BlockBefore
Decorative drawing: a small American settlement seen from a low hill. Not a photograph of this place.

Fairhaven, Massachusetts

34 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1885 and the latest in 1994. It stands in Fairhaven town. It lies in ZIP code area 02719. It stands on Crow Island. The Survey maps it on the New Bedford North quadrangle. 15,924 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 16 feet above sea level.

Fairhaven within Bristol County

Population over time

2 figures

Fairhaven grew from 15,873 to 15,924 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
201015,873
202015,924+51 (+0%)

Then and now

1885 to 1994

The same ground, surveyed 109 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Fairhaven, surveyed 1994
Topographic sheet of Fairhaven, surveyed 1885

Topographic sheets covering this place

34 sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

In the county-history sources

24,190 words on this township

History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1883 names this settlement in its chapter on Fairhaven Town. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

Dec. 17, 1843, he was united in marriage to Cynthia Briggs, daughter of George Briggs, of Dighton. Her mother's maiden name was Cynthia Jones. Mrs. Standish was born Nov. 12, 1821. They have had four children, one son and three daughters, of whom James C. and Delia T. are living, the former married and living on the adjoining homestead farm, the latter living with her parents.

Passage source: History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1883.

Not unworthy of a name so suggestive is the pleasant town which lies at the southeastern corner of Bristol County. Originally a portion of the township of Dartmouth incorporated in 1664, it was included in a grant of lands from their Indian owners to the colonists dated Nov. 29, 1652. The eastern boundary of this grant was three miles eastward from the Acushnet River. The Indian name of the vicinity was Sconticut, an appellation now confined to the neck of land which stretches from the southeastern part of the town into the bay. In 1787 the town of New Bedford, including the present city of that name, together with the towns of Fairhaven and Acushnet, was incorporated. In 1812, when political feeling ran high, the Jeffersonian Democrats of Fairhaven, derisively called " Corsicans" by their opponents, the Federalists, on the opposite side of the river, on account of the attitude of the former towards Napoleonic affairs, effected a division of the township. In 1860 Fairhaven was in turn divided by the setting off of its northern portion as the town of Acushnet. As at present constituted, the town is apparently three miles square, exclusive of Sconticut Neck. From its northern limit at Acushnet it stretches along the river until it reaches its southwest corner at Fort Phomix, where the river broadens into an arm of the bay, forming the lower harbor of New Bedford and Fairhaven. This western water-line is broken by the marshes connecting the Isle of Marsh with the mainland, and by the peninsula on which is situated the village of Oxford. On the opposite bank of the river is the city of New Bedford. The southern shore-line, after extending nearly due east from Fort Phu?nix, is indented by a cove, and beyond this is broken by Sconticut Neck, which extends out into the bay. The eastern boundary is formed by the town of Mattaposett, in Plymouth County. The surface is generally level. Fort Phoenix stands on a rocky prominence overlooking the harbor and bay. This headland was called by the Indians Nolscot, and the ledge of which it forms a part extends up into the village, and crops out in Centre Street in front of the Congregational Church. A rocky bluff overlooks the river near the Acushnet boundary, and the land rises towards the northern and eastern sections of the town.

Passage source: History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1883.

The village of Fairhaven is in the southwestern corner of the township, on the river, directly opposite New Bedford. Just north of the village, but with no dividing line between, is the little village of Oxford, generally known as the " Point." In the eastern part of the town are the hamlets of New Boston and Naskatucket. There is a considerable amount of wood and farming land, and along the southern boundary, at the head of the cove, an extent of salt marsh. Probably the village of Fairhaven grew up almost simultaneously with the village of Bedford, on the opposite side of the river, beginning near the middle of the last century. It remained, however, very small for a long period, for we find no record of the lay-out of a street until 1790, no church established until 1794, and the village remained confined to the wharves and a few short streets up to about the year 1832. The following-named persons, proprietors of lands granted by William Bradford, deputy governor of Plymouth Colony, in a deed dated Nov. 13, 1694, probably settled in this vicinity : Seth Pope, Thomas Taber, Jonathan Delano, Isaac Pope, Lettice Jenny, Samuel Jenny, Mark Jenny, Valentine Nuddlesene, Samuel Spooner, William Spooner, John Spooner, Joseph Tripp, Daniel Sherman, Edmund Sherman, John Davis. The first settlers probably scattered themselves over the limits of the town from Sconticut Neck to Acushnet, not uniting in villages for some years. There was a garrison on the bank of the river, just above the Isle of Marsh, in the old days of Indian warfare. The site of the ancient block-house, above theIsleofMarsh,ison landofMr. John M. Howland. Tradition relates that a man and woman by the name of Pope were murdered by the Indians in the locality of the Frog Pond while on their way to a fortified place of refuge. The Frog Pond occupied land which now borders the south side of Spring Street, between William and Walnut. Mr. Howland has gathered an interesting collection of relics from the ruins of the structure previously mentioned, consisting of household utensils, implements of Indian warfare, and among the rest an old key, supposed to be that belonging to the fortification, the name of which was Cook's Garrison. The old Cook house

Passage source: History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Pioneers and Prominent Men, published 1883.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Fairhaven Town - it names this place 38 more 38 times.

Photographs

1 photograph,

Taken for the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Administration, who photographed the country between 1935 and 1944. Works of United States government photographers, with no known restriction on use. Each opens its catalogue record.

Old Academy, Main Street, Fairhaven, Bristol County, MA
Old Academy, Main Street, Fairhaven, Bristol County, MA
Unattributed, . Library of Congress

Fires near this place

27 since 2015

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 27 fires within 5 miles of Fairhaven between 2015 and 2020, burning about 15 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined11
Debris and open burning8
Recreation and ceremony3
Smoking2
Fireworks1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
22 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
23 August 2016Power generation/transmission/distribution1.0 acresMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
22 August 2020Fireworksunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
2 August 2020Smokingunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
11 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
3 July 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlMATTAPOISETT
4 June 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire Controlnot named
26 June 2016Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreMassachusetts Bureau of Forest Fire ControlMATTAPOISETT

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Bristol County

Specimens collected near this place

12 of 2,252 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 2,252 specimens collected within 10 miles of Fairhaven between 1824 and 1975: 927 Animalia, 632 Plantae, 578 Fungi, 87 Chromista, 23 Bacteria, 5 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. B. Gridley, A. B. Seymour, A. Clark and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
A photograph of the species Gamochaeta purpurea, not of this specimenGamochaeta purpurea (L.) Cabrera1824T. A. Greene
A photograph of the species Lythrum salicaria, not of this specimenLythrum salicaria L.1831T. A. Greene
A photograph of the species Mentha aquatica, not of this specimenMentha aquatica L.1831Collector unknownNew Bedford. [Inferred county from precise loc.]
A photograph of the species Trypethelium virens, not of this specimenTrypethelium virens Tuck.1848ex herb. OakesNew Bedford.
A photograph of the species Endocarpon pusillum, not of this specimenEndocarpon pusillum Hedw.1858H. WilleyFort Phoenix. Fairhaven.
A photograph of the species Menegazzia terebrata, not of this specimenMenegazzia terebrata (Hoffm.) A.Massal.1860H. WilleyNew Bedford
A photograph of the species Scolopax minor, not of this specimenScolopax minor J.F.Gmelin, 17891860Alan PooleWestport
A photograph of the species Abrothallus parmeliarum, not of this specimenAbrothallus parmeliarum (Sommerf.) Nyl., 18691862Willey H.Weymouth, New Bedford
A photograph of the species Agyrium rufum, not of this specimenAgyrium rufum (Pers.) Fr.1862Willey HenryNew Bedford
A photograph of the species Anaptychia palmatula, not of this specimenAnaptychia palmatula (Michx.) Vain., 18991862H. WilleyNew Bedford.
A photograph of the species Anisomeridium polypori, not of this specimenAnisomeridium polypori (Ellis & Everh.) M.E.Barr1862H. WilleyNew Bedford
A photograph of the species Anzia colpodes, not of this specimenAnzia colpodes (Ach.) Stizenb.1862H. WilleyNew Bedford.

All 2,252 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Fairhaven: 1 unknown, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Acushnet QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenUnknown
Blue Stone QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer

Every working recorded in Bristol County

Storms near this place

30 since 1995

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Fairhaven in 30 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 8 flood, 6 thunderstorm wind, 6 hail, 5 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2008Flash FloodFairhaven$500,000Numerous streets were flooded including: Coggeshall and Dean Streets, Cove Road, West Rodney French Boulevard, and Brownell and Hawthorne Avenues in New Bedford. These roads were closed to traffic and emergency vehicles were rerouted around these streets to reach their destinations. At least one car was stuck in floodwaters with its occupants rescued. A fire truck got stuck in floodwaters on Route 18. Numerous basements were flooded. St. Luke's water temporarily stopped accepting patients due to flooding in the basement and cafeteria of the hospital, as well as around the hospital. In Dartmouth, significant flooding occurred on Russells Mills and Old Westport Roads. These roads were closed to traffic. Multiple cars were stuck in flood waters on Route 6E, which also ended up being closed.
July 2012Thunderstorm WindEast Fairhaven$10,000Trees on Gilbert Road, Mulberry, and Massasoit Streets were downed by thunderstorm winds.
April 2022LightningFairhaven$5,000In Fairhaven, lightning struck a home on Main Street, near Woodcock Way. The strike resulted in a fire on the gas line in the basement.
July 2014Flash FloodFairhaven$5,000Significant urban flash flooding affected New Bedford from thunderstorms with torrential rainfall. Belleville Avenue was flooded at Hatch Street making the road impassable. Route 6 on the New Bedford side of the New Bedford Fairhaven Bridge was flooded.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindEast Fairhaven$5,000Several trees were downed by thunderstorm winds.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindFairhaven$5,000no account filed
September 2021LightningEast Fairhaven$2,000In Fairhaven, a house on Judson drive was struck by lightning.
July 2019FloodFairhaven$2,000In New Bedford, numerous roads were flooded and impassable. These included: Route 18 by the railroad bridge; Purchase Street at Austin Street; Coggeshall Street at Route 18, where a car was stuck in the water.
November 2021Thunderstorm WindFairhaven$500In Fairhaven, a tree was down on Adams Street between Hope Street and Linden Avenue.
August 2019Flash FloodFairhaven$500In New Bedford, urban flash flooding occurred. At 521 PM EST, Sawyer Street was flooded. Then, at 530 PM EST, Summer Street was closed due to three feet of water on the road. Also, the Route 18 exit ramp to Purchase Street was flooded and impassable.
May 2024Flash FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, Rt 18 was closed due to flooding.
August 2024HailFairhaven-In New Bedford, 0.75 inch hail fell.
May 2024Flash FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, Washburn St at I-195 was closed due to flooding.
June 2020FloodFairhaven-A foot of water was reported on the Route 18 North ramp to I-195.
June 2020HailFairhaven-Dime size hail was reported in New Bedford.
October 2019FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, flooding caused Route 18 to be closed, both northbound and southbound, at Hillman Street, Elm Street, and Route 6.
July 2019FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, Acushnet Avenue near Pearl Street was flooded and impassable.
July 2019FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, Acushnet Avenue at Wamsutta Street was flooded and impassable, with manhole covers popping off due to the flooding.
July 2019FloodFairhaven-In New Bedford, Sawyer Street at Belleville Avenue were flood and impassable, with a car stuck in the water.
July 2019FloodFairhaven-In Fairhaven, Washington Street was flooded and impassable with 2 feet of water reported on Washington at Pleasant Street.
November 2014FloodFairhaven-Route 18 was closed near the Weld Street exit due to flooding.
February 2011HailFairhaven-Nickel sized hail was reported at 8:53 pm EST in Fairhaven, MA.
March 2001Heavy RainFairhaven-no account filed
July 2000Heavy RainFairhaven-no account filed
August 2000HailFairhaven-no account filed
June 1998HailFairhaven-no account filed
June 1998Thunderstorm WindFairhaven-no account filed
June 1998HailFairhaven-no account filed
March 1997Heavy RainFairhaven-no account filed
July 1995Thunderstorm WindFairhaven-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Bristol County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Harbor View0.8 miles34
Oxford1.3 miles34
Pope Beach1.4 miles34
North Fairhaven1.5 miles34
Nasketucket1.6 miles35
New Bedford1.6 miles34
Knollmere2.3 miles35
East Fairhaven2.4 miles35

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on FairhavenAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2309359The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 613668. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.