In
My Footsteps
Christopher
Setterlund
Trip
129:
Wareham, Massachusetts
June 14, 2012
Though
it is technically not considered a part of Cape Cod, Wareham shares many of the
same qualities of a classic Cape village.
Wareham is considered the ‘Gateway to Cape Cod’ as the first town west
of the Cape Cod Canal. It was obviously
once part of the Cape before the Canal was constructed.
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| Tremont Nail Factory Building |
Wareham
shares its name with a town in England and was originally settled as a part of
the surrounding towns of Rochester and Plymouth in 1678. Incorporated in 1739, the town mixes
beautiful beaches and historic buildings with a highly developed retail center
filled with stores and restaurants.
Perhaps most well known in Wareham is the Tremont Nail Factory which is the oldest manufacturer of nails in
the country, established in 1819. The Old Company Store across the street from
the factory is a popular spot as well.
It is an old time gift shop with penny candy and gourmet foods as
well.
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| Old Company Store |
Located
a few doors down from the Tremont Nail
Factory is another well known spot.
The Benjamin Fearing Tavern Museum was originally the home of Isaac
Bump, a local miller, when it was first built in 1690. It became the tavern in 1747. Besides being one of the oldest homes in
Wareham it has also been the site of possible paranormal activity. In 2008 researchers from a local show Spooky Southcoast conducting hours of
tests in the old tavern. Though the
results were somewhat inconclusive it definitely will make any visitor keep
their eyes and ears opened.
If
you take Route 6 west into Wareham it does not take long to find a beautiful
scenic spot. A right turn onto Red Brook
Road leads you to Buttermilk Bay and the adjoining Little Buttermilk Bay. These bodies of water are great for fishing
and the Bourne Bridge hovers above the tree line which gives perspective as to
how close spots like these are to major highways. Route 6 continues west and crosses the Agawam
River before hitting the retail center of Wareham. This river has been one of the most important
herring rivers in the state since 1632 and is one of the few remaining operated
herring runs left in Massachusetts.
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| Fearing Tavern Museum |
The
Wareham Town Hall is located near the retail center as Route 6 becomes also
known as Marion Road. It stands in front
of the middle school and across the street from the Wareham Free Library. It looks the part of an old government
building in amongst the modern retail stores.
There is also a really nice railroad station located behind Main Street
and along the Agawam River. There is
still freight rail service in Wareham but at this time no passenger
service. Of course for families coming
to visit there must be a stop at Water
Wizz, the popular water park located near the Cranberry Shopping Plaza on
Rt. 6.
Much
like Cape Cod, Wareham has its share of smaller villages that make up the
bigger town. One such village is
Weweantic. A left turn from Rt. 6 onto
Cromesett Rd. will take you out onto this tiny peninsula that sticks out into
Buzzards Bay. Bordered on the east by
Marks Cove and on the west by Pattons Cove and Briarwood Beach, Weweantic is a
great little detour off of the main road and sports tremendous views from all
sides.
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| Buttermilk Bay with the Bourne Bridge on the right. |
Another
beautiful spot is a little harder to get to if it is to be fully
appreciated. Stony Point Dike is a man
made strip of land that stretches out a mile into Buzzards Bay. It is what was created by the dredging of the
Cape Cod Canal. It is located at the end
of Great Neck Road but can be seen on the horizon from Little Harbor
Beach. For kayaking lovers it is a
perfect trip, just over a mile, from the beach to Stony Point. It should be noted that swimming and paddling
on the Canal side of Stony Point is prohibited and dangerous.
Wareham gives you all
that you could want in a seaside town.
There are beautiful beaches, historic buildings with fascinating
stories, and there are also plenty of shopping areas for those that are not as
into nature and history as I am. These
spots are so close to the Cape but can at times be overlooked by people on the
way to New Bedford or Providence. I
highly recommend taking a day trip to discover Wareham. Have fun and happy traveling!
Directions:
Buttermilk Bay: From Rt. 6 heading
west, turn right onto Red Brook Rd., continue onto Head of the Bay Rd. Turn right onto Old Head of the Bay Rd. This gives you the best view of Little Buttermilk
Bay and Buttermilk Bay through Gibbs Narrows.
Tremont
Nail Company: from Rt. 28 heading west turn left at
Mayflower Ridge Dr., then quick right at Elm Street. Old Company Store is directly across
the street.
