Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Marstons Mills is a village in the City of Barnstable, Massachusetts
. It was founded by the Marston Family in 1648. They built grist mills along the Marstons Mills River, hence the name of the village. It is primarily residential, located on Route 28, and rural in nature. Main roads also include Route 149
, Wakeby Road, Old Post Road (partially unpaved) and Santuit-Newtown Road. The zip code
for Marstons Mills is 02648.
outwash plains, the northern boundary of which is the moraine
hills of the West Barnstable conservation lands. The plains consist of sands and gravels deposited by glacial meltwaters; to the south finer particles of silt
s and clays form good agricultural soils. Steep slopes overlook the Marstons Mills River and Little River. These river valleys were cut by much more powerful forerunners of the present rivers, which are little more than streams today. Stripped of vegetation, these slopes erode easily and can become unstable. Ponds are formed in deep kettle holes, the most notable of which are Mystic, Middle, and Hamblins.
which originally started in the 1920s and was a Massachusetts Air National Guard
summer training site in the 1930s. There is also an 18 hole golf course called Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course, which is on the site of the old fairgrounds.
Although Cape Cod is known as a fishing industry, Marstons Mills on its own is mainly only fishing for game, aside from Prince Cove which is only a gateway to the ocean. All but two bodies of water in the village are considered lakes for depth and water surface area. Fishing in the smaller ponds include mainly small Berch and Bass. Mercury in the fish is a concern in Mystic lake. Hunting is smaller than fishing in Marstons Mills, the only hunting area is on conservation land in north-western marstons mills called West Barnstable Conservation. hunting includes Rabbit, Deer, and Wild Turkey.
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...
. It was founded by the Marston Family in 1648. They built grist mills along the Marstons Mills River, hence the name of the village. It is primarily residential, located on Route 28, and rural in nature. Main roads also include Route 149
Massachusetts Route 149
Route 149 is a short south–north highway on Cape Cod in southeastern Massachusetts.-Route description:The highway is located entirely in the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts on Cape Cod...
, Wakeby Road, Old Post Road (partially unpaved) and Santuit-Newtown Road. The 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...
for Marstons Mills is 02648.
Physical Formation
Marstons Mills is located on glacierGlacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
outwash plains, the northern boundary of which is the moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
hills of the West Barnstable conservation lands. The plains consist of sands and gravels deposited by glacial meltwaters; to the south finer particles of silt
Silt
Silt is granular material of a size somewhere between sand and clay whose mineral origin is quartz and feldspar. Silt may occur as a soil or as suspended sediment in a surface water body...
s and clays form good agricultural soils. Steep slopes overlook the Marstons Mills River and Little River. These river valleys were cut by much more powerful forerunners of the present rivers, which are little more than streams today. Stripped of vegetation, these slopes erode easily and can become unstable. Ponds are formed in deep kettle holes, the most notable of which are Mystic, Middle, and Hamblins.
Main Street
Main Street Marstons Mills is mostly residential, with Liberty Hall and the Marstons Mills Public Library located on the road. Main Street is near the Herring Run, and a road over from Route 149. Several roads connect Route 149 to Main Street. It also has a Community Church next to the Marstons Mills Elementary School and across from Liberty Hall.Schools
Marstons Mills has two elementary schools, Marstons Mills Elementary and Marstons Mills East Horace Mann Charter Public School. Marstons Mills Elementary School houses students grades K-2. Marstons Mills students that attend that school attend neighboring Cotuit Elementary School for grades 3 and 4. From the mid-1990s until 2003, Barnstable Middle School @ Marstons Mills housed grades 6 through 8. After the closing of the town's fifth grade building, the Marstons Mills Middle School recombined with Barnstable Middle School at Hyannis in Hyannis, Barnstable. The building that housed BMS@MM was then converted to Barnstable Horace Mann Charter School(BHMCS), with students in grades 5 and 6. Students in grades 7 and 8 attend Barnstable Middle School (Formerly Barnstable Middle School at Hyannis).Lakes
Marstons Mills has many notable lakes, cranberry bogs, and ponds, including Hamblin's Pond, Mystic Lake, Middle Pond, Muddy Pond, Little Pond, Round Pond, Long Pond and Shubael Pond on Route 149. Marstons Mills has no salt-water beaches. (Although Prince Cove has salt water access, there isn't a public beach, only a town-owned marina and boat ramp.)Recreation
Burgess Park as well as the Herring Run provide leisure opportunities for adults and children of all ages. Burgess Park was purchased by the town in 1989 for its historic and scenic values. It has proven to be a very popular park for many different activities, most notably disc golf. The village survey revealed that this property is favored second only to the pond beaches and is also identified as one of the valued scenic views. Concern was expressed however, for the incompatible nature and location of play equipment at Burgess Park. Also, the Long Pond Conservation has a scenic bike path (off of Newton Road). The only grass airport left on the Cape is called Cape Cod AirportCape Cod Airport
Cape Cod Airport, in Marstons Mills, Massachusetts is a public airport owned by the Town of Barnstable. It has three runways, averages 75 flights per week, and has approximately 20 aircraft based on its field. Biplane Rides, flight school, and skydive operations on the field. In the 1930s, the...
which originally started in the 1920s and was a Massachusetts Air National Guard
Massachusetts Air National Guard
The Massachusetts Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is, along with the Massachusetts Army National Guard, an element of the Massachusetts National Guard...
summer training site in the 1930s. There is also an 18 hole golf course called Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course, which is on the site of the old fairgrounds.
Although Cape Cod is known as a fishing industry, Marstons Mills on its own is mainly only fishing for game, aside from Prince Cove which is only a gateway to the ocean. All but two bodies of water in the village are considered lakes for depth and water surface area. Fishing in the smaller ponds include mainly small Berch and Bass. Mercury in the fish is a concern in Mystic lake. Hunting is smaller than fishing in Marstons Mills, the only hunting area is on conservation land in north-western marstons mills called West Barnstable Conservation. hunting includes Rabbit, Deer, and Wild Turkey.
Notable residents
- Siobhan MagnusSiobhan MagnusSiobhan Evelyn Magnus is an American singer-songwriter from Barnstable, Massachusetts who was the sixth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
, American Idol Season 9 contestant - Steve BernardSteve BernardSteve Bernard was an adventurer and businessman who founded Cape Cod Potato Chips.-Biography:Born on August 25, 1947 in Concord, New Hampshire, Bernard attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in economics...
- M. L. CarrM. L. CarrMichael Leon Carr is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association, and former head coach and General Manager of the Boston Celtics...
- Nancy B. ClarkNancy B. ClarkNancy B. Clark of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts, is a philatelist who served the philatelic community by her pioneering work with the Boy Scouts of America and her dedication to work at the American Philatelic Society.-Philatelic activity:...
- Abraham Filene
- Paul G. Kirk, former United States senator
- John T. OlsonJohn T. OlsonJohn T. Olson was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.-References:...
, brigadier generalBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...