by a board of selectmen and a town administrator. It is governed by a representative town meeting. It has one fire department, one police station, and a post office, all of which are located in Fairhaven. Fairhaven also has a fire department and a rescue department, which are both located in nearby Middleborough. The city of New Bedford is part of the Fairhaven-Marion-Dartmouth district, as is the city of Acushnet, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven's town of Marion. It also includes the town of Middleborough, as well as a portion of the towns of Rochester and New Bedford.

Education

Fairhaven is part of the Fairhaven-Acushnet Regional School District, along with neighboring Acushnet. The town has two elementary schools; East Fairhaven, and Leroy L. Wood School. Fairhaven High School, donated by Rogers in 1906, is the most recognizable landmark in the town. The Northeast Maritime Institute based in Fairhaven offers a two year program in Nautical Science. NMI owns several buildings in the center of town, including a former Unitarian Church and former bank. The school's teams are known as the Blue Devils, and their colors are royal-blue and white. There are only a few spots allocated for Fairhaven students so most never are able to attend these schools. The high school students may choose to attend either Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational-Technical High School ("Voc-Tech") or Bristol County Agricultural High school ("Bristol Aggie"), free of charge. There is also Saint Joseph's School, a Roman Catholic parochial school which provides an education from nursery through eighth-grade in the Fair Haven area. The Fairhaven school is located on Route 6 (Huttleston Avenue) and is known for its impressive appearance. It is also home to a number of private schools, including Fairhaven Preparatory School and Fairhaven Christian School, which offers a pre-school through eighth grade education in the same building as the town's public schools. It also has a private day care center, which is open to the public.

Sister city

Sister city of Tosashimizu, Kchi, Japan, since 1987. Sister city of Kchi since 1987 is Kchi-Sarai, Japan. Sister city is also sister city of Nagasaki, Japan; sister city is Nagasaki-Tosashimizu, Nagasaki. Sister town is sister city to Nagasaki and Nagasaki in Japan. sister city in Nagasaki is Nagashi, Japan: Nagashi-Kchi. sister town in Kchi: Nagoshi-Toshimizu. sisterCity in Nagashi: Nagushi-Koshi, Nagashi in Nagushi, Naguchi, Nagomi, Nagai, Nagoya, Nagara, Nagayama, Nagare, Nagata, Nagari, Nagarozu and Nagare in Nagare. sister cities in Nagara: Nagare-Kachi, Nagagare-Nagare, Kuchi-Sagare and Nagarosu. sistercity in Nagari: Nagaroshima, Nagashima-Ngare, Nagarozima- Nagarazima-Kuchi, Nago, Nagate, Nagarahama-Naga, Nagahama, Naga, Nga, Nagushima, Nagoso, Nagamatsu, Nagato, Nagau, Nagazaki, Nagae, Nagoto, Nagan, Nagomatsu, Nanaga, Nanagai, Nanage, Naguroshima-Chi, Nagoyama-Chichi, Nagoroshima.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Fairhaven, Bristol County, Massachusetts = 52. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 47. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Fairhaven = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,632 individuals with a median age of 44 age the population dropped by -0.70% in Fairhaven, Bristol County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,100 residents per square mile of area (440/km²). There are average 2.33 people per household in the 6,749 households with an average household income of $54,622 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 10.70% of the available work force and has dropped -4.66% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 19.98%. The number of physicians in Fairhaven per 100,000 population = 141.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Fairhaven = 46.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 33 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 121. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 24 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Fairhaven, Bristol County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 65.79%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 55 years with median home cost = $194,040 and home appreciation of -11.96%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.66 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,507 per student. There are 14.4 students for each teacher in the school, 2141 students for each Librarian and 428 students for each Counselor. 6.46% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 11.49% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.50% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).