Dartmouth, Massachusetts
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Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 30,666 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Dartmouth, please see the articles on Bliss Corner, Padanaram Village, and Smith Mills.
History
Dartmouth was first settled in 1652 and was officially incorporated in 1664. It was named for the town of Dartmouth, Devon, England, where the Puritans originally intended to leave from for America. The land was purchased with trading goods from the Wampanoag chiefs Massasoit and Wamsutta by elders of the Plymouth Colony. It was sold to, the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers, who wished to live outside the stringent religious laws of the Puritans in Plymouth. There are still Quaker meeting houses in town, including the Smith Neck Meeting House, the Allens Neck Meeting House, and the Apponegansett Meeting House, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Its borders were originally named in the charter (and set by King Philip) as the lands of "Acushnea, Ponagansett, and Coaksett." This includes the land of the towns of Westport, Fairhaven, and Acushnet, and the city of New Bedford. In 1789, the towns of Westport and New Bedford, which included Fairhaven and Acushnet, separated and were incorporated as towns themselves.Dartmouth's history was that of an agricultural community, but during the late 19th century its coastline became a resort area for the wealthy members of New Bedford society.
Round Hill was the site of early-to-mid 20th century research into the uses of radio and microwaves for aviation and communication by MIT researchers. It is also the site of the Green Mansion, the estate of "Colonel" Ned Green, a colorful character in his own right, who was son of the even more colorful and wildly eccentric Hetty Green, the richest woman in the world in her time, who is listed in the Guinness book of records as the "world's greatest miser".
The town's retail area has grown steadily since the 1960s, centering around the village of Smith Mills and branching northward towards Faunce Corners.
The Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies, located in South Dartmouth, is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs on aquatic environments in southeastern New England. It is across the mouth of Slocum's River from Demarest Lloyd State Park, a popular state beach known for its shallow waters.
The town was also once the home of Lincoln Park, a former amusement park which dated from the late 19th century as a park-stop along the trolley line from Fall River to New Bedford just east of the junction of Lake Noquochoke and the Westport River. The park closed in 1986 due to sagging attendance and lack of funds. Much of the park was burned to the ground in several incidents of arson, and today there are plans to turn the former park's lands into a housing development with accompanying stores.
A building in the shape of a giant milk can, Salvador's Ice Cream, is one of many local landmarks.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 253.4 km² (97.8 mi²). 159.5 km² (61.6 mi²) of it is land and 93.9 km² (36.2 mi²) of it (37.06%) is water.The town is accessible by Interstate 195 and US Route 6, both of which run parallel through the town on an east-west axis. Route 140 and Route 177 both terminate just outside the borders of the town at Route 6, in New Bedford and Westport, respectively.
Dartmouth is divided into two primary sections: North Dartmouth (USPS ZIP code 02747) and South Dartmouth (USPS ZIP code 02748). It should be noted, however, that the use of "North" and "South" are no longer official, and are only used colloquially.
Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 30,666 people, 10,555 households, and 7,821 families residing in the town. The population density was 192.3/km² (498.1/mi²). There were 11,283 housing units at an average density of 70.8/km² (183.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.77% White, 1.06% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.12% from other races, and 1.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.50% of the population.There were 10,555 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.4% under the age of 18, 14.1% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,742, and the median income for a family was $60,401. Males had a median income of $39,788 versus $28,033 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,326. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- [PDF document: Dartmouth Community Profile]
- [Town of Dartmouth: A Brief History]
- [The Story of Fairhaven] by Thomas Tripp
- [Bishop Stang High School]
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