Massachusetts Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Mattapoisett, Massachusetts

Population: 6,268

Located in Plymouth County

Mattapoisett has long been the vacationing spot for the East Coast's wealthy, and many flocked to the area in the 1870s, after the decline of the whaling industry, to build large estates perched on the water. Today, many of those homes still stand, and a stroll through Mattapoisett's village will reveal buildings adorned with plaques, dating their historical significance.

Ship Yard Park is home to many dances, concerts and festivals during the summer months and is a community hub. Its history stretches backs to the 1800s and Mattapoisett's whaling days. The town was one of the most important shipbuilding sites on the East Coast, and many of the whaling ships that sailed from New Bedford were crafted in Mattapoisett, as well as the Acushnet on which Herman Melville sailed. The boats were once built on what today is Ship Yard Park. In 1878, the last whaler of Mattapoisett, the Wanderer, was built here.

The town's harbor sits on Buzzards Bay. Boating and yachting buffs set sail into the sparkling Atlantic from Mattapoisett, their brightly striped sails billowing in the summer wind. If sunning is more your style, three beaches offer soft sand and moderate waves.

There is a shortage of homes; according to town records Mattapoisett has approximately 2,800 single-family homes, less than one hundred two-family homes and a few condominiums. Homes vary from clapboard cottages and rambling ranches to grander colonials overlooking the ocean.

Students attend elementary and middle school here, before continuing their studies at Old Rochester Regional junior high and high schools, which serve the towns of Mattapoisett, Marion and Rochester. Additionally, private schools in neighboring towns, including Tabor Academy in Marion, offer more education choices. A qualifier for many looking to buy on the South Coast is the quality of the school system, which is excellent here in the town of Mattapoisett, and the fact that it sits on the ocean is a plus.

From sipping a latte outside a small café on a breezy October afternoon, to exploring the village's small shops to enjoying a picnic under a crimson oak in Ship Yard Park, Mattapoisett offers plenty of activity year-round.