Editor's note:Seth Chitwood is The Standard-Times' new special projects reporter, and he's trying to learn his way around the SouthCoast.
I’ve been at The Standard-Times for a little over two months and it has been a blast. I’ve been writing about so many talented people, unique local businesses and helping to re-tell incredible stories from all over the SouthCoast.
This week, my mom and I visited each area located within the region that I’ve been writing a majority of my stories about. We started in Mattapoisett and worked our way back to Fall River, stopping at each town or city hall in between. I learned so many interesting facts about these places – it even led to feature story about one that's alleged to be haunted.
To spare you from having to read a 7,000-word article about the history of every town hall, I decided to pick out my three favorite facts that you may or may not know.
But first a coffee
This week, we chose The Nook in Fairhaven. It’s a shame that COVID-19 still restricts people from sitting inside storefront coffee shops such as this one. If you haven’t seen inside this place, you’re surrounded by nostalgic galore.
There’s a mini arcade game, electrical guitars mounted to the wall and shelves with iconic figures such a Gizmo from “Gremlins” and the leg lamp from “A Christmas Story.” The dark orange-walled room has a massive counter filled with house-made savory and sweet treats. It’s so sad we couldn’t stay to enjoy the cool ambiance.
The Nook:Fairhaven native believes his town now has something it lacked
My mom and I split a delicious cheese roll. She enjoyed the chai tea latte with oat milk while I tried a drink called the “Pain Killer,” which is a cold press espresso with dry espresso crystals and a non-diary sweet cream powder. IT WAS SO GOOD.
Mattapoisett Town Hall
We started our town hall marathon in Mattapoisett. Out of all the locations, this was the only one to have The Standard-Times waiting on its front stoop. So, it’s already a winner in my book.
Jefferey Miller, the director of the Mattapoisett Museum, shared some fun facts about this historic (and potentially haunted) spot. Built in 1896, for reportedly $8,000, it was used as the fire and police station, too.
A haunting tale:What this clerk has to say about the Mattapoisett Town Hall ghost
Originally, to call the fire department you had to run to the Town Hall, up the stairs and pull a rope that hung to the bell tower. The old fire carriages were pulled by horses – the stables are still located behind the town hall.
The property features several dedication plaques and in-memoriam bricks. There is so much history around the property and the architecture is stunning. And a minute down the road is Mattapoisett Harbor – what an incredible view. I could stare at that water all day.
And on the way to our next spot, I got to see Salty the Seahorse again!
Acushnet Town Hall
In a previous column, we visited the 9/11 memorial located next door to the Acushnet Town Hall. (That is when we thought up the idea to do a town hall tour for a future column.) Acushnet was first settled in 1659 as part of Dartmouth, but became its own town in 1860.
Supposedly a majority of the population is along the New Bedford line in the southwest corner of town, near town hall. There’s an old A BAT-51 machine gun featured on the front lawn as part of a veteran memorial.
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Not to put anyone on blast, but I struggled to find out about this town hall’s specific history. I put several calls into the Historical Commission and the Long Plain Museum.
I did find out thatthe town hall was built in 1914. Thereis a meeting house, at1341 Main Street,that was originally a Quaker Meeting House built in 1759, and is the oldest church building in Southeastern Massachusetts. The historical commission moved into the space in 1985.
We explored the area a little before heading off to the next town hall.
Fairhaven Town Hall
Is this Hogwarts? (It actually reminds me more of the mansion in “Stepford Wives,” but I digress.) Wow, wow and wow. Look at this place! The Fairhaven Town Hall on Center Street is breathtaking. The brick and stone High Victorian Gothic Hall was built in 1892.
The Millicent Library is located across the street.
The town hall was designed by Charles Brigham; Henry Huttleston Roger gifted it to the town on behalf of his first wife. It originally housed all of Fairhaven’s government offices such as the post office. There’s also an impressive four-faced clock at the very top.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The second floor has an auditorium for town meetings but also features concerts and theatrical performances. Mark Twain appeared on the stage in February 1894, as a keynote speaker at the building’s dedication ceremony. Twain was a close friend to Rogers.
So far, this is my favorite town hall. It feels so magical. We walked the perimeter enjoying every square-inch of this spectacular attraction.
New Bedford City Hall
Back in the city, about two blocks from the Standard-Times building, is the New Bedford City Hall. Similar to Fairhaven Town Hall, next door is the library. Here’s a funny fact! The two buildings switched places after a fire in December 1906. The current library was the original town hall, and the current town hall used to be the library.
Jodi Goodman, the special collections librarian at the New Bedford Free Public Library, let me in on the culprit to the fire: a rat.
Apparently, a rat’s nest built too close to a steam pipe caused the blaze. However, at the time, the town hall staff were in the middle of a recount for the mayoral election and there was some speculation that maybe the rat nest was a scapegoat by a political rat. (See what I did there?)
More:New Bedford mayor and councilors say city businesses will come back gradually
The building swap occurred in December 1910. Goodman also shared some other fun facts such as ANOTHER “Seth” was contracted to construct the town hall in 1837. Seth M. Ingalls and William Ingalls were given $44,500 to also building a market room within the hall.
In 1906, an elevator was installed in the current city hall and Goodman thinks (but not confirmed) that it could be the oldest functioning elevator in the United States.
We observed the Frederick Douglass plaque with the words “For my part, I should prefer death to hopeless bondage.” And revisited the Whaleman statue across the street – a site I visited in one of my first Newbie columns.
And then we almost crashed…
Spring is almost here! The leaves on the trees are starting to return and eggs are hatching from their nests. As my mom and I were heading to the next place, we saw a duck leading her ducklings toward the water.
So, naturally, you have to do a U-turn to see one of the cutest things in the world! Note to self: look both ways before turning the car around as there are other cars on the road. Thankfully, nothing happened – only honking cars and screaming (sorry for the obscenities, mom).
Everyone was okay… and you know what, getting to see the ducklings was worth it.
Dartmouth Town Hall
We were convinced our GPS had made a mistake. We were still in New Bedford, approaching the Buttonwood Park Zoo, when it said Dartmouth Town Hall was only two minutes away on Sl. We thought something went wrong.
Turns out, Dartmouth Town Hall is just over the New Bedford city line. In case you were wondering, based on the New Bedford town map records, the Dartmouth line is just beyond Buttonwood Park. A few feet past the Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Also, funny story about Dartmouth, my second week at The Standard-Times I called the Dartmouth Library for an interview… only to later discover I called the Dartmouth, New Hampshire. Now, I triple check.
I couldn’t find much about the Dartmouth Town Hall. Dartmouth was settled in 1652. The Bush Street School was built for the first high school class. In 1927, the school was moved to the building in which town hall is currently located. The new high school was then built in 2002, on Bakerville Road.
More:How salt played a big role in Dartmouth’s history
The one thing that caught my eye was a memorial on the front lawn with a quote by Amelia Earhart that reads, “Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” It’s an extraordinary quote about the concept of courage and that it comes in all shapes and forms. Just getting up and facing the day can be courageous.
I tried to research why Dartmouth Town Hall had this inspiring message. I didn’t find anything, so please e-mail me if you have the backstory.
Westport Town Hall
I really like the vibe at this town hall. This colonial revival brick two-and-half story building was built in 1938, by architect Israel T. Almy. I love the classic weather vane on the roof and the large white columns framing the front door.
Westport Historical Society, Executive Director Jenny O’Neill, shared some facts about the building, noting that it was meant to “impress” visitors who came to Westport. It seems like it does its job.
When Old Dartmouth split into Westport, Dartmouth and New Bedford – Westport needed a place to hold its town meetings. The first meeting hall was built in Central Village in 1789, at the north intersection of Adamsville Road. It was only for town meetings. Another town hall, constructed in 1890, is now Saint John the Baptist Education Center on Main Road.
When the town finally decided to build the present town hall, the total cost was $73,000 and it has been estimated that it took 13,000 hours of employment from Westport workers to complete the project. It was perfect timing because it provided work for many laborers and craftsmen during The Great Depression.
We admired this impressive spot that highlights the beautiful town of Westport.
Fall River Government Center
Out of all the locations, this one is the most modern and that is because the historic 19th century city hall was demolished in 1962, for the construction of I-195. Due to several construction issues, it didn’t officially open until 1976. The eagle on-top the spire on the old city hall building is located in the foyer of the current city hall.
I should also note that the first town hall was destroyed in 1842, from the “Great Downtown Fire” which also destroyed 200 buildings.
In 2008, town hall went through a multi-million-dollar renovation of its exterior. It basically now looks like a giant concrete cube… but with some style. The windows help make it betteron the eye.
More:In a little office, big dreams for downtown Fall River
I had never stepped foot on the property, although I’ve driven underneath hundreds of times. We did get a nice view of the Braga Bridge and got to see some of the shops on Pocasset and Third Street from a higher viewpoint.
Across the street, we admired the four bells on the corner of North Frontage Road and Third Street. Ken Raymond, the former director of tourism in Fall River, said that these bells were originally located on Second and Borden streetsbut were moved to this location in the '90s.
The bells were from the old city hall. A similar looking bell structure is also in the tower of the visitor center at Heritage State Park. (Maybe a place I should go visit next?)
And the winner…
This is a hard one but I think my favorite town hall is Fairhaven Town Hall. It’s a castle! And it’s huge. And I didn’t even get to go inside yet! I love the style and the grounds in front are so inviting. However, the Mattapoisett Town Hall is a close second, followed by Westport.
It was so fun visiting these historic sites. So much rich history. I wish I could’ve included more. Regardless, I now have an even better understanding of some of these towns as I continue to tell the stories of the people who live within them.
Newbie Notes
…Maybe I might re-create this column but with libraries.
…Okay, I got it wrong. We went to the wrong Sawmill two weeks ago. The Buzzards Bay Coalition shared with me the right spot in Acushnet. So, we're going. Any other ideas of what to explore while we are there?
…Furthermore, anyone been to the White’s Factor Ruins in Acushnet?
…I think it’s almost time for the Buttonwood PZoo column! I can’t wait to experience this zoo for the first time.
