Falmouth, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Falmouth is a town
in Barnstable County
, Massachusetts
, United States
; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod
. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census.
Today Falmouth is well known for it's warm water beaches, a traditional Main Street village with eclectic boutiques, trendy restaurants and historic village green. Visitors to Martha's Vineyard come to Falmouth to utilize the terminal for the Steamship Authority ferries to Martha's Vineyard
in the village of Woods Hole which also boasts several scientific organizations such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
, The Marine Biological Laboratory
(MBL) and the Woods Hole Research Center
, National Marine Fisheries Aquarium and various museums of the scientific institutions.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Falmouth, please see the articles on East Falmouth
, Falmouth Village
, North Falmouth
, Teaticket
, West Falmouth
, and Woods Hole
. There are also the villages of Hatchville and Waquoit, which are not census-designated place
s and both fall within the village of East Falmouth based on postal service.
for Falmouth, Cornwall
, England
, his home port. Early principal activities were farming, salt works, whaling, shipping, and sheep. Sheep husbandry
was very popular due to the introduction of Merino sheep and the beginnings of water-powered mills that could process the wool. In 1837, Falmouth averaged about 50 sheep per sq. mile.
Falmouth saw brief action in the War of 1812
when the area around Falmouth Heights, on its southern coast, was bombarded by several British frigates and ships of the line, and Massachusetts militia
hastily entrenched themselves on the beaches to repulse a possible British landing which never came. By 1872 the train had come to Falmouth and Woods Hole and some of the first summer homes were established. By the late 19th century cranberries
were being cultivated and strawberries were being raised for the Boston market. Large scale dairying was tried in the early 20th century in interior regions. After the improvement in highways, and thanks in part to the heavy use of neighboring Otis Air National Guard Base
during WWII, population growth increased significantly. There were large home building booms in the 1970s followed by others in the 1980s and 1990s.
It is the birthplace in 1859 of Katharine Lee Bates
, author, poet, and lyricist of America the Beautiful
.
Robert Manry
sailed from Falmouth in 1965 aboard his 13.5 foot (4 m) sailboat reaching Falmouth, England 78 days later.
, the town has a total area of 54.4 square miles (140.9 km²), of which, 44.2 square miles (114.5 km²) of it is land and 10.2 square miles (26.4 km²) of it (18.70%) is water. Most of Falmouth, like the rest of Cape Cod, sits on glacial sands composed of glacial outwash and moraine deposits. However the soil in the southern part of the town is more rocky and dense, like the rest of New England
, and many glacial erratic
s are scattered about, dropped by the retreating glaciers. The climate is temperate marine. There is no exposed bedrock. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year and averages 2 to 3 in (50 – 75 mm) per month.
Falmouth lies on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod. It is bordered by Bourne
and Sandwich
to the north, Mashpee
to the east, Vineyard Sound
to the south, and Buzzards Bay
to the west. At its closest point, Falmouth is approximately 560 yards (512.1 m) from Nonamesset Island
, the easternmost island of the town of Gosnold
and the Elizabeth Islands
. It is also approximately 3-1/3 mi north-northwest of Martha's Vineyard
, the closest land to the island. Falmouth is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) south of the Bourne Bridge, 22 miles (35.4 km) west of Barnstable
, and 77 miles (123.9 km) south-southeast of Boston.
Falmouth's topography is similar to the rest of Cape Cod's, with many small ponds, creeks and inlets surrounded by the pines and oaks of the Cape and often rocky beachfront. Falmouth's southern shore is notable for a series of ponds and rivers spaced very closely together, all of which travel some distance into the town. These include, from west to east, Falmouth Inner Harbor, Little Pond, Great Pond (which leads to the Dexter and Coonamessett Rivers), Green Pond, Bourne's Pond, Eel Pond (which leads to Childs River
), and Waquoit Bay
, which lies along the Mashpee town line. The Buzzards Bay side of the town is similar, with the largest inlet being Megansett Cove along the Bourne town line.
Also important is Route 151, which runs from a point near the northwest corner of the town (where it connects with 28, which is still limited-access), and follows just south of the town line until crossing the eastern line into Mashpee
(where it ends in a junction with 28).
Falmouth is also home to The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
. Daily ferry service brings tourists, residents and businesses alike from the mainland to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
. It is the main ferry line between the Vineyard and the mainland (as Nantucket is further west, its main line leaves Hyannis
).
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
provides rail freight service to North Falmouth, where a spur runs into Otis Air Base to serve a trash transfer station. Also, as of a June 25, 2009 capecodonline.com article, the company plans to re-extend passenger railroad service to the town, complete with dinner and tourist trains, though this will also be only in North Falmouth, due to the fact that the other 8 miles (12.9 km) of railroad track had been replaced with the current Shining Sea Bikeway
. On November 21, 2009, North Falmouth saw its first passenger train in at least 12 years. The nearest inter-city (Amtrak
) passenger rail stations are Providence
and Boston's South Station
. The Middleborough/Lakeville
and Kingston/Route 3
stations of the MBTA's
commuter rail
system provide the closest service to Boston.
There is a private air park in East Falmouth, and the nearest national and international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport
in Boston. There is a regional airport in nearby Hyannis.
Falmouth is also serviced by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
bus routes.
of 2000, there were 32,660 people, 13,859 households, and 8,980 families residing in the town. The population density
was 738.2 PD/sqmi. There were 20,055 housing units at an average density of 453.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.39% White, 1.82% Black or African American
, 0.51% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races
, and 1.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.
There were 13,859 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,191, and the median income for a family was $57,422. Males had a median income of $41,797 versus $28,867 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $27,548. About 4.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
as a part of two districts, the Third Barnstable (which also includes portions of Barnstable, Bourne and Mashpee), and the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket District, which includes all of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
as a part of the Plymouth and Barnstable district, which includes Bourne, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Sandwich and portions of Barnstable. The town is patrolled by the Seventh (Bourne) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police
.
On the national level, Falmouth is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
, and is currently represented by Bill Keating
.
Falmouth is governed by the representative town meeting
form of government, led by a board of selectmen
. The town operates its own police and fire departments, with a central police station and five fire stations. The town's central library, recently reopened after renovations, is located downtown. There are branches in North and East Falmouth, and private libraries in West Falmouth and Woods Hole. There are seven post offices in town for the six ZIP code
s, although several overlap and the main office handles the majority of the work. Falmouth is also the site of Falmouth Hospital, which serves the Upper Cape region.
serves grades seven and eight. Falmouth High School covers grades 9-12. (Prior to 1974 the 9-12 grades were in the Lawrence building and known as Lawrence High School.) FHS's athletics teams are nicknamed the Clippers, and their colors are maroon and white. They compete in the Atlantic Coast League, having moved recently from the Old Colony League. Their chief rival is nearby Barnstable High School. The public schools are supported in part by the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), various PTO associations, the Falmouth Scholarship Association, the newly created Falmouth Education Foundation (FEF), and the Woods Hole Science Technology Partnership.
Falmouth is also the home of two private schools: Falmouth Academy
, a private school which serves grades 7 through 12; and Heritage Christian Academy, a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school which is affiliated with the Assemblies of God
. Falmouth high school students may also choose to attend the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School
in Bourne free of charge. Resident students can also attend Sturgis Charter Public School
in Hyannis
also free of charge, pending academic acceptance.
of the Cape Cod Baseball League
play at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field from mid-June to early August.
Falmouth is the home of its namesake Falmouth Road Race
, an annual race started in 1973 that draws over 10,000 runners from all over the world. The Falmouth Road Race
runs seven miles from the village of Woods Hole to the Heights Beach in downtown Falmouth.
Falmouth is also home to The College Light Opera Company
, which performs 9 shows every summer at the historic Highfield Theatre. Productions began in 1969 and have become a staple of the Falmouth Summer Season.
Falmouth holds a yearly Christmas parade in the month of December that runs through main street of downtown Falmouth.
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 Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,902...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; Barnstable County is coextensive with 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...
. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census.
Today Falmouth is well known for it's warm water beaches, a traditional Main Street village with eclectic boutiques, trendy restaurants and historic village green. Visitors to Martha's Vineyard come to Falmouth to utilize the terminal for the Steamship Authority ferries to Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
in the village of Woods Hole which also boasts several scientific organizations such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent oceanographic research...
, The Marine Biological Laboratory
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory is an international center for research and education in biology, biomedicine and ecology. Founded in 1888, the MBL is the oldest independent marine laboratory in the Americas, taking advantage of a coastal setting in the Cape Cod village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts...
(MBL) and the Woods Hole Research Center
Woods Hole Research Center
The Woods Hole Research Center addresses pressing environmental issues, including climate change, through scientific and policy initiatives. The Center has projects in the Amazon, the Arctic, Africa, Russia, Alaska, Canada, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic, working in collaboration with a wide...
, National Marine Fisheries Aquarium and various museums of the scientific institutions.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Falmouth, please see the articles on East Falmouth
East Falmouth, Massachusetts
East Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located at the base of Massachusetts' "fishhook" peninsula...
, Falmouth Village
Falmouth (CDP), Massachusetts
Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,115 at the 2000 census. It was named after Falmouth, Cornwall, England.-Geography:...
, North Falmouth
North Falmouth, Massachusetts
North Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,355 at the 2000 census. North Falmouth has many beaches, although most are private beach communities. Old Silver Beach is a public beach off of Quaker Road...
, Teaticket
Teaticket, Massachusetts
Teaticket is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,907 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Teaticket is located at ....
, West Falmouth
West Falmouth, Massachusetts
West Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,867 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Falmouth is located at ....
, and Woods Hole
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
. There are also the villages of Hatchville and Waquoit, which are not 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...
s and both fall within the village of East Falmouth based on postal service.
History
Falmouth was first settled by English colonists in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1686, and named by Bartholomew GosnoldBartholomew Gosnold
Bartholomew Gosnold was an English lawyer, explorer, and privateer, instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown, Virginia, United States...
for Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, his home port. Early principal activities were farming, salt works, whaling, shipping, and sheep. Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
was very popular due to the introduction of Merino sheep and the beginnings of water-powered mills that could process the wool. In 1837, Falmouth averaged about 50 sheep per sq. mile.
Falmouth saw brief action in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
when the area around Falmouth Heights, on its southern coast, was bombarded by several British frigates and ships of the line, and Massachusetts militia
Massachusetts militia
Militia of the Colony and later Commonwealth of Massachusetts.-List of Massachusetts militia units of the American Revolution:*Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts *Cogswell's Regiment of Militia...
hastily entrenched themselves on the beaches to repulse a possible British landing which never came. By 1872 the train had come to Falmouth and Woods Hole and some of the first summer homes were established. By the late 19th century cranberries
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
were being cultivated and strawberries were being raised for the Boston market. Large scale dairying was tried in the early 20th century in interior regions. After the improvement in highways, and thanks in part to the heavy use of neighboring Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base
Otis Air National Guard Base is an Air National Guard installation located within the Massachusetts Military Reservation , a military training facility, located on the western portion of Cape Cod, in western Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States...
during WWII, population growth increased significantly. There were large home building booms in the 1970s followed by others in the 1980s and 1990s.
It is the birthplace in 1859 of Katharine Lee Bates
Katharine Lee Bates
Katharine Lee Bates was an American songwriter. She is remembered as the author of the words to the anthem "America the Beautiful". She popularized "Mrs. Santa Claus" through her poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride .-Life and career:Bates was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the daughter of a...
, author, poet, and lyricist of America the Beautiful
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
.
Robert Manry
Robert Manry
Robert Manry was a copy editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer who in 1965 sailed from Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth, Cornwall, England, in a tiny sailboat named Tinkerbelle...
sailed from Falmouth in 1965 aboard his 13.5 foot (4 m) sailboat reaching Falmouth, England 78 days later.
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 54.4 square miles (140.9 km²), of which, 44.2 square miles (114.5 km²) of it is land and 10.2 square miles (26.4 km²) of it (18.70%) is water. Most of Falmouth, like the rest of Cape Cod, sits on glacial sands composed of glacial outwash and moraine deposits. However the soil in the southern part of the town is more rocky and dense, like the rest of 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...
, and many glacial erratic
Glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
s are scattered about, dropped by the retreating glaciers. The climate is temperate marine. There is no exposed bedrock. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year and averages 2 to 3 in (50 – 75 mm) per month.
Falmouth lies on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod. It is bordered by 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...
and Sandwich
Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,675 at the 2010 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the Dexter Grist Mill, in the historic district of town....
to the north, Mashpee
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...
to the east, Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the USA...
to the south, and 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...
to the west. At its closest point, Falmouth is approximately 560 yards (512.1 m) from Nonamesset Island
Nonamesset Island
Nonamesset Island is the most easterly of the Elizabeth Islands of Dukes County, Massachusetts, USA. The island has a land area of 1.398 km² and was uninhabited as of the 2000 census. The island is part of the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts....
, the easternmost island of the town of Gosnold
Gosnold, Massachusetts
Gosnold is a town that encompasses the Elizabeth Islands in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 75, making it the least populous town in Massachusetts...
and the Elizabeth Islands
Elizabeth Islands
The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard from which they are separated by Vineyard Sound, and constitute the town of...
. It is also approximately 3-1/3 mi north-northwest of Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, the closest land to the island. Falmouth is approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) south of the Bourne Bridge, 22 miles (35.4 km) west of Barnstable
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...
, and 77 miles (123.9 km) south-southeast of Boston.
Falmouth's topography is similar to the rest of Cape Cod's, with many small ponds, creeks and inlets surrounded by the pines and oaks of the Cape and often rocky beachfront. Falmouth's southern shore is notable for a series of ponds and rivers spaced very closely together, all of which travel some distance into the town. These include, from west to east, Falmouth Inner Harbor, Little Pond, Great Pond (which leads to the Dexter and Coonamessett Rivers), Green Pond, Bourne's Pond, Eel Pond (which leads to Childs River
Childs River
The Childs River, also known as Child's River, is a river near Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. Its drainage area is about . It has been heavily impacted by the development of cranberry bogs in its upper reaches....
), and Waquoit Bay
Waquoit Bay
Waquoit Bay is a small landlocked tidal bay on the south shore of Cape Cod in the US state of Massachusetts. The bay is connected with Nantucket Sound and separates the towns of Mashpee and Falmouth.In the early 1960s Norwegian researcher Johannes Kr...
, which lies along the Mashpee town line. The Buzzards Bay side of the town is similar, with the largest inlet being Megansett Cove along the Bourne town line.
Transportation
Falmouth's main route is Route 28, which arcs through the town from the northwest corner to the southeast. From the Bourne town line until just south of its junction with Route 28A (which until that point runs parallel), Route 28 is a divided, limited-access highway. For the rest of its distance, it is a surface road, snaking its way through the town. As it is one of the two major east-west routes on the Cape, Route 28 is extremely busy. However, due to its passage through congested and built-up parts of town, it would be extremely challenging to widen the route.Also important is Route 151, which runs from a point near the northwest corner of the town (where it connects with 28, which is still limited-access), and follows just south of the town line until crossing the eastern line into Mashpee
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...
(where it ends in a junction with 28).
Falmouth is also home to The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, referred to coloquially as The Steamship Authority or simply the SSA, is the statutory regulatory body for all ferry operations to and from the Islands from the Massachusetts mainland, as well as being an operator of ferry service...
. Daily ferry service brings tourists, residents and businesses alike from the mainland to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
. It is the main ferry line between the Vineyard and the mainland (as Nantucket is further west, its main line leaves Hyannis
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape"...
).
The Massachusetts Coastal Railroad
Massachusetts 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...
provides rail freight service to North Falmouth, where a spur runs into Otis Air Base to serve a trash transfer station. Also, as of a June 25, 2009 capecodonline.com article, the company plans to re-extend passenger railroad service to the town, complete with dinner and tourist trains, though this will also be only in North Falmouth, due to the fact that the other 8 miles (12.9 km) of railroad track had been replaced with the current Shining Sea Bikeway
Shining Sea Bikeway
The Shining Sea Bikeway is a rail trail in Falmouth, MA, in the north-east United States. The path runs for over ten miles , including nearly a mile along Surf Drive Beach on Vineyard Sound. It runs past several public parking areas, including parking for the Wood's Hole Ferry...
. On November 21, 2009, North Falmouth saw its first passenger train in at least 12 years. 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 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 Middleborough/Lakeville
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...
and Kingston/Route 3
Kingston (MBTA station)
Kingston / Route 3 is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Plymouth/Kingston Line. it is located at 194 Marion Drive in Kingston, Massachusetts, which is west of Independence Mall Shopping Center off of Exit 8 on Massachusetts Route 3, hence the dual name.Kingston station was built in...
stations 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...
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...
system provide the closest service to Boston.
There is a private air park in East Falmouth, and the nearest national and international air service can be reached at 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...
in Boston. There is a regional airport in nearby Hyannis.
Falmouth is also serviced by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates a bus transit system of fixed and flexible routes as well as a paratransit service in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts. The CCRTA was created under the provisions of Chapter 161B of the Massachusetts General Laws in 1976...
bus routes.
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 32,660 people, 13,859 households, and 8,980 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 738.2 PD/sqmi. There were 20,055 housing units at an average density of 453.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.39% White, 1.82% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.51% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.44% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.28% of the population.
There were 13,859 households out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 22.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,191, and the median income for a family was $57,422. Males had a median income of $41,797 versus $28,867 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 $27,548. About 4.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Falmouth 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 two districts, the Third Barnstable (which also includes portions of Barnstable, Bourne and Mashpee), and the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket District, which includes all of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. 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 Plymouth and Barnstable district, which includes Bourne, Kingston, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Sandwich and portions of Barnstable. 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, Falmouth is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district is a political constituency that includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and all of Cape Cod and the islands. With a population of 635,901 and a land area of , it is the most populous of Massachusetts's ten congressional districts and the...
, and is currently represented by Bill Keating
William R. Keating
William Richard "Bill" Keating is the U.S. Representative for . From 1999 to 2011 he was District Attorney of Norfolk County. He is a member of the Democratic Party and a former Massachusetts state representative and state senator....
.
Falmouth is governed by the representative town meeting
Representative town meeting
A representative town meeting is a form of municipal legislature particularly common in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont....
form of government, led by 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:...
. The town operates its own police and fire departments, with a central police station and five fire stations. The town's central library, recently reopened after renovations, is located downtown. There are branches in North and East Falmouth, and private libraries in West Falmouth and Woods Hole. There are seven post offices in town for the six 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, although several overlap and the main office handles the majority of the work. Falmouth is also the site of Falmouth Hospital, which serves the Upper Cape region.
Education
Falmouth's public school system serves about 4,500 students yearly. There are four schools, East Falmouth, Mullen-Hall, North Falmouth, and Teaticket, which serve the elementary school population, from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade. The Morse Pond Middle School serves grades five and six, while the Lawrence Junior High SchoolLawrence Junior High School
Lawrence Junior High School is the junior high school of the Falmouth, Massachusetts Public Schools System. The building was once Falmouth's high school, called Lawrence High School. The student body is normally approximately 500. Its address is 113 Lakeview Ave, in Falmouth....
serves grades seven and eight. Falmouth High School covers grades 9-12. (Prior to 1974 the 9-12 grades were in the Lawrence building and known as Lawrence High School.) FHS's athletics teams are nicknamed the Clippers, and their colors are maroon and white. They compete in the Atlantic Coast League, having moved recently from the Old Colony League. Their chief rival is nearby Barnstable High School. The public schools are supported in part by the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS), various PTO associations, the Falmouth Scholarship Association, the newly created Falmouth Education Foundation (FEF), and the Woods Hole Science Technology Partnership.
Falmouth is also the home of two private schools: Falmouth Academy
Falmouth Academy
Falmouth AcademyFalmouth Academy is a non-profit, coed, private college-preparatory school for day students in grades 7–12 located in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod....
, a private school which serves grades 7 through 12; and Heritage Christian Academy, a pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school which is affiliated with the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
. Falmouth high school students may also choose to attend the Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School is a public vocational-technical high school located in Bourne, Massachusetts. Opened in 1966, it now serves over 650 students in 13 vocational areas of study...
in Bourne free of charge. Resident students can also attend Sturgis Charter Public School
Sturgis Charter Public School
The Sturgis Charter Public School is a charter school located in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts . The school received its charter in February 1998 and opened in September for the 1998-1999 academic year with 162 freshman, 15 faculty and staff, a newly renovated facility, and a $1.2 million...
in Hyannis
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape"...
also free of charge, pending academic acceptance.
Sports and recreation
The Falmouth CommodoresFalmouth Commodores
The Falmouth Commodores are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Falmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division. Falmouth currently plays its home games at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field, one of 6 ballparks in...
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...
play at Arnie Allen Diamond at Guv Fuller Field from mid-June to early August.
Falmouth is the home of its namesake Falmouth Road Race
Falmouth Road Race
The Falmouth Road Race is an annual 7-mile road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights.-History:...
, an annual race started in 1973 that draws over 10,000 runners from all over the world. The Falmouth Road Race
Falmouth Road Race
The Falmouth Road Race is an annual 7-mile road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights.-History:...
runs seven miles from the village of Woods Hole to the Heights Beach in downtown Falmouth.
Falmouth is also home to The College Light Opera Company
College Light Opera Company
The College Light Opera Company is an educational summer stock theatre company based in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It produces and performs 9 shows during a 9 week season each summer, including two Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas, with performances taking place in the town's the historic...
, which performs 9 shows every summer at the historic Highfield Theatre. Productions began in 1969 and have become a staple of the Falmouth Summer Season.
Falmouth holds a yearly Christmas parade in the month of December that runs through main street of downtown Falmouth.
Notable residents
- Ben AffleckBen AffleckBenjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
, actor and director - Casey AffleckCasey AffleckCaleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt , better known as Casey Affleck, is an American actor and film director. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, he played supporting roles in mainstream hits like Good Will Hunting and Ocean's Eleven as well as in critically acclaimed independent films such as...
, actor - Katharine Lee BatesKatharine Lee BatesKatharine Lee Bates was an American songwriter. She is remembered as the author of the words to the anthem "America the Beautiful". She popularized "Mrs. Santa Claus" through her poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride .-Life and career:Bates was born in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the daughter of a...
, author of "America the BeautifulAmerica the Beautiful"America the Beautiful" is an American patriotic song. The lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and the music composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward....
" - Jacob Sloat FassettJacob Sloat Fassett-External links:* at www.infoplease.com Bio at InfoPlease* at politicalgraveyard.com Political Graveyard...
, United States Congressman from Elmira, N.Y. Fassett's Point in West Falmouth is named after him as well as the town of Fassett, QuebecFassett, QuebecFassett is a municipality and village in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada, located on the north shore of the Ottawa River east of Montebello.Its main access road is Route 148...
in Canada. - Colleen CoyneColleen CoyneColleen Coyne is an American ice hockey player. She won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics.- References :...
, 1998 Olympic gold medalist, in US women's ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take... - Jim ConnorsJim ConnorsJim "JC" Connors was a popular radio personality of the 1960s through 1980s in the United States.-Highlights:...
, radio personality (d. Feb 24th 1987) - Rob CushingRob CushingRob Cushing is an American musician and songwriter originally from Hyannis, Massachusetts. He is known for his ability to compose on and play on many different types of instruments, including guitar, keyboards, bass and drums while being able to carry lead and harmony vocals.Cushing was born and...
, national recording artist - Melissa FebosMelissa FebosMelissa Febos is an American writer and ex-dominatrix.She is the author of Whip Smart , a critically acclaimed memoir of her work as a professional dominatrix while she was studying at The New School...
, writer and ex-dominatrix - Bill PolianBill PolianBill Polian is the Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls, losing each time...
, President of the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, spends his summers in Falmouth - Steve CishekSteve CishekSteven R. Cishek is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins.Cishek attended Falmouth High School and Carson-Newman College. He was selected by the Marlins in the fifth round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft....
, Relief pitcher for Florida MarlinsFlorida MarlinsThe Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
External links
- Town of Falmouth official website
- Falmouth Chamber of Commerce tourist information
- Falmouth Commodores
- Falmouth Community Solar Garden
- Falmouth Public Library
- Falmouth Public Schools
- http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6686148n&tag=cbsnewsLeadStoriesArea.0