Wareham, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Wareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335, with an estimated 2008 population of 21,221.
The town of Wareham includes a number of distinct recognized subsections, including Onset
, Wareham Center
, West Wareham
, and Weweantic
.
. Because of its geography, Wareham's early industry revolved around shipbuilding and the related industries. It also served as a resort town, with many smaller resorts scattered around the town, especially in Onset. Like Sandwich, its waterways, especially Buttermilk Bay, were considered as possible pathways for the Cape Cod Canal
. Although the Canal proper goes through Bourne and Sandwich, the southern approach to Buzzards Bay
passes just south of the peninsulas that make up the topography of the town.
Wareham is home of the Tremont Nail Factory, the oldest nail manufacturer in the United States. The factory was established in 1819.
, the town has a total area of 46.3 square miles (119.9 km²), of which 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²) is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) is water. The total area is 22.64% water. Wareham is bordered by Marion
to the southwest, Rochester
to the west, Middleborough
to the northwest, Carver
and Plymouth to the north, and Bourne
to the east. The town's localities are numerous; the most important being East Wareham, Onset, Point Independence, Wareham Center, and West Wareham. The town is just west of Cape Cod
, and is 18 miles east of New Bedford
, approximately 45 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island
and 55 miles south-southeast of Boston.
Wareham is the innermost town on the north shore of Buzzards Bay
. The Weweantic River
empties in the southwest corner of town, with the Sippican River
and other brooks emptying into it. The Wareham River, which is formed at the confluence of the Wankinco
and Agawam
Rivers, flows into the harbor east of the Weweantic, and also has other brooks and the Mill Pond River as tributaries. To the east lie Onset Bay and Buttermilk Bay, both of which empty into the head of the bay, at the right-of-way of the Cape Cod Canal. Between these rivers and bays lie several points and necks, including Cromesett Point, Swift's Neck, Long Beach Point, Indian Neck, Stony Point, Cedar Island Point, Codman's Point, Sias Point and Whittemore's Point. The southern boundary of the Myles Standish State Forest
is concurrent with the town line between Wareham and Plymouth.
of 2000, there were 20,335 people, 8,200 households, and 5,338 families residing in the town. The population density
was 568.1 people per square mile (219.3/km²). There were 10,670 housing units at an average density of 298.1 per square mile (115.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.42% White, 2.92% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.20% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,200 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples
living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,422, and the median income for a family was $45,750. Males had a median income of $37,601 versus $28,306 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,312. 10.7% of the population and 8.1% of families were below the poverty line. 16.6% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
and 28
, including Wareham Crossing, opened in 2007.
as a part of the Second Plymouth district, which also includes Carver and part of Bourne. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton Marion, Middleborough, Raynham and Taunton. The town is patrolled by the Seventh (Bourne) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police
.
On the national level, Wareham is the eastern-most town of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
, and is currently represented by Barney Frank
. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
.
Wareham is governed by the open town meeting
form of government, which is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen
.
There is a central police station located along Route 28. The Wareham Fire District (career/on-call) has stations located in Wareham Center, East Wareham, West Wareham and in White Island, near Glen Charlie Pond in the northeast corner of town. The Onset Fire District (paid/on-call) has fire stations located in Onset Village and off Route 28/Cranberry Highway near the intersection of Main Avenue. Wareham EMS has a station located on Sandwich Road (Route 6).
There are four post offices for the town's four ZIP code
s, located in East Wareham (02538), West Wareham (02576), Wareham Center (02571) and a branch office in Onset (02558). The southeast portion of Wareham is also covered by 02532 of Buzzards Bay. The town's public library, located across the street from the town hall, is part of the SAILS library network.
.
A 2007 Johns Hopkins University
study called Wareham High School a "dropout factory", on the grounds that less than 60% of each incoming class remained in the school by its fourth year; the Wareham school superintendent disputed this figure, arguing that the study's methodology was flawed and that Wareham High School's graduation rate is 82.2%.
Wareham High competes in the South Coast Conference for athletics. Its nickname is the Vikings, and its colors are Blue, White, and Gold. Wareham competes with Bourne High School in an annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
High school students may also choose to attend Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne
.
in Marion
. The nearest Catholic high school is Bishop Stang High School
in Dartmouth
.
crosses through the town on its way to Cape Cod. Interstates 495
and 195
both terminate in the western part of town, with I-495's highway route continuing on as Route 25
, which passes through town and around Buttermilk Bay before ending at the Bourne Bridge. Additionally, U.S. Route 6
and Route 28
meet in East Wareham, and continue on towards Cape Cod. Route 58's southern terminus is at Route 28 in Rochester near the Wareham town line.
. There is currently no passenger rail service in Wareham, but an extension of the MBTA's
Middleborough/Lakeville commuter rail line to Wareham and Buzzards Bay is under consideration. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak
) passenger rail stations are Route 128 Station
, Providence
, and Boston's South Station
. The nearest MBTA commuter rail
station is the Middleborough/Lakeville station
.
stops at the Mill Pond Diner daily. A local bus service, the OWL (Onset Wareham Link), operated by GATRA
,] provides bus service around Wareham. The buses also have run to a Tedeschi store in Bourne for connection to Bonanza Buses and to the MBTA's Middleborough/Lakeville Station. Service to these locations is often changed. The buses are often referred to locally as "The Trolley" for its intermittent use of trolley-style buses
.
in Boston
or T. F. Green Airport
in Providence, RI.
, a collegiate summer baseball team and a member of the Western Division of the Cape Cod Baseball League
. Wareham currently plays its home games at Clem Spillane Field, located within the town.
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton...
. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335, with an estimated 2008 population of 21,221.
The town of Wareham includes a number of distinct recognized subsections, including Onset
Onset, Massachusetts
Onset is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham in Massachusetts. The population was 1,292 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Onset is located at ....
, Wareham Center
Wareham Center, Massachusetts
Wareham Center is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,874 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wareham Center is located at ....
, West Wareham
West Wareham, Massachusetts
West Wareham is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,908 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Wareham is located at ....
, and Weweantic
Weweantic, Massachusetts
Weweantic is a census-designated place in the town of Wareham in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,903 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Weweantic is located at ....
.
History
Wareham was first settled in 1678 as part of the towns of Plymouth and Rochester. It was officially incorporated in 1739 and named for the town of Wareham, EnglandWareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
. Because of its geography, Wareham's early industry revolved around shipbuilding and the related industries. It also served as a resort town, with many smaller resorts scattered around the town, especially in Onset. Like Sandwich, its waterways, especially Buttermilk Bay, were considered as possible pathways for the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south...
. Although the Canal proper goes through Bourne and Sandwich, the southern approach to Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Buzzards Bay is a census-designated place in the town of Bourne in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The population was 3,549 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Buzzards Bay is located at...
passes just south of the peninsulas that make up the topography of the town.
Wareham is home of the Tremont Nail Factory, the oldest nail manufacturer in the United States. The factory was established in 1819.
Geography
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 46.3 square miles (119.9 km²), of which 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²) is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) is water. The total area is 22.64% water. Wareham is bordered by Marion
Marion, Massachusetts
Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
to the southwest, Rochester
Rochester, Massachusetts
Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,232 at the 2010 census.-History:Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay...
to the west, Middleborough
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts....
to the northwest, Carver
Carver, Massachusetts
Carver is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,163 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2008 population of 11,574. It is named for John Carver, the first governor of the Plymouth Colony.- Demographics :...
and Plymouth to the north, and Bourne
Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Buzzards Bay, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore, and Sagamore...
to the east. The town's localities are numerous; the most important being East Wareham, Onset, Point Independence, Wareham Center, and West Wareham. The town is just west of Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...
, and is 18 miles east of New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, approximately 45 miles east of Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and 55 miles south-southeast of Boston.
Wareham is the innermost town on the north shore of Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)
Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles long by 8 miles wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Since 1914, Buzzards Bay has been connected to Cape Cod Bay by the Cape Cod Canal...
. The Weweantic River
Weweantic River
The Weweantic River is a river in southeastern Massachusetts. Its name means "crooked" or "wandering stream" in the Wampanoag language.The river arises in wetlands in Carver, meanders generally south through swampy birch and maple forests in Middleborough and Rochester, and drains into a Buzzards...
empties in the southwest corner of town, with the Sippican River
Sippican River
The Sippican River is a short river in Massachusetts, United States.The Sippican River is long, arising from east and west branches in the towns of Mattapoisett, Marion , and Rochester, Massachusetts...
and other brooks emptying into it. The Wareham River, which is formed at the confluence of the Wankinco
Wankinco River
The Wankinco River is a river in eastern Massachusetts and a tributary of the Wareham River, which drains into Buzzards Bay.Although now spelled Wankinco, it was previously written as Wankinquoah, which may have been derived from Wonqun, meaning "crooked".The Wankinco River originates at East Head...
and Agawam
Agawam River
The Agawam River is a stream in southeastern Massachusetts, USA, that is part of the Wareham River estuary watershed. The Agawam River is named in honor of the peaceful Native Americans that helped the Massachusetts Bay Colony establish its first Connecticut River Valley settlement at Springfield,...
Rivers, flows into the harbor east of the Weweantic, and also has other brooks and the Mill Pond River as tributaries. To the east lie Onset Bay and Buttermilk Bay, both of which empty into the head of the bay, at the right-of-way of the Cape Cod Canal. Between these rivers and bays lie several points and necks, including Cromesett Point, Swift's Neck, Long Beach Point, Indian Neck, Stony Point, Cedar Island Point, Codman's Point, Sias Point and Whittemore's Point. The southern boundary of the Myles Standish State Forest
Myles Standish State Forest
Myles Standish State Forest is state forest located in the towns of Plymouth and Carver in southeastern Massachusetts, approximately 45 miles south of Boston...
is concurrent with the town line between Wareham and Plymouth.
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 20,335 people, 8,200 households, and 5,338 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 568.1 people per square mile (219.3/km²). There were 10,670 housing units at an average density of 298.1 per square mile (115.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 87.42% White, 2.92% African American, 0.54% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.20% from other races, and 3.43% from two or more races. 1.44% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 8,200 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.4% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,422, and the median income for a family was $45,750. Males had a median income of $37,601 versus $28,306 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 $21,312. 10.7% of the population and 8.1% of families were below the poverty line. 16.6% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Economy
Today, Wareham is mostly residential, although it still has a strong summer tourism industry. It has retail centers along Routes 6U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and 28
Route 28 (Massachusetts)
Route 28 is a nominally south–north route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, running from the town of Orleans via Boston to the New Hampshire state line in Methuen. Following the route from its nominally southern end, Route 28 initially heads south to the town of Chatham then turns west to...
, including Wareham Crossing, opened in 2007.
Government
Wareham is represented in the Massachusetts House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
as a part of the Second Plymouth district, which also includes Carver and part of Bourne. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton Marion, Middleborough, Raynham and Taunton. The town is patrolled by the Seventh (Bourne) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police
Massachusetts State Police
The Massachusetts State Police is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security responsible for criminal law enforcement and traffic vehicle regulation across the state...
.
On the national level, Wareham is the eastern-most town of Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district
Massachusetts's 4th congressional district is mostly in southern Massachusetts and includes the South Coast region. It is represented by Barney Frank, who has served the district since January 1981....
, and is currently represented by Barney Frank
Barney Frank
Barney Frank is the U.S. Representative for . A member of the Democratic Party, he is the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and is considered the most prominent gay politician in the United States.Born and raised in New Jersey, Frank graduated from Harvard College and...
. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
.
Wareham is governed by the open town meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
form of government, which is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
.
There is a central police station located along Route 28. The Wareham Fire District (career/on-call) has stations located in Wareham Center, East Wareham, West Wareham and in White Island, near Glen Charlie Pond in the northeast corner of town. The Onset Fire District (paid/on-call) has fire stations located in Onset Village and off Route 28/Cranberry Highway near the intersection of Main Avenue. Wareham EMS has a station located on Sandwich Road (Route 6).
There are four post offices for the town's four ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s, located in East Wareham (02538), West Wareham (02576), Wareham Center (02571) and a branch office in Onset (02558). The southeast portion of Wareham is also covered by 02532 of Buzzards Bay. The town's public library, located across the street from the town hall, is part of the SAILS library network.
Public schools
Wareham has a public school system. There are five elementary schoolsJohn W. Decas, East Wareham, Ethel E. Hammond, Minot Forest Elementary and West Warehamserving the town; Wareham Middle School; and Wareham High SchoolWareham High School
Wareham High School is a public high school located in Wareham, Massachusetts. The school is a part of the Wareham Public School system, and serves roughly 900 students in grades 9-12....
.
A 2007 Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
study called Wareham High School a "dropout factory", on the grounds that less than 60% of each incoming class remained in the school by its fourth year; the Wareham school superintendent disputed this figure, arguing that the study's methodology was flawed and that Wareham High School's graduation rate is 82.2%.
Wareham High competes in the South Coast Conference for athletics. Its nickname is the Vikings, and its colors are Blue, White, and Gold. Wareham competes with Bourne High School in an annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
High school students may also choose to attend Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Bourne
Bourne, Massachusetts
Bourne is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Buzzards Bay, Monument Beach, Pocasset, Sagamore, and Sagamore...
.
Private schools
There are no private schools in the town, with the nearest being Tabor AcademyTabor Academy
Tabor Academy is a highly selective independent preparatory school located in Marion, Massachusetts, United States. Tabor is known for its marine science courses...
in Marion
Marion, Massachusetts
Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,123 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.-History:...
. The nearest Catholic high school is Bishop Stang High School
Bishop Stang High School
Mission Statement: Bishop Stang High School is a private Catholic secondary school located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in the New England region of the United States. It was the first diocesan secondary school in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River, which includes most of Southeastern...
in Dartmouth
Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Dartmouth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States established in 1664. The population was 30,665 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth....
.
Major highways
The town has always been a vital transportation point, as the Bay Colony RailroadBay Colony Railroad
The Bay Colony Railroad is a shortline railroad operating in Massachusetts.The BCLR operates in the Millis - Milford - Needham Corridor. In addition to moving freight for its customers, Bay Colony also performs AAR-certified repairs on rolling stock and contract track construction projects for...
crosses through the town on its way to Cape Cod. Interstates 495
Interstate 495 (Massachusetts)
Interstate 495 is the designation of an Interstate Highway half-beltway in Massachusetts. It was the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway of its kind—measuring 120.74 miles —until 1996, when the PA Route 9 section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike was redesignated as Interstate 476, making it about ...
and 195
Interstate 195 (Rhode Island-Massachusetts)
Interstate 195 is an Interstate Highway running a combined 40.1 miles in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It travels from a junction with Interstate 95 in Providence, Rhode Island east to a junction with Interstate 495 and Route 25 in Wareham, Massachusetts...
both terminate in the western part of town, with I-495's highway route continuing on as Route 25
Route 25 (Massachusetts)
Route 25 is a numbered state highway located in Plymouth County and Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The route is a nominally east–west freeway for its entire length, and less commonly known as the Blue Star Memorial Highway. An eastward continuation of Interstate 495, Route 25...
, which passes through town and around Buttermilk Bay before ending at the Bourne Bridge. Additionally, U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6
U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to...
and Route 28
Route 28 (Massachusetts)
Route 28 is a nominally south–north route in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, running from the town of Orleans via Boston to the New Hampshire state line in Methuen. Following the route from its nominally southern end, Route 28 initially heads south to the town of Chatham then turns west to...
meet in East Wareham, and continue on towards Cape Cod. Route 58's southern terminus is at Route 28 in Rochester near the Wareham town line.
Rail
Freight rail service is provided by the Massachusetts Coastal RailroadMassachusetts Coastal Railroad
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad is the successor operator of portions of Bay Colony Railroad.-History:On December 31, 2007 the contract to operate the freight railroad lines owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts administered by the Executive Office of Transportation expired. These...
. There is currently no passenger rail service in Wareham, but an extension of the MBTA's
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
Middleborough/Lakeville commuter rail line to Wareham and Buzzards Bay is under consideration. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
) passenger rail stations are Route 128 Station
Route 128 (MBTA station)
Route 128 is a station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Providence/Stoughton MBTA Commuter Rail line, with inbound service to Back Bay and South Station in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton or TF Green Airport. It is also known as "University Park" station...
, Providence
Providence (Amtrak station)
Providence Station is a railroad station in Providence, Rhode Island and is served by Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . The station has four tracks for passenger service, with a fifth track passing through for Providence and Worcester Railroad freight trains...
, and Boston's South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
. The nearest 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...
station is the Middleborough/Lakeville station
Middleborough/Lakeville (MBTA station)
Middleborough/Lakeville is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Lakeville, Massachusetts. It is the terminus of the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. Middleborough/Lakeville Station was built on a line that was once part of the original Fall River Railroad, which actually had two different stations for...
.
Bus
Bonanza Bus LinesPeter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. It operates in the northeastern United States. Over four million passengers per year travel on Peter Pan's bus routes....
stops at the Mill Pond Diner daily. A local bus service, the OWL (Onset Wareham Link), operated by GATRA
Gatra
A gatra is a unit of melody in Javanese gamelan music, analogous to a measure in Western music. It is often considered the smallest unit of a gamelan composition....
,] provides bus service around Wareham. The buses also have run to a Tedeschi store in Bourne for connection to Bonanza Buses and to the MBTA's Middleborough/Lakeville Station. Service to these locations is often changed. The buses are often referred to locally as "The Trolley" for its intermittent use of trolley-style buses
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
.
Air
The nearest national and international flights can be reached at Logan International AirportLogan 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...
in 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...
or T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
in Providence, RI.
Sports
Wareham is home to the Wareham GatemenWareham Gatemen
The Wareham Gatemen are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Wareham, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division...
, a collegiate summer baseball team and a member of the Western Division of the Cape Cod Baseball League
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in which many college baseball stars play during the summer. Many future Major League Baseball players have started there during their college years; MLB has provided...
. Wareham currently plays its home games at Clem Spillane Field, located within the town.
Points of interest
- Tremont Nail Factory DistrictTremont Nail Factory DistrictTremont Nail Factory District is an historic district at 21 Elm Street in Wareham, Massachusetts. It makes up the former area occupied by the former Tremont Nail Company.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976....
, an historic nail factory located at 21 Elm Steet, which operated from 1819 to 2006 by the Tremont Nail CompanyTremont Nail CompanyThe Tremont Nail Company was a nail manufacturing company located in Wareham, Massachusetts from 1819 to 2006. The Tremont Nail brand was purchased by Acorn Manufacturing of Mansfield, Massachusetts where it still produces cut nails and other products for restoration projects...
. - Water WizzWater WizzWater Wizz touted as being “Cape Cod’s Only Waterpark" is a water park located in East Wareham, Massachusetts. They have many slides and kiddie attractions. Note though that Wareham isn't part of Cape Cod. In the summer of 2009, the park was used as a filming location for the movie Grown...
- A water park in the area. Popular in the summertime. Recently was a spot of filming for the 2010 film Grown UpsGrown Ups (2010 film)Grown Ups is a 2010 American buddy-comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan and starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider. Sandler and Fred Wolf wrote the script. The film was produced by Sandler's production company Happy Madison and was distributed by Columbia...
. - Little Harbor Country Club - An 18 hole public golf course located near Little Harbor Beach.
Notable people
- Stephen Cooper (b. 1979), NFL Football player for the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Geena DavisGeena DavisVirginia Elizabeth "Geena" Davis is an American actress, film producer, writer, former fashion model, and a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist...
(b. 1956), Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress - Paul FearingPaul FearingPaul Fearing was Delegate from the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio. He was born in Wareham, Massachusetts....
(1762–1822), a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Territory Northwest of the River Ohio - John KendrickJohn Kendrick (American sea captain)John Kendrick was an American sea captain, both during the American Revolutionary War and the exploration and maritime fur trading of the Pacific Northwest alongside his partner Robert Gray.-Early life:...
(1740–1794), sea captain and explorer of the Pacific Northwest - Eugene Thomas Maleska, (1916–1993) New York Times crossword puzzle editor, had a home in town
- Donald W. NicholsonDonald W. NicholsonDonald William Nicholson was a 20th century American politician from the state of Massachusetts. Born in Wareham, Massachusetts, he attended the public schools and took college extension courses. He first worked as a salesman, then during the First World War served overseas in the United States...
, (1888–1968), congressman - Susan L. Samedo (b. 1964), stage name "PebblesPebbles (Radio Personality)Susan Lynne Semedo is a radio presenter, personality, and voice-over artist in the Boston, Massachusetts area.- Early life and education :Pebbles, born in May 1964, is Cape Verdean and a native of Wareham, Massachusetts...
", Boston radio personality - Skipp SudduthSkipp SudduthRobert Lee Sudduth IV , generally known by his stage name Skipp Sudduth, is an American theater, film, and TV actor. Sudduth is perhaps best known for his role in the movie Ronin and his lead in the TV drama Third Watch....
(b. 1956), actor - Samuel T. WellmanSamuel T. WellmanSamuel Thomas Wellman, was an American steel industry pioneer, industrialist, and prolific inventor. Wellman was a close friend of electrical pioneer George Westinghouse, and Charles M. Schwab of Bethlehem Steel described Samuel T. Wellman as "the man who did more than any other living person in...
(1847–1919) steel industry pioneer, industrialist, and prolific inventor
External links
- Wareham Free Library
- Answer Book/Wareham: "Everything you need to know"