Swansea is a
townThe 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
Bristol County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
in southeastern
MassachusettsThe 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...
.
It is located at the mouth of the
Taunton RiverThe Taunton River , is a river in southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It arises from the confluence of the Town River and Matfield River, in the town of Bridgewater...
, just west of
Fall RiverFall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
, 47 miles south of Boston; and 12 miles southeast of
ProvidenceProvidence 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...
,
Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
The population was 15,901 at the 2000 census.
The village of
Ocean GroveOcean Grove is a census-designated place in the town of Swansea in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States on the north shore of Mount Hope Bay near the Cole River. The population was 3,012 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
is located in the town.
History
Swansea was named for
Swansea, WalesSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
which had been the hometown of some original settlers.
John MilesJohn Miles may refer to:* John Miles , Australian politician and member of the Victorian Legislative Council* John Miles , British former Formula One driver...
, the founder of the first Baptist Church in Wales, moved to Swansea in 1662/3. William Brenton had purchased the land from Native Americans. Parts of its territory were originally part of
Rehoboth, MassachusettsRehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
.
In 1667 the first
BaptistBaptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church in Massachusetts relocated to Swansea from
RehobothRehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
,
MassachusettsThe 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...
after experiencing
religious intoleranceReligious intolerance is intolerance against another's religious beliefs or practices.-Definition:The mere statement on the part of a religion that its own beliefs and practices are correct and any contrary beliefs incorrect does not in itself constitute intolerance...
there, and Swansea was incorporated as an independent town.
On June 20, 1675 the first Indian attack of
King Philip's WarKing Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
had all 70 settlers confined to their stockade. By June 25 the entire town had been burned, although a handful of the colonists escaped to
TauntonTaunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
. When the active war ended in 1676, the town was soon rebuilt.
After the war, many small industries, such as forges, ironworks and fisheries, opened up in the town. Many would later leave, and there remains a large agricultural sector.
What is now
Barrington, Rhode IslandBarrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
(part of Massachusetts until 1747) was separated from the rest of Swansea in 1717, over religious differences.
In the late 1890s, trolleys connected the town to Providence, Fall River and Taunton, and the town has retained a suburban residential feel. Today Swansea is well known for its retail areas.
Swansea gained national attention in 1985 when Mark Hoyle, a young hemophiliac who had contracted
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
through a blood transfusion, was allowed to attend public schools. It was the first time in the U.S. that a student known to have the disease was allowed to enter public schools. The case came to national attention around the same time as that of
Ryan WhiteRyan Wayne White was an American teenager from Kokomo, Indiana, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed...
in Indiana, and helped many children with
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
attend schools throughout the country. Hoyle died one year later, and a new elementary school was named in his honor.
Geography
The town has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66 km²), of which, 23.1 square miles (59.8 km²) of it is land and 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) of it (9.67%) is water. The town is bordered by
DightonDighton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,175 at the 2000 census. The town is located on the western shore of the Taunton River in the southeastern part of the state.- History :...
on the northeast,
SomersetSomerset is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,234 at the 2000 census. It is the birthplace and hometown of Clifford Milburn Holland , the chief engineer and namesake of the Holland Tunnel in New York City....
on the east,
Mount Hope BayMount Hope Bay is a tidal estuary located at the mouth of the Taunton River on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island border. It is an arm of Narragansett Bay. The bay is named after Mount Hope, a small hill located on its western shore in what is now Bristol, Rhode Island. It flows into the East...
on the south,
WarrenWarren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census.-History:Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams on the peninsula called Pokanoket , and was first explored by Europeans in 1621, by Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins...
,
Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
on the southwest,
BarringtonBarrington is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 16,310 at the 2010 census.In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Barrington sixth on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.-History:...
,
Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
on the west, and
SeekonkSeekonk is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Massachusetts border. It was incorporated in 1812 from the western half of Rehoboth. The population was 13,722 at the 2010 census. Until 1862, the town of Seekonk also included what is now the City of East Providence, Rhode...
and
RehobothRehoboth is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,172 at the 2000 census.-History:It was incorporated in 1643 making it one of the earliest Massachusetts towns to be incorporated. The Rehoboth Carpenter Family is among the founding families...
to the north. Part of the town's border with Somerset is made up of the
Lees RiverThe Lees River or Lee's River, shown on federal maps as the Lee River, is a tidal river that forms part of the boundary between Swansea and Somerset, Massachusetts. It flows south to drain into Mount Hope Bay....
. The
ColeThe Cole River is located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It flows from its headwaters in Dighton, Massachusetts through the towns of Rehoboth and Swansea into Mount Hope Bay, an arm of Narragansett Bay. The Cole River becomes tidal after crossing under the G.A.R. Highway The Cole River is...
,
KickamuitThe Kickamuit River is a river in the U.S. states of Massachusetts and Rhode Island flowing approximately .-History:The river's name descends from a Narragansett dialect and has numerous spellings...
and
PalmerThe Palmer River is a river southwest of Cooktown in northeastern Australia. It was the site of a gold rush in the late 19th century which started in 1872. The Palmer River flows west across Cape York to the Gulf of Carpentaria, via the Mitchell River...
Rivers also cross through the town on their way south to
Mount Hope BayMount Hope Bay is a tidal estuary located at the mouth of the Taunton River on the Massachusetts and Rhode Island border. It is an arm of Narragansett Bay. The bay is named after Mount Hope, a small hill located on its western shore in what is now Bristol, Rhode Island. It flows into the East...
(for the Kickamuit, Cole and Lees Rivers) and
Narragansett BayNarragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound. Covering 147 mi2 , the Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor, and includes a small archipelago...
(for the Palmer). The entire town is a part of the Narragansett Bay Watershed area. The town's neighborhoods include Barneyville, North Swansea, Swansea Village, Birch Swamp Corner, Hortonville, Luther Corner, South Swansea, Touissett,
Ocean GroveOcean Grove is a census-designated place in the town of Swansea in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States on the north shore of Mount Hope Bay near the Cole River. The population was 3,012 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, and Smokerise. Swansea is twelve miles southeast of
ProvidenceProvidence 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...
,
Rhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, and forty-seven miles south of Boston.
Much of the town's retail businesses are located along the highways, with the area around the junction of Routes 6 and 118 being the location of
Swansea MallSwansea Mall is a regional shopping mall located in Swansea, Massachusetts. It is a large, single-level, fully enclosed facility with over 80 stores, serving the Southeastern Massachusetts area. It is currently owned by Carlyle Swansea Partners and managed by Jones Lang Lasalle.Located off Exit 3...
, a large single-level mall that is the center of the retail district. Just north of the mall are several office complexes, including the former headquarters of the First Federal Bank (now a division headquarters for Webster Bank, which bought it out), doctor's offices and Academic Management Services, a division of Sallie Mae. The area along Route 103 between
Lees RiverThe Lees River or Lee's River, shown on federal maps as the Lee River, is a tidal river that forms part of the boundary between Swansea and Somerset, Massachusetts. It flows south to drain into Mount Hope Bay....
and the
Cole RiverThe Cole River is located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It flows from its headwaters in Dighton, Massachusetts through the towns of Rehoboth and Swansea into Mount Hope Bay, an arm of Narragansett Bay. The Cole River becomes tidal after crossing under the G.A.R. Highway The Cole River is...
is also an area for retail, with many smaller businesses lining the road.
However, outside of the retail area (as well as the densely populated neighborhoods of
Ocean GroveOcean Grove is a census-designated place in the town of Swansea in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States on the north shore of Mount Hope Bay near the Cole River. The population was 3,012 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, South Swansea & Smokerise), much of the area is rural.
Demographics
As of the
censusA 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 15,901 people, 5,888 households, and 4,539 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 689.4 people per square mile (266.2/km²). There were 6,070 housing units at an average density of 263.2 per square mile (101.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.91% White, 0.38% African American, 0.08% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from
other racesRace 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 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 5,888 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 19.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,524, and the median income for a family was $60,567. Males had a median income of $40,056 versus $27,072 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 $21,776. About 3.4% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 11.0% of those age 65 or over.
Government
On the state level, Swansea is a part of two state representative districts, the Fourth Bristol (including Rehoboth, Seekonk and part of Norton, Rep.
Steve HowittSteven S. Howitt is the current member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 4th Bristol district.-References:...
) and Fifth Bristol (including Dighton, Somerset and part of the city of Taunton, Rep.
Patricia HaddadPatricia A. Haddad is an American politician who represents the 5th Bristol district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and is the current Speaker pro Tempore of the House....
). The town is part of the First Bristol and Plymouth state senatorial district, which includes the communities of Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Rochester, Somerset and Westport, currently Senator
Michael RodriguesMichael J. Rodrigues is a Democratic member of the Massachusetts Senate representing the 1st Bristol and Plymouth district. He is a resident of Westport who has served since January 2011. From 1996 to 2011 he was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 8th Bristol district...
(D-Westport) represents Swansea. Swansea is patrolled by Troop D (Southeast District), 3rd (Dartmouth) Barracks of the
Massachusetts State PoliceThe 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, the town is part of
Massachusetts's 3rd congressional districtMassachusetts's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in central and southeastern Massachusetts. It contains Worcester, the state's second-biggest city. It has been based out of Worcester County since the 1890s. Previously the district had been located in coastal Essex County...
, which is represented by Jim McGovern. The state's senior Senator is
John KerryJohn 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...
and the state's junior Senator is
Scott BrownScott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
.
The town is governed by Selectmen and an Administrator. Swansea also maintains the tradition of open Town Meetings. As of 2001, total property values are assessed at $980 million, and property taxes amount to $15 million. The town operates on a budget of approximately $10 million, which does not include another $13.5 million spent on schools.
The town has four fire stations (the Central station being in South Swansea, with branch stations in North Swansea, Central Swansea and Ocean Grove), one library, a single police station, and a new post office. The town has two playgrounds, as well as a town beach with a picnic area (near the mouth of the Cole), and the town conservation farm.
Public
The Swansea Public Schools serve the town, with four elementary schools (Joseph G. Luther Elementary School at Luther's Corner, Gardner Elementary School in the South Swansea-Ocean Grove neighborhood, Elizabeth S. Brown Elementary School near the town center, and Mark Hoyle Elementary School in North Swansea), as well as Joseph Case Junior High School and Joseph Case Senior High School, both located in the town center. Case High School (as it is commonly known) has the school colors of maroon and gold, and its mascot is the Cardinal. High School students also have the option of attending
Diman Regional Vocational Technical High SchoolDiman Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public vocational high school located in Fall River, Massachusetts. The high school serves a regional school district comprising the city of Fall River and nearby towns of Somerset, Swansea and Westport...
in Fall River, or Bristol County Agricultural High School in Dighton. There are two Christian schools in town, and there are also local Catholic schools in nearby
WarrenWarren is a town in Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,611 at the 2010 census.-History:Warren was the site of the Indian village of Sowams on the peninsula called Pokanoket , and was first explored by Europeans in 1621, by Edward Winslow and Stephen Hopkins...
and Fall River.
School Committee Members
Dr. A. Keith Carreiro - Chairman
Christopher Carreiro - Vice-Chairman
Eric C. Graham
James Carvalho
Joseph Salpietro
- Edward Hill - Swansea Representative, Diman School Committee
Transportation
The town is bisected by Interstate 195,
U.S. Route 6U.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 State Routes 103,
118Route 118 is a north-south state highway in Bristol County, Massachusetts.-Route description:Route 118 begins at U.S. Route 6 just east of I-195's Exit 3. The route, which begins as Swansea Mall Drive, passes Swansea Mall and the Swansea Crossing shopping center before crossing Wood Street and...
and 136. Swansea has two exits off of I-195 serving the town, Exits 2 (Route 136) and 3 (Route 6 to Route 118). In addition, Exit 4 (Route 103) in Somerset provides quick access to the Ocean Grove neighborhood.
Swansea is the western terminus of the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) bus line. Regional bus service can be reached in Fall River, and the nearest regional rail service is in Providence. The nearest national airline service can be reached at T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island, and international service can be reached at
Logan International AirportGeneral 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.
Points of interest
- Martin House Farm (1728), G.A.R. Highway, North Swansea
- J.G. Luther Museum (home of the Swansea Historical Society), Old Warren Rd. (intersection of Maple Avenue and Pearse Road)
- Simcock House, 1074 Sharps Lot Road
- Canyon; Burnside Dr.
- Swansea Mall Swansea Mall Dr.
- Simcock Farms
Notable residents
- Warren A. Cole
Warren Albert Cole , born in Swansea, Massachusetts, was a successful businessman and lawyer and is known as the founder of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.-Education:...
, founder of Lambda Chi AlphaLambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...
fraternity
- Oliver Chace
Oliver Chace was the founder of several New England textile manufacturing companies in the early 19th century, including the Valley Falls Company, the original antecedent of Berkshire Hathaway, currently one of the largest companies in the world.-Early life:Chace was born on August 24, 1769 in...
, founder of what is today Berkshire HathawayBerkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
- Mark Hoyle, first child with AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
allowed to attend US public school
- Patricia A. Rose, Brigadier General; US Air Force Reserve
- Thomas Willett
Thomas Willett was a British-born American merchant, Plymouth Colony trader and sea-captain, Commissioner of New Netherland, magistrate of Plymouth Colony, Captain of the Plymouth Colony militia and was the first Mayor of New York City, prior to the consolidation of the five boroughs into the City...
, first Mayor of New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
Further reading
- History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917, by Otis Olney Wright