In My Footsteps
Christopher Setterlund
Trip 67: Fairhaven, Mass.
July 22, 2010
With so many of the things that I look for in a place I visit Fairhaven ended up being one of my favorite spots thus far. The beautiful architecture downtown, a view of a lighthouse in the harbor, and a tremendous piece of Colonial-era history are what makes up what Fairhaven is all about.
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| The Old Stone Schoolhouse |
Located just to the east of New Bedford, sharing the harbor with it, Fairhaven has a rich history intertwined with the whaling and fishing heritage of New Bedford. The name most synonymously known with Fairhaven is that of Henry Huttleston Rogers. He was a wealthy businessman as well as philanthropist. Mr. Rogers was an original in oil refinery, first battling against John D. Rockefeller
and his Standard Oil Company, and then later joining forces with him. Henry H. Rogers’ philanthropic contributions to Fairhaven later in his life account for many of the incredible buildings in the downtown area.
and his Standard Oil Company, and then later joining forces with him. Henry H. Rogers’ philanthropic contributions to Fairhaven later in his life account for many of the incredible buildings in the downtown area. The first place I visited in Fairhaven however has nothing to do with Henry H. Rogers. The Old Stone Schoolhouse, also called the Oxford Village schoolhouse, on North Street is a really small building built in 1828. Incredibly the 20 ½ by 36 foot room could hold sixty-four students in its day. The children must have been smaller in the mid-19th century. By the end of the 19th century the population had grown such that a new Oxford Village schoolhouse was built and the tiny little stone building became little more than a meeting place for various religious and social groups. It is a cool place to check out to give you some perspective on how little education was valued back 150 years ago.
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| Fairhaven Town Hall |
When I hit the downtown area of Fairhaven along Main Street I was amazed by the beauty of some of the architecture. In a lot of ways it reminded me of my time in Easton, Massachusetts. The buildings such as the Oakes Ames Memorial Hall in Easton designed by H.H. Richardson
bare a striking resemblance to a few of the buildings in Fairhaven. It is especially apparent when I looked at the Town Hall and Millicent Library. The reason for this resemblance is that Richardson drew some of his style from noted 19th century architect Charles Brigham. It was Brigham who designed the incredible Town Hall and Millicent Library in 1892 and 1893 respectively.
bare a striking resemblance to a few of the buildings in Fairhaven. It is especially apparent when I looked at the Town Hall and Millicent Library. The reason for this resemblance is that Richardson drew some of his style from noted 19th century architect Charles Brigham. It was Brigham who designed the incredible Town Hall and Millicent Library in 1892 and 1893 respectively. The Millicent Library was donated to Fairhaven by Henry H. Rogers and his wife Abbie. It was named to honor their youngest daughter Millicent who had died of heart failure at seventeen in 1890. The building is exquisite and includes a sculpture of a man’s face above the Millicent Library name. I do not have any idea as to whose face it is though I am checking.
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| Fort Phoenix |
The final spot I visited is a virtually untouched piece of American history. Fort Phoenix is located along the water of the harbor shared by Fairhaven and New Bedford. This spot was built during the American Revolution
in 1775. The first naval battle of the Revolution was fought within sight of Fort Phoenix on May 14, 1775 and was led by Captains Nathaniel Pope and Daniel Egery. It was destroyed by British troops in 1778 but was rebuilt so quickly that it was given the name Fort Phoenix after the mythical bird.
in 1775. The first naval battle of the Revolution was fought within sight of Fort Phoenix on May 14, 1775 and was led by Captains Nathaniel Pope and Daniel Egery. It was destroyed by British troops in 1778 but was rebuilt so quickly that it was given the name Fort Phoenix after the mythical bird. In 1812 it was enlarged under the supervision of the future ‘Father of the Military Academy’ at West Point, Sylvanua Thayer. It helped repel an attack by the British HMS Nimrod in 1814. It remained in use during the Civil War with Union troops rotating between Fort Phoenix and Fort Taber. Though not used since 1876, Fort Phoenix still bears the look of an active military institution with five 19th century cannons perched facing over the waters of Buzzards Bay as if ready for an oncoming battle. On this day there was a man dressed in typical Revolutionary War soldier garb who was talking to any and all visitors about what it was like to serve on that very spot more than 230 years ago. I was not aware of his presence until he fired off his musket for the people, needless to say that was a bit of a shock to me.
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| Palmer Island Lighthouse |
The site is now a state park and the area leading up to the fort itself is covered with some awesome rock faces which when climbed give you a tremendous view of Fort Taber and Fort Rodman which are located across the water in New Bedford. In addition to the Fort and the views of New Bedford there is another attraction not far away.
Palmer Island Lighthouse sits out in the harbor and can only be reached on foot at low tide. The island was used as an interment camp during King Philip’s War in 1675-76. Made from rubble stone, scraps basically, Palmer Island Light was built in 1849 and is sort of a dwarf lighthouse as it only stands twenty-four feet tall. Incredibly even though the island is only six acres there at one point was a hotel on it and later on an amusement park
. Getting to see this little known lighthouse after standing where Revolutionary War battles took place was a perfect end to a great trip to Fairhaven.
. Getting to see this little known lighthouse after standing where Revolutionary War battles took place was a perfect end to a great trip to Fairhaven.Fairhaven is a town where you can easily lose yourself all day visiting historic homes and sites and still not see everything there is to see. A walk around the historic district of Main Street where the Town Hall and Millicent Library stand is a great start, but not the only place to start. Fort Phoenix is a great historic site but is also a very popular beach. I’ll bet some folks who go there fail to realize how much significance is so close to them. Don’t forget about Palmer Island Light hiding out in the harbor while you are there. Have fun and happy traveling!
Directions: Fort Phoenix: From I-195 West take Exit 18 into Fairhaven. Turn right to take Rt. 240 south. A little more than a mile turn right onto Bridge St. Bear right onto Rt. 6/Huttleston Ave. Turn left on Main St.; left onto Church St.; and right onto Fort St. Fort Phoenix is on the right as you approach the beach.
Town Hall/Millicent Library: From Rt. 6 heading west turn left at Washington St. Turn left at Walnut St., turn right at Center Street. The Town Hall and Library are across the street from each other. There is a sign with all of the historic spots in front of the Town Hall which makes for a great walk.
Old Stone Schoolhouse: From I-195 take Exit 18 for Rt. 240, follow it south to Bridge Street. Turn right, follow it to Adams St., turn right. Turn left on North Street, the schoolhouse is on the right.
community using Mattapoisett Harbor as a base. However once Mattapoisett and Marion became their own separate towns in the early 1850’s Rochester became the rural and residential area that it is today.
businessman Charles H. Leonard in the mid-19th century. The pond which lies to the north of the 
is named for Mr. Leonard. 
I got during my time in Rochester was what I will take away from my trip. The beautiful ponds and the smell of the pine trees made me want to stop and sit for a while to enjoy them. It is a perfect place to bring a picnic lunch when it is warm enough. Take a walk around the Town Common and gaze at the distance marker along the road. Don’t forget to make time to take in all of what Eastover Farm has to offer and take something sweet home with you. No matter how you slice it, Rochester is a great little town with a lot of great sights, smells, and tastes to offer. Have fun and happy traveling!
which usher you inside. The Sippican Historical Society as well as the popular Sippican Café also help to keep the Native American name fresh in today’s world. The Historical Society building was the home of the village doctor, Walton Nye Ellis, and was built in 1834.
location with many locals and folks from neighboring towns applying for licenses to allow them to capture their own bounty from the salty sea. 
facilities as well. There was nary a soul to be found here as I drove through but I am sure that is not the case on most days. Washburn Park was a great way to end my stay in Marion.
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. 
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.
. 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. 
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.
. The name ‘Nantasket’ comes from the Massachusett Indian tribe’s word meaning ‘at the strait.’ The beach is considered to be one of the finest in New England and is made special by the fine light gray sand left behind by glaciers. During the summer getting a parking spot is next to impossible even though the beach itself is nearly two miles long and there are many parking lots to fill. The view from the beach is great as well as you can see down the coast toward Cohasset and the great Atlantic Avenue drive that I mentioned in my Cohasset article. 
ride. This is significant because after the park closed in 1984 the ride was dismantled and sold to Six Flags in the Washington D.C. area and operates as ‘The Wild One.’ Besides the carousel there is a really neat clock tower connected with the old Paragon Park which still stands. The rest of the former park’s grounds are filled with condominiums now. 
it was purely by accident. I was trying to get to a higher vantage point to snap a few photos of Hull from up on Telegraph Hill. It was after climbing a concrete wall at the back end of Hull Cemetery that I first came face to face with the awe-inspiring Fort Revere. The eight acre park sits comfortably about sixty-feet above seal level which gives you an even better view of the Brewster Islands than from ground level. 
was wandering the grounds. The observation deck used to be accessible for a few hours on the first Saturday of the month, but upon returning I was saddened to see a sign that said that people would no longer be allowed to climb up inside. I can only imagine the view from up inside.
Lighthouse. As amazing as the story and, albeit limited, view of the lighthouse is I came to discover that there is so much more to Cohasset than just Minot’s Ledge Light. 
. Little things like that make a trip like this stay with me long after I return home.
. The third lens is the one that can be found on the grounds of the Cohasset Sailing Club. One of the fog bells used at Minot’s Ledge Light is also on display there as well.