In My Footsteps: Trip 64: Mattapoisett, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 64:  Mattapoisett, Mass.

July 22, 2010

            Mattapoisett comes from the Wampanoag word meaning ‘place of resting’ and it is every bit of it.  The small town, relaxed feel, to Mattapoisett helped make this a great trip.  It was also here that I had a sort of moment that made me believe that these articles are what I am meant to be doing, more on that later.

The Seaport Ice Cream Slip

            The waterfront areas of Mattapoisett are spectacular and need to be enjoyed with many long walks.  I found it to be different from Cape Cod despite being only being about a twenty minute drive from the Cape.  It could possibly be simply because it was all new to me.  The Mattapoisett Town Wharf captured all that is good about waterfront scenery in one area. 

            With summer in full swing the wharf and surrounding Mattapoisett Harbor was dotted with boats giving the image of old postcards and photos I remember seeing when my parents were children.  I walked each of the four legs of the wharf in order to see as much of the area as possible.  There were several interesting sites along the wharf including a large swordfish stoically mounted at the end of the longest of the wharves. 

            The most well known spot along the Town Wharf is the Seaport Ice Cream Slip.  This tiny little shack on wheels sitting on the eastern side of the Town Wharf may not appear to be much but the memories and good times it evokes from locals is immeasurable.  I found this out first hand from my friend Emily whose grandparents are longtime residents of Mattapoisett.  Seeing the photos I had taken of this popular spot brought back memories for her of savoring their chocolate ice cream there many summer days when she was younger.  The Seaport Ice Cream Slip on Rt. 6 serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods in addition to the ice cream.  It is the cherry on top of the great views the Mattapoisett Town Wharf provides.

The homes along the cove adjacent to Pine Island Pond.

            Sometimes I like to seek out beautiful areas off the beaten path.  In Mattapoisett I found such a place along the area called Pine Island Pond.  The narrow Cove Road acts as a barrier between the pond and the ocean.  I could only go so far as the homes along the cove were private but I was able to park along the side of the dirt road and take in some passing sailboats.  Behind me, hovering over the pond was a family of osprey.  Their calls were the only sounds besides the lapping ocean waves.  I would have stayed longer but with several crying osprey circling overhead I thought it might be wise to move on to my next spot.

            My final spot to visit was Ned’s Point Lighthouse at Shipyard Park.  It was here that I got a sign that my travel writing was a good choice.  Unbeknownst to me I had chosen to visit Ned’s Point Light at one of the few times it was open to the public.  Being open on Thursdays from 10:00am to noon in July and August did not give me a large window but I did make it in time.

Ned's Point Lighthouse

            Ned’s Point Light was built in 1838 at the urging of former President, and at that time Massachusetts Congressman, John Quincy Adams.  It had been rushed and poorly built at first, needing several rounds of improvements up through 1888.  The wooden light keeper’s house was loaded on a barge and floated across Buzzards Bay to Wing’s Neck Light in Bourne in 1923.  Russell Eastman, the last keeper at Ned’s Point, rode in the house across the bay on the day.  Decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1952 the light became active again in 1961.     

Mattapoisett Harbor from the top of Ned's Point Light.

            

     It is a thirty-nine foot stone tower, much different in appearance than the typical lighthouse.  I was very excited to get to climb up inside.  There were two elderly people, a man and a woman, representing the Coast Guard which owns the lighthouse, there that day.   The man was up at the top of the lighthouse, I am not sure how he made it up there.  Both of them were very nice and knowledgeable.  I was able to see the patches of brown below making an outline of where the keeper’s house had once stood in front of the lighthouse.

            From this vantage point I could see clearly from the previously mentioned Pine Island Pond to the southeast down to Mattapoisett Harbor and the Town Wharf.  It was a spectacular sight and I found myself turning my head from side to side over and over like I was at a tennis match.  It would have been very easy to stay up on that platform all day but sadly the time to close the lighthouse came and I was forced to relive the experience in my photos afterward.

            Mattapoisett has a beautifully relaxed feel to it wherever you visit.  A walk along the Town Wharf complete with a visit to the Seaport Ice Cream Slip makes a great start.  This can only be topped by checking out Shipyard Park where the unique Ned’s Point Light resides.  It does not have to be summer, this quiet little seaside town can be enjoyed 365 days a year.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions:  Ned’s Point Lighthouse: From I-195 West take Exit 19A.  Turn right into Mattapoisett.  Bear right onto North Street, follow for a mile and a half and turn left onto Water St. which becomes Beacon St.  This road becomes Ned’s Point Rd. without any turns.  Follow it to the park where the lighthouse is located.

Mattapoisett Town Wharf:  From Rt. 6 heading west take a left at Marion Rd.  Turn right at Water St., follow it a half mile to the Town Wharf on the left.  Seaport Ice Cream Slip is on the far left after you enter.

References:  Mattapoisett, Ma. - Official Town Site

            Ned's Point Lighthouse History

            Mattapoisett Historical Society

            Seaport Ice Cream Slip – Facebook Fan Page

In My Footsteps: Trip 39: Quincy, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 39: Quincy, Mass.

April 1, 2010

            Called the ‘City of Presidents,’ and the ‘City of Legends,’ Quincy is a city that lives up to that lofty praise.  Located only eleven miles south of Boston the seventh largest city in the state is a lot like the capital in places while also maintaining a separate identity.  Being the birthplace of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as John Hancock, it is apparent that history is a major attraction of Quincy.  The area was first settled by a party led by Captain Wollaston in 1625.  The settlement was located near the south shore of Quincy Bay and was named Mount Wollaston in his honor.  He left the area for Virginia shortly after the town was settled.  It was not until 1792 when the town got its name in honor of famed local politician John Quincy.  His granddaughter Abigail Adams named her son John Quincy Adams in his honor as well.

            It is therefore only natural to begin any trip to Quincy with a visit to the Adams National Historic Park.  It is here on Adams Street where you will find the birthplaces of both John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as the Peacefield home that saw four generations of the Adams family live within its walls.  Also known as the ‘Old House,’ Peacefield(left) was originally built in 1731, it was acquired by John and Abigail Adams in 1787 when the owners at the time abandoned it as they remained loyal to the British throne after the Revolution.

            Next to Peacefield is perhaps the first ever Presidential library built in 1870 in a Gothic style.  Inside it houses 14,000 volumes.  With vines crawling up the façade of the stone walls it adds to the haunting beauty of this library(right).  The location around these structures is nothing short of magnificent with wild flowers scattered across the green grass and an ankle-high hedge maze carved into the side yard of Peacefield.  The actual birthplaces of Adams and Quincy Adams are a five minute drive away on the corner of Franklin Street and Presidents Avenue.

            John Adams’ birthplace is a classic ‘saltbox’ home where he was born in 1735.  His son’s birthplace is literally only a few feet away.  The Adams’ and their wives are buried beneath the floor of the United First Parish Church on Hancock Street.  Built in 1828, and funded by John Adams himself, the church is made from Quincy granite and stands alone on an island surrounded by roads.  It is a can’t miss destination, as all of these locations are as they are important pieces of our beginnings as an independent nation.  

            Despite being called the ‘City of Presidents’ there is a lot more to see in Quincy.  One such place is the site of the U.S.S. Salem battleship(right).  Commissioned in 1947 the Salem was a fleet flagship that was sent on seven missions to the Mediterranean Sea during the 1950’s.  After being decommissioned in 1959 the Salem began a long journey and finally returned to its proper home in Quincy where it sits as a museum near Kings Cove very close to Route 3A.  The ship is purported to be haunted and the museum owners play up this notion very well with a painted up hearse along side the ship.  There is also a miniature golf course on the grounds as well and the USS Salem houses the USS Newport News museum as well.

            For those looking to enjoy some natural beauty Quincy has that as well.  First there is a smaller park area called Moswetuset Hummock(left) located along Quincy Bay on the north end of Wollaston Beach.  This area was a summer gathering spot for the Massachusett Native Americans back in the 17^th century.  It also contains a spot known as Arrowhead Hill which was the base maintained by Chickatawbut, the sachem, or chief, of the Massachusett tribe.  Chickatawbut met with Myles Standish and Squanto, shortly after the Pilgrims arrival in Plymouth, in 1621.

            Chickatawbut’s legacy in Quincy goes further than Moswetuset Hummock.  It extends to another spectacular conservation and recreation area known as Blue Hills.  Stretching more than 7,000 acres into neighboring Dedham, Milton, and Randolph, Blue Hills has more than 125 miles of trails and peaks of up to 635 feet on Great Blue Hill.  This area got the name ‘blue hills’ from the settling Europeans who noticed a bluish hue on the slopes when they were viewed from a distance.

            As for Massachusett sachem Chickatawbut his name is all over Blue Hills.  One of the Blue Hills Reservation Parkways is named Chickatawbut Road, and the highest point in Quincy, at 517 feet, is named Chickatawbut Hill.  It is hard not to associate this Native American legend with the city of Quincy and its heritage.

            A ‘City of Presidents’ and so much more, Quincy is a city surrounded by natural beauty and history.  The birthplaces of John and Abigail Adams as well as their son John Quincy Adams are must sees, as is Peacefield.  Don’t forget the purportedly haunted U.S.S. Salem.  Beyond the history there is the natural beauty of Blue Hills and Moswetuset Hummock as well.  There is so much to see in Quincy and with it being so close by there is no reason not to get out and enjoy it.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: U.S.S. Salem - From I-95 North take the I-93 North exit, bear left to stay on I-93N at the Route 3 split. Take Exit 8 and take a right at the bottom of the ramp onto Furnace Brook Parkway.  Travel 2.3 take a right onto Route 3A South.  Drive 1.5 miles turn left onto Washington Street which is also Rt. 3A South.  Follow Washington Street 1/2 mile take the first right in rotary into the Harbor Express and USS Salem parking area.

Adams National Historic Site - Traveling north on Route 3, take exit 19 and follow signs towards Quincy Center.  Continue straight on Burgin Parkway through six sets of traffic lights. At the seventh set of traffic lights, turn right on to Dimmock Street. Follow Dimmock Street one block to the intersection of Hancock Street. Turn right on to Hancock Street. The National Park Service Visitor Center located in the Galleria at Presidents Place is two blocks on your left, 1250 Hancock Street. Validated parking is in the garage in the rear of the building, turn left on Saville Avenue just before the building.

John Adams & John Quincy Adams Birthplaces – From Rt. 3 North continue onto Rt. 44 and back onto Rt. 3 North.  Take Exit 19 for Burgin Pkwy, turn left at Penn St.  Slight right at Liberty St., take 1^st right onto Water St.  Turn right at Franklin St., both houses will be on the right.

Blue Hills Reservation – Take Rt. 3 North, continue onto Yankee Division Highway and merge onto I-93.  Take Exit 3 for Ponkapoag Trail, turn right at Blue Hill River Rd., turn right at Hillside St.  This is the main headquarters.

References:  Blue Hills Reservation

            White House.gov - John Adams

            Adams National Historic Park

            USS Salem.org