Fairhaven

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The Town of Fairhaven is a suburban/fishing/resort community on Buzzard's Bay. The town suffered both material damage and loss of life during the raids and battles of King Philip's war and significant settlement took place only after the war. Until the middle of the 18th century, the town's economy was agricultural. Beyond that point there is a shift toward maritime activities such as shipbuilding, whaling and foreign trade focussing on the town's wharves. By 1838, Fairhaven was the second busiest whaling port in the country and at its peak the town boasted 46 ships and 1,324 men engaged in bringing back over $600,000 worth of whale products annually. Discovery of oil in Pennsylvania coming on the heels of a national depression ended whaling and the town turned to such industries as tack making. In 1903, the American Tack Company's new plant was said to be the largest and best tack mill in the world. Prominent Fairhaven resident Henry Huttleston Rogers went to Pennsylvania to learn about the oil industry and after making himself an oil millionaire, Rogers re-made his home town. He donated the town hall, library, church, schools, streets and water system. The buildings make up the state's finest collection of public buildings, almost all designed by Boston architect Charles Brigham. The community began taking on the character of a suburban town in the late 1870's when the street railway connected Fairhaven to New Bedford. At the same time Fairhaven began to develop as a summer resort area with significant rural areas still the site of working farms. *

Address

Town of Fairhaven
40 Centre Street
Fairhaven, MA 02719
508.979.4025

General Info

  • Total valuation: $1,986,103,212
  • Residential, 76.4111%; commercial, 19.1329%; industrial, 1.9371%;
  • FY2005 Tax rates:
    • Residential, $8.12;
    • commercial, industrial and personal, $16.09
  • 2006 population: 16,248
  • Area: 7,497 acres
  • Miles of public road: 100
  • Town Of Fairhaven Zoning By-Laws

Services

  • Water: 90 percent of town receives town water
  • Sewer: 65 percent of town receives town sewer
  • Trash: 100 of town receives municipal trash pickup
  • Library: Millicent Library, 45 Center St., 992-5342
  • Visitor Center, 27 Center St., 994-0845
  • Parks and beaches
    • Fort Phoenix State Beach, swimming, picnic facilities. Parking fee.
    • Town beach, West Island.
    • Cushman Park, bordered by Main, Bridge, Green and Spring streets, picnic sites, ballfields.
    • Livesey Park, north end, picnics, ballfields, tennis.
    • Macomber-Pimental Park, Bernice Street, Sconticut Neck, picnic sites, ball fields.

Emergency Phone Numbers

  • Police: 911; routine: 997-7421
  • Fire: 911; routine: 994-1428
  • Ambulance: 911; routine: 997-7421
  • Emergency Management Director, Marc Jodoin

Elected Officials

  • Selectmen: 979-4023
    • Ronald J. Manzone (2008)
    • Michael Silvia (2006)
    • Winfred Eckenreiter (2007)
  • Town Clerk: 979-4025
    • Eileen M. Lowney (2007)
  • Town Moderator: Robert W. Foster (2006)
  • Board of Health: 979-4022.
    • Dolores Caton (2006)
    • Peter DeTerra (2007)
    • Charles K. Murphy (2008)
  • Planning Board: 979-4082
    • Raymond Fleurent (2007)
    • Dennis Vello (2006)
    • Wayne Hayward (2007)
    • Albert Borges Jr. (2006)
    • James Holmes (2008)
    • Marinus Vanderpol Jr. (2008)
    • Jeffrey Lucas (2006)
    • Gary Staffon (2009)
  • Board of Public Works: 979-4030
    • Robert Bosworth (2008)
    • Richard Brodeur (2006)
    • Jacob Galary (2008)
    • Frank J. Rezendes (2007)
    • Robert "Ace" Roderiques (2006)
  • Tree Warden, Antone Medeiros Jr. (2006)
  • Housing Authority
    • Thomas Perry (2008)
    • Anne D.Silveira (2009)
    • James Leal (2010)
    • Rev. Robert A. Thayer (2006) - Governor's Appointee
    • Victor Oliveira (2007)

Appointed Officials

  • Executive Secretary, Jeffrey W. Osuch, 979-4023.
  • Police Chief, Gary F. Souza, 997-7421
  • Fire Chief, Tim Francis, 994-1428
  • Tax Collector, Carol Brandolini, 979-4027
  • Assessor Jeanne C. Reedy; Assistant Assessor Jane E. Bettencourt; Part-time Assessor Delfino Garcia; Part-time Assessor Paul Keefe, 979-4018
  • Treasurer and Finance Director, John L. Nunes, 979-4026.
  • Town Accountant, Anne M. Carreiro, 979-4017
  • Health Agent, Patricia Fowle, 979-4022
  • Animal Control Officer, Karen Jachna, 979-4028
  • Public Works Superintendent, Robert J. Carey, 979-4030.
  • Building Commissioner, Wayne Fostin, 979-4019
  • Town Planner, William Roth, 979-4082
  • Recreation Center Director, Renee Tavares, 993-9269
  • Council on Aging Director, Deborah Jenkins, 979-4029
  • Conservation Commission: 979-4019
    • Deborah B. Davis
    • Andrew Jones
    • Kathleen M. Sturtevant
    • Robert Duarte
    • Susan A. Morris
    • Jeanne VanOrman
    • Wayne Fostin, Conservation Agent
  • Board of Appeals: 979-4019
    • Daryl Manchester
    • Peter Deterra, Associate
    • Joseph Borelli
    • James Holmes, Associate
    • Joseph Morgida
    • Curtis Lopes
    • Louis Kalife
  • Finance Committee
    • John Roderiques
    • William Machado
    • Urania Oliveira
    • Gilbert Mendez
    • Jeffrey Messier
    • Kim Hyland
    • Mark Badwey
    • Edith Silva
    • Jeffrey Canastra
    • Kerry Alves
    • Henry Pietrzykowski
  • Albert F. Benac, Town Art Curator
  • Tourism Director, Chris Richard

Schools

  • School Committee (Elected)
    • Andrew B. Tillett, chairman (2008)
    • Michael A. Gagne, vice-chairman (2007)
    • Douglas MacLean (2006)
    • Kevin Gonsalves (2006)
    • Colin W. Veitch (2008)
    • Stephen Desroches, Ed.D (2007)
  • Administration: 979-4000 (connecting all departments and schools)
  • Superintendent, Robert N. Baldwin Ed.D.
  • Special Education Director, Kathryn R. Levine
  • Business Administrator, Paul Kitchen
  • Public schools
      • East Fairhaven Elementary School, 273 students in grades K-5, Principal Geraldine Lucas.
      • Oxford Elementary, 248 students in grades K-5, Principal Wendy Williams.
      • Rogers Elementary School, 265 students in grades K-5, Principal Richard Brodeur.
      • Leroy L. Wood Elementary School, 228 students in grades K-5, Principal Christine Hardman.
      • Hastings Middle School, 610 students in grades 6-8, Principal Dr. Sherry Medeiros.
      • Fairhaven High School, 700 students in grades 9-12, Principal Jean Cote.
  • Private schools
    • St. Joseph's School, Spring Street, 996-1983, 180 students in preschool-grade 8, Principal Dorothea P. Codere.

Historical links

Learn about other South Coast Communities

* Described by community members for the MA Dept. of Housing and Community Development.