Mattapoisett Village: History in brick and mortar
Feb 20, 2013
The Grange Hall on Route 6 and Main Street has gone through a number of changes since it was built in 1815. It was Mattapoisett Academy from 1857 to 1862. The school was forced to close when money became tight during the Civil War. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT HISTORICAL MUSEUM
In 1871, the building was again a center of learning as the Barstow School, a high school for Mattapoisett. The building became the Grange Hall in 1915, and is now an apartment building. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
The Town Hall itself was constructed in 1896 for only $8,000, and aside from a few towers, looks much the same as it did when this picture was taken in 1907. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Gone are the trolley tracks that ran in front of the Town Hall. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
The Mattapoisett Free Library was built in 1904 with $10,000 donated by George Purrington, Jr. BY MATTAPOISETT HISTORICAL MUSEUM
The renovation to add wings on the library was $5.2 million. The additions added approximately 9,000 square feet to the building. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Located on Route 6, Gulf Hill Ice Cream was a hot spot for summer visitors. “G.I.’s used to come through going to Camp Edwards,” said Mattapoisett native Natalie Sylvia Hemingway, who worked at the shop when she was a girl. “It was exciting to see them all.” The above photo was taken in the 1940s. COURTESY MATTAPOISETT HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Below, the shop remains a popular hub for ice cream as the Oxford Creamery. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Mattapoisett’s rich history is evident in many of the buildings in the Village. From the Town Hall built in 1907 to Gulf Hill Ice Cream, a lot of the town’s iconic buildings have been preserved.
Pairing photos from the Mattapoisett Historical Museum’s collection with the present day shows that much is unchanged in the town.
Thank you to the Mattapoisett Historical Museum for the photos and background information on many of the buildings.
