Rockport, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Rockport is a town
in Essex County, Massachusetts
, United States. The population was 6,952 at the 2010 census. Rockport is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann
peninsula. It is directly east of Gloucester, Massachusetts
and surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean.
Only part of the town composes the census-designated place
of Rockport
.
villages, inhabited by members of the Agawam tribe. Samuel de Champlain
named the peninsula "Cap Aux Isles" in 1605, and his expedition may have landed there briefly. By the time the first Europeans founded a permanent settlement at Gloucester in 1623, most of the Agawams had been killed by diseases caught from early contacts with Europeans.
The area that is now Rockport was simply an uninhabited part of Gloucester for more than 100 years, and was primarily used as a source of timber—especially pine
for shipbuilding. The area around Cape Ann was also one of the best fishing grounds in New England
. In 1743 a dock was built at Rockport harbor on Sandy Bay and was used for both timber and fishing. By the beginning of the 19th century, the first granite
quarries
were developed, and by the 1830s, Rockport granite was being shipped to cities and towns throughout the East Coast of the United States
.
Rockport had consisted primarily of large estates, summer homes, and a small fishing
village while Gloucester was becoming increasingly urbanized. Rockport was set off as a separate town in 1840 as its residents desired a separate enclave with an identity of its own. As the demand for its high-grade granite grew during the Industrial Revolution
, the quarries of Rockport became a major source of the stone. A distinctive form of sloop
was even developed to transport the granite to parts far and wide until the second decade of the 20th century. For many years, there were a large number of residents of Scandinavia
n descent, dating from the days when Finns
and Swedes
with stoneworking expertise made up a large part of the workforce at the quarries.
Although the demand for granite decreased with the increasing use of concrete
in construction during the Great Depression
, Rockport still thrived as an artists colony—which began years earlier due to its rocky, boulder-strewn ocean beaches, its quaint fishing shacks, a harbor filled with small, colorful fishing boats, and the fact that Cape Ann was made famous by Rudyard Kipling
's Captains Courageous
. A red fishing shack on Bradley Wharf in Rockport, known as 'Motif Number 1
', has for years been one of the most famous sites on Cape Ann, at first as the subject of hundreds of paintings, then as it became well known, as a site to be photographed and visited by tourists from all over the world. Rockport is also the home of the Rockport Art Association
.
In 1933, the Rockport American Legion Post. No. 98 built a 27’ scale model of ‘Motif No.1’ for the Legion Parade, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, site of the 1933 World's Fair. Designed by Aldro Hibbard
& Anthony Thieme
, with participation by the RAA, Board of Trade and townspeople ‘from high to low’, the float was commissioned in June, completed by the end of September, and driven in daylight only, from Rockport to Chicago, in less than a week. On October 3, 1933, among 200 floats, it won first place in the historic float competition . Upon the float's return to Rockport a crowd of over 4,000 people lined up & down the Great Hill (5 corners) to welcome the float home.
fishermen and artists. Its rocky beaches and seaside parks are a favorite place for visitors to walk and contemplate the power and grandeur of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rockport is served by fourteen weekday commuter trains to Boston as one terminus of the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line.
Bus transit throughout the area is provided by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority
.
, the town has a total area of 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.3 km²) of it is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) of it (59.84%) is water. Rockport lies at the far eastern end of Cape Ann
,and is surrounded on three sides by water. There are three islands, Straitsmouth Island, Thacher Island
, and Milk Island, which lie off the coast of Rockport and are considered part of the town. The town's shore is mostly rocky north of Lands End, but is somewhat less so south of there, as three of the town's five beaches are on this 1-1/4 mile stretch of shoreline. Rockport Harbor and Old Harbor provide deeper water for boats to dock in, both near the center of town. This provides ocean access to the fishing community. The town's highest point is atop Pool Hill, which is surrounded by the town forest. The town's other protected areas include Halibut Point State Park & Reservation, the Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge, and the Knight Wildlife Reservation on Milk Island, as well as a smaller area just south of Halibut Point run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society
.
Rockport's only neighboring town is Gloucester
. The town is approximately 20 miles east-northeast of Salem
and 35 miles northeast of Boston
. There are no highways within town, but two state routes, Route 127 and Route 127A pass through town. Route 127 passes from north to south through town, entering inland from Gloucester, passing over Great Hill before folling the sea from Back Harbor to Halibut Point and then back Route 127A follows the southern coast into town, looping around Land's End, Gap Head and the downtown area before reaching its northern terminus at Route 127. Bus service in Rockport is provided by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority
. Rockport is also the last station
on its eponymous branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
, providing service along the North Shore
to Boston's North Station. The nearest airport is the Beverly Municipal Airport
, with the nearest national and international service at Boston's Logan International Airport
.
of 2000, there were 7,767 people, 3,490 households, and 2,027 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,098.9 people per square mile (424.2/km²). There were 4,202 housing units at an average density of 229.5 persons/km² (594.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.27% African American
, 0.22% Native American
, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race.
The ancestral breakdown of the residents is as follows: English (23.0%), Irish
(20.4%), Italian (15.8%), German (7.1%), Scots
(5.7%). The percentage of residents born outside of the United States is 6.3% (3.7% in Europe, 1.1% elsewhere in North America, 1.0% in Asia).
There were 3,490 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,661, and the median income for a family was $69,263. Males had a median income of $46,131 versus $36,458 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $29,294. 3.7% of the population and 2.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.0% are under the age of 18 and 3.5% are 65 or older. The median house value in the town is $277,300.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Parker River National Wildlife Refuge* Salem Maritime National Historic Site* Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site* Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
, United States. The population was 6,952 at the 2010 census. Rockport is located approximately 25 miles northeast of Boston at the tip of the Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
peninsula. It is directly east of Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
and surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean.
Only part of the town composes the census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
of Rockport
Rockport (CDP), Massachusetts
Rockport is a census-designated place in the town of Rockport in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,606 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
History
Before the coming of the English explorers and colonists, Cape Ann was home to a number of Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
villages, inhabited by members of the Agawam tribe. Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, geographer, ethnologist, diplomat, and chronicler. He founded New France and Quebec City on July 3, 1608....
named the peninsula "Cap Aux Isles" in 1605, and his expedition may have landed there briefly. By the time the first Europeans founded a permanent settlement at Gloucester in 1623, most of the Agawams had been killed by diseases caught from early contacts with Europeans.
The area that is now Rockport was simply an uninhabited part of Gloucester for more than 100 years, and was primarily used as a source of timber—especially pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
for shipbuilding. The area around Cape Ann was also one of the best fishing grounds in New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. In 1743 a dock was built at Rockport harbor on Sandy Bay and was used for both timber and fishing. By the beginning of the 19th century, the first granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
were developed, and by the 1830s, Rockport granite was being shipped to cities and towns throughout the East Coast of the United States
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
.
Rockport had consisted primarily of large estates, summer homes, and a small fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
village while Gloucester was becoming increasingly urbanized. Rockport was set off as a separate town in 1840 as its residents desired a separate enclave with an identity of its own. As the demand for its high-grade granite grew during the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, the quarries of Rockport became a major source of the stone. A distinctive form of sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
was even developed to transport the granite to parts far and wide until the second decade of the 20th century. For many years, there were a large number of residents of Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n descent, dating from the days when Finns
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and Swedes
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
with stoneworking expertise made up a large part of the workforce at the quarries.
Although the demand for granite decreased with the increasing use of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
in construction during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Rockport still thrived as an artists colony—which began years earlier due to its rocky, boulder-strewn ocean beaches, its quaint fishing shacks, a harbor filled with small, colorful fishing boats, and the fact that Cape Ann was made famous by Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's Captains Courageous
Captains Courageous
Captains Courageous is an 1897 novel, by Rudyard Kipling, that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old Harvey Cheyne Jr., the arrogant and spoiled son of a railroad tycoon...
. A red fishing shack on Bradley Wharf in Rockport, known as 'Motif Number 1
Motif Number 1
thumb|350px|"Motif Number 1"Motif Number 1, located on Bradley Wharf in the harbor town of Rockport, Massachusetts, is a fishing shack well known to students of art and art history as "the most often-painted building in America."...
', has for years been one of the most famous sites on Cape Ann, at first as the subject of hundreds of paintings, then as it became well known, as a site to be photographed and visited by tourists from all over the world. Rockport is also the home of the Rockport Art Association
Rockport Art Association
Rockport Art Association is one of the oldest art associations in the United States. It started as an artist's cooperative and became a gathering place of New England artists of the 20th century. The artists Aldro Hibbard, Antonio Cirino, Paul Strisik, Anthony Thieme, W...
.
In 1933, the Rockport American Legion Post. No. 98 built a 27’ scale model of ‘Motif No.1’ for the Legion Parade, which was held in Chicago, Illinois, site of the 1933 World's Fair. Designed by Aldro Hibbard
Aldro Hibbard
Aldro Thompson Hibbard was a prominent American plein air painter. He was born in Falmouth, MA, but lived most of his life in Rockport, MA. His depictions of snowy landscapes, particularly in Vermont are highly regarded...
& Anthony Thieme
Anthony Thieme
Anthony Thieme was a landscape and marine painter and a major figure of the Rockport School of American regional art. He was a contemporary of important Rockport artists Aldro Hibbard, Emil Gruppe, W...
, with participation by the RAA, Board of Trade and townspeople ‘from high to low’, the float was commissioned in June, completed by the end of September, and driven in daylight only, from Rockport to Chicago, in less than a week. On October 3, 1933, among 200 floats, it won first place in the historic float competition . Upon the float's return to Rockport a crowd of over 4,000 people lined up & down the Great Hill (5 corners) to welcome the float home.
The revolt against rum
In 1856 a gang of 200 women led by Hannah Jumper swept through the town and destroyed anything containing alcohol in what is called "Rockport's revolt against rum" and banned alcohol from the town. Except for a period in the 1930s the town remained one of 15 Massachusetts dry towns. The town did remain dry for many years until recently, when it was voted that alcohol could be served at restaurants, but liquor stores are still illegal.Modern Rockport
Today Rockport is primarily a suburban residential and tourist town, but it is still home to a number of lobsterAmerican lobster
The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is a species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America, chiefly from Labrador to New Jersey. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster or Maine lobster. It can reach a body length of , and a mass of over , making it the...
fishermen and artists. Its rocky beaches and seaside parks are a favorite place for visitors to walk and contemplate the power and grandeur of the Atlantic Ocean.
Rockport is served by fourteen weekday commuter trains to Boston as one terminus of the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line.
Bus transit throughout the area is provided by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority
Cape Ann Transportation Authority
The Cape Ann Transportation Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Cape Ann area, consisting of the city of Gloucester and the adjoining towns of Essex, Ipswich and Rockport....
.
Geography and transportation
Rockport is located at 42°39′20"N 70°37′15"W, elevation 23.46 m (77 ft) . According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 17.6 square miles (45.5 km²), of which, 7.1 square miles (18.3 km²) of it is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) of it (59.84%) is water. Rockport lies at the far eastern end of Cape Ann
Cape Ann
Cape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
,and is surrounded on three sides by water. There are three islands, Straitsmouth Island, Thacher Island
Thacher Island
Thacher Island is a small island off Cape Ann on the Massachusetts coast in the United States. It is a part of the Town of Rockport. It was a place where some naval confrontations, both minor and major, took place, which helped secure victory for the colonists. The island, named after Anthony...
, and Milk Island, which lie off the coast of Rockport and are considered part of the town. The town's shore is mostly rocky north of Lands End, but is somewhat less so south of there, as three of the town's five beaches are on this 1-1/4 mile stretch of shoreline. Rockport Harbor and Old Harbor provide deeper water for boats to dock in, both near the center of town. This provides ocean access to the fishing community. The town's highest point is atop Pool Hill, which is surrounded by the town forest. The town's other protected areas include Halibut Point State Park & Reservation, the Thacher Island National Wildlife Refuge, and the Knight Wildlife Reservation on Milk Island, as well as a smaller area just south of Halibut Point run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Audubon Society
The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and in fact was founded...
.
Rockport's only neighboring town is Gloucester
Gloucester, Massachusetts
Gloucester is a city on Cape Ann in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is part of Massachusetts' North Shore. The population was 28,789 at the 2010 U.S. Census...
. The town is approximately 20 miles east-northeast of Salem
Salem, Massachusetts
Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,407 at the 2000 census. It and Lawrence are the county seats of Essex County...
and 35 miles northeast of Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. There are no highways within town, but two state routes, Route 127 and Route 127A pass through town. Route 127 passes from north to south through town, entering inland from Gloucester, passing over Great Hill before folling the sea from Back Harbor to Halibut Point and then back Route 127A follows the southern coast into town, looping around Land's End, Gap Head and the downtown area before reaching its northern terminus at Route 127. Bus service in Rockport is provided by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority
Cape Ann Transportation Authority
The Cape Ann Transportation Authority is a public, non-profit organization in Massachusetts, charged with providing public transportation to the Cape Ann area, consisting of the city of Gloucester and the adjoining towns of Essex, Ipswich and Rockport....
. Rockport is also the last station
Rockport (MBTA station)
Rockport is a passenger rail station on MBTA's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is the terminus of the Rockport branch of the line. The station complex consists of a single side platform with one revenue track plus 4 lay up tracks for parked trains and a short stretch of auxiliary track...
on its eponymous branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line
Newburyport/Rockport Line
The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg serves Chelsea, Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, and Beverly. From there, a northern branch of...
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
, providing service along the North Shore
North Shore (Massachusetts)
The North Shore is a region in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, loosely defined as the coastal area between Boston and New Hampshire. The region is made up both of a rocky coastline, dotted with marshes and wetlands, as well as several beaches and natural harbors. The North Shore is an important...
to Boston's North Station. The nearest airport is the Beverly Municipal Airport
Beverly Municipal Airport
Beverly Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Beverly, a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States...
, with the nearest national and international service at Boston's Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 7,767 people, 3,490 households, and 2,027 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,098.9 people per square mile (424.2/km²). There were 4,202 housing units at an average density of 229.5 persons/km² (594.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% White, 0.27% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.22% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 0.45% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race.
The ancestral breakdown of the residents is as follows: English (23.0%), Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
(20.4%), Italian (15.8%), German (7.1%), Scots
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
(5.7%). The percentage of residents born outside of the United States is 6.3% (3.7% in Europe, 1.1% elsewhere in North America, 1.0% in Asia).
There were 3,490 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,661, and the median income for a family was $69,263. Males had a median income of $46,131 versus $36,458 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $29,294. 3.7% of the population and 2.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 3.0% are under the age of 18 and 3.5% are 65 or older. The median house value in the town is $277,300.
Points of interest
- Rockport Art AssociationRockport Art AssociationRockport Art Association is one of the oldest art associations in the United States. It started as an artist's cooperative and became a gathering place of New England artists of the 20th century. The artists Aldro Hibbard, Antonio Cirino, Paul Strisik, Anthony Thieme, W...
; founded in 1921, the RAA is one of the oldest and most active art organizations in the country. - Halibut Point ReservationHalibut Point ReservationHalibut Point Reservation is a nature reserve located in Rockport, Massachusetts. The property is cooperatively managed by The Trustees of Reservations and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The trustees first acquired property in 1934; the adjoining land was purchased by...
; a nature reserve managed by The Trustees of Reservations and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. - Thacher IslandThacher IslandThacher Island is a small island off Cape Ann on the Massachusetts coast in the United States. It is a part of the Town of Rockport. It was a place where some naval confrontations, both minor and major, took place, which helped secure victory for the colonists. The island, named after Anthony...
; an island off of Rockport which has twin lighthouses. - Bearskin Neck; a quaint stretch of old fishermen and lobstermen shacks that have gradually been turned into a tourist attraction of restaurants, shops and galleries.
- Dogtown CommonDogtown, MassachusettsDogtown is an abandoned inland settlement on Cape Ann in Massachusetts. Once known as the Common Settlement and populated by respectable citizens, the area later known as Dogtown is divided between the city of Gloucester and the town of Rockport...
; an abandoned inland settlement on Cape Ann which is now protected in perpetuity. - North Shore Art AssociationNorth Shore Art AssociationThe North Shore Art Association of East Gloucester, Massachusetts is one of the oldest art associations in the United States. Founded in 1922, it was the gathering place of some of the great American Artists of the 20th century....
; Founded in 1922, one of the oldest art associations in the United States. - The Paper House; a house, including furnishings entirely made of paper at 52 Pigeon Hill Street.
- Shalin Liu Performance Center; opened in spring 2010, a new concert hall with state-of-the-art acoustics and breathtaking ocean views. The SLPC was built by Rockport MusicRockport MusicRockport Music is a presenting organization in Rockport, Massachusetts, bringing music, and other artistic programming, in variety of genres to audiences in the greater Boston area and the Massachusetts North Shore. Founded in 1981 as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music has been...
for the Rockport Chamber Music Festival. In the opening season home town Paula Cole performed. And other famed musicians John Sebastian, Livingston Taylor, Tom Rush, Jonathan Edwards and James Montgomery also performed.
Notable residents (past and present)
- Nelson BraggNelson BraggNelson Bragg is a drummer-percussionist-vocalist from Rockport, Massachusetts.-Early years:Nelson Bragg played in several bands from 1979 to 1999 including positions as a pit drummer for over 20 stage musicals...
(b. 1961), percussionist/vocalist for Brian Wilson Band - William Slater BrownWilliam Slater BrownWilliam Slater Brown was an American novelist, biographer and translator of French literature. Most notably, he was a friend of the poet E. E...
(1896-1997), novelist, biographer, and translator - Paula ColePaula ColePaula Cole is an American singer/songwriter. Her single "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997, and the following year she won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.-Early life:...
(b. 1968), singer/songwriter - Otis CookOtis CookOtis Pierce Cook Jr. was an American painter born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He was mostly famous for his oil paintings of coastal and landscape scenes and studied under Emil Gruppe of Gloucester. He lived much of his life in Rockport, MA and Cape Ann was the focal point for much of his...
(1900–1980), painter - Halim El-DabhHalim El-DabhHalim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh is an Egyptian-born American composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who has had a career spanning six decades...
(b. 1921), Egyptian-born composer - Rick HautalaRick HautalaRick Hautala is best known as a speculative fiction and horror writer. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1974 where he received a Master of Art in English Literature. Rick arrived on the horror scene in 1980 with many of his early novels published by Zebra books. He has written and...
(pseudonym A. J. Matthews) (b. 1949), author - Maria LekkakosMaria LekkakosMaria Lekkakos, born and raised in Lynn, MA is a beauty pageant contestant who later grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts who has competed in the Miss USA pageant....
Miss Massachusetts USA 2004 - Robert Lerch, Photographer
- David RobinsonDavid Robinson (musician)David Robinson is an American rock drummer. He has performed with many rock bands including The Modern Lovers, DMZ and The Cars.He attended Woburn Memorial High School....
, drummer for The CarsThe CarsThe Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
and the Modern LoversThe Modern LoversThe Modern Lovers were an American rock band led by Jonathan Richman in the 1970s and 1980s. The original band existed from 1970–74 but their recordings were not released until 1976 or later. It featured Richman and bassist Ernie Brooks with drummer David Robinson and keyboardist Jerry Harrison... - Julian SoshnickJulian SoshnickJulian Soshnick was born on August 17, 1932 in Brooklyn, NY. Born and raised there, Soshnick graduated from high school in Manhattan at age 16. He then attended and graduated Brandeis University and the Boston University School of Law. Drafted in 1957 and shipped out to Germany, he served four...
Civil Rights Lawyer. - Andrew StantonAndrew StantonAndrew Stanton is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and occasional voice actor based at Pixar Animation Studios. His film work includes writing and directing Finding Nemo and WALL-E; both films earned him the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.-Life and career:Stanton was...
(b. 1965), writer/director for Pixar - Helen Van Wyk (1930–1994) is recognized by thousands of artists as the host of PBS's Welcome to my Studio television show.
- Bobby HebbBobby HebbBobby Hebb was an American singer and songwriter, best known for his writing and recording of "Sunny".-Biography:...
(7/26-1938 – 8/3-2010) songwriter/singer, wrote and recorded "Sunny" in 1963.
Films set or filmed in Rockport
- Last Harbor Working Title was Hatteras Hotel filmed in Rockport 2008-2009
- Edge of Darkness (2010 film)
- The ProposalThe Proposal (film)The Proposal is a 2009 American romantic comedy film set in Sitka, Alaska. Directed by Anne Fletcher and written by Peter Chiarelli, the film features Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds as the leading roles, with Mary Steenburgen, Betty White, and Craig T. Nelson in supporting roles...
(standing in for Sitka, Alaska) - MermaidsMermaids (film)Mermaids is a 1990 comedy-drama film directed by Richard Benjamin and starring Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder , and Christina Ricci in her first film role...
- ComaComa (film)Coma is a 1978 suspense film based on the novel of the same name by Robin Cook. The film rights were acquired by director Michael Crichton, and the movie was produced by Martin Erlichmann for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
- The Good Son
- The Next Karate KidThe Next Karate KidThe Next Karate Kid is a 1994 American martial arts drama film starring Hilary Swank and Pat Morita. It is the fourth and final film in the original The Karate Kid series. It was directed by Christopher Cain, written by Mark Lee with music by Bill Conti. This is the only film in the original...
- The Love LetterThe Love LetterThe Love Letter is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Chan and starring Kate Capshaw. It is based on the novel by Cathleen Schine. The original music score was composed by Luis Enriquez Bacalov. The film takes place in the New England town of Loblolly-by-the-Sea...
- Stuck on You
- The 1957-1958 adventureAdventureAn adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
/dramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
television series, HarbourmasterHarbourmaster (TV series)Harbormaster is an American adventure/drama series that premiered on September 26, 1957 on CBS. In January 1958, the series was renamed Adventure at Scott Island and began airing on ABC. Harbormaster was a Ziv production .-Synopsis:The series stars Barry Sullivan as ship's captain and crime chaser...
, starring Barry SullivanBarry Sullivan (actor)Barry Sullivan was an American movie actor who appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s.Born in New York City, Sullivan fell into acting when in college playing semi-pro football...
, is set in Rockport. - I'll Be Home For Chistmas (TV Movie),1988, Hal Holbrook, Eva Marie Saint, Courteney Cox
See also
- Cape AnnCape AnnCape Ann is a rocky cape in northeastern Massachusetts on the Atlantic Ocean. The cape is located approximately 30 miles northeast of Boston and forms the northern edge of Massachusetts Bay. Cape Ann includes the city of Gloucester, and the towns of Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and...
- seaside tourismSeaside resortA seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
- Dogtown, MassachusettsDogtown, MassachusettsDogtown is an abandoned inland settlement on Cape Ann in Massachusetts. Once known as the Common Settlement and populated by respectable citizens, the area later known as Dogtown is divided between the city of Gloucester and the town of Rockport...
- Thacher IslandThacher IslandThacher Island is a small island off Cape Ann on the Massachusetts coast in the United States. It is a part of the Town of Rockport. It was a place where some naval confrontations, both minor and major, took place, which helped secure victory for the colonists. The island, named after Anthony...
- Halibut Point ReservationHalibut Point ReservationHalibut Point Reservation is a nature reserve located in Rockport, Massachusetts. The property is cooperatively managed by The Trustees of Reservations and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. The trustees first acquired property in 1934; the adjoining land was purchased by...
- Rockport Art AssociationRockport Art AssociationRockport Art Association is one of the oldest art associations in the United States. It started as an artist's cooperative and became a gathering place of New England artists of the 20th century. The artists Aldro Hibbard, Antonio Cirino, Paul Strisik, Anthony Thieme, W...
- Rockport MusicRockport MusicRockport Music is a presenting organization in Rockport, Massachusetts, bringing music, and other artistic programming, in variety of genres to audiences in the greater Boston area and the Massachusetts North Shore. Founded in 1981 as the Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Rockport Music has been...
External links
- Town of Rockport (official site)
- An Account of Rockport in the Nineteenth Century (includes pictures and charts)
- Interviews and Conversations with Rockport Artists