Chatham, Massachusetts

Chatham, Massachusetts
Town
Sunrise over the Atlantic from the Chatham beach.
Official seal of Chatham, Massachusetts Seal
Location in Barnstable County in Massachusetts
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Barnstable
Settled	1665
Incorporated	1712
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	24.4 sq mi (63.2 km2)
• Land	16.2 sq mi (42.0 km2)
• Water	8.2 sq mi (21.2 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2000)
• Total	6,625
• Density	408.4/sq mi (157.7/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	02633
Area code	508 / 774
FIPS code	25-12995
GNIS feature ID	0618250
Website	www.chatham-ma.gov

Chatham is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 6,625 at the 2000 census. Chatham is home to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, located on Monomoy, and to Monomoy Theatre.

For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Chatham, please see the articles on Chatham (CDP) and West Chatham.

History

Native American tribes that lived in the area prior to European colonization include the Nauset, specifically the Manomoy or Monomoy people. "Manamoyik" was a Nauset village located near present-day Chatham. Explorer Samuel de Champlain landed here in 1606, contacting (and skirmishing with) the Nauset. English settlers first settled in Chatham in 1665, and the town was incorporated in 1712, naming it after Chatham, Kent, England. Located at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, the community became a shipping, fishing and whaling center. Chatham's early prosperity would leave it with a considerable number of 18th century buildings, whose charm helped it develop into a popular summer resort.

Chatham is also the home to the Chatham Lighthouse, which was established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1808 to protect the ships circling the Cape. Originally consisting of two lights, the pair were moved back and rebuilt in 1877, but the second was moved to Eastham to become the Nauset Light in 1923, after both were upgraded to rotating lights. Today, the keeper's house is home to a Coast Guard station which tends the light.

Although urban sprawl has started to invade the country and even parts of Cape Cod, the town of Chatham still boasts a quaint and walkable Main Street. Main Street is home to numerous family owned and operated shops, restaurants and businesses. The main shopping area features pedestrian-friendly crosswalks, on-street parallel parking and some parking lots that are off Main Street. During the summer, concerts are held in a gazebo on Main Street, and not far from the shops is where the Chatham Athletics baseball team plays.

Historical Sites & Museums:

• Atwood House (1752)
• Chatham Railroad Museum (1887)
• Old Grist Mill (1797)
• Caleb Nickerson House (1772)
• Josiah Mayo House (c. 1820)

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.4 square miles (63.2 km²), of which, 16.2 square miles (42.0 km²) of it is land and 8.2 square miles (21.2 km²) of it (33.55%) is water. The town's villages include Chatham proper, Chatham Port, North Chatham, South Chatham and West Chatham. Chatham is bordered by Harwich to the west, Pleasant Bay and Harwich to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Nantucket Sound to the south. The town is 35 miles south of Provincetown and east of the Sagamore Bridge, 20 miles east of Barnstable, and 85 miles southeast of Boston.

The mainland portion of the town is typical of Cape Cod, with several ponds, brooks, rivers, harbors, and inlets around the town. The town also includes two narrow strips of land, the northern of which is the southern part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, which serve as a barrier between the Atlantic and the mainland. There are several islands, including Strong Island, Tern Island (which is a sanctuary), Morris Island and Monomoy Island, a 7-1/4 mile long island south of the corner of the town which is home to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge.

Transportation

All five roads which exit the town of Chatham cross into Harwich. The two state routes which pass through the town are Route 28 and the southern end of Route 137. Route 28 circles through the center of town before exiting and heading towards Route 6A, joining that route until the roads end at the Orleans Rotary. Rail no longer extends to the town; the route is now a portion of one of the several bicycle paths that pass through the town. The town is also the home to the Chatham Municipal Airport, which provides local service to other small airports on the Cape and Islands. The nearest national and international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport in Boston.

Demographics

Chatham Lighthouse, 2004

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 6,625 people, 3,160 households, and 1,886 families residing in the town. The population density was 408.4 people per square mile (157.7/km²). There were 6,743 housing units at an average density of 415.7/sq mi (160.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.03% White, 1.77% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.92% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.00% of the population.

During the summer months (generally Memorial Day through Labor Day), the population of the town triples to approximately 20,000, not counting the additional transient tourist population hosted by the town's many hotels, inns, motels, and bed & breakfasts. While the tourist industry is very strong in Chatham, fishing still represents the town's main industry.

There were 3,160 households out of which 15.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.2% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.3% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.52.

In the town the population was spread out with 13.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 19.8% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 34.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 54 years. For every 100 females there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.

The local K-12 school system has approximately 700 students, making for average high school grade sizes between 30-40 students.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,519, and the median income for a family was $56,750. Males had a median income of $41,064 versus $30,365 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,594. About 1.9% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.1% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Chatham is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Barnstable district, which includes (with the exception of Brewster) all the towns east and north of Harwich on the Cape. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and a portion of Barnstable. The town is patrolled by the Second (Yarmouth) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State and the Chatham Police Department. Chatham also provides Chatham Fire Rescue, a 24 hour fully staffed fire department.

On the national level, Chatham is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.

Chatham is governed by the open town meeting form of government, led by an executive secretary and a board of selectmen. The town operates its own police department, which is headquartered (along with the fire department) near the center of town. There is also a branch firehouse in South Chatham. The town has four post offices, all located at various points along Route 28. The town is home to the Eldredge Public Library, named for its benefactor and designed by a student of H. H. Richardson. The town operates several piers, beaches, boat landings and recreation areas throughout town. The nearest hospital is Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis.

Education

Chatham operates its own school system for the town's 700 students. The Chatham Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, the Chatham Middle School serves students from fifth through eighth grade, and Chatham High School serves grades nine through twelve. Chatham's athletics teams are known as the Blue Devils, and wear blue and white. Additionally, high school students may attend Cape Cod Regional Technical School in Harwich free of charge. The town is also the site of the May Institute, a special education school. Other private schools are located in nearby Brewster and Harwich.

Notable residents

• Louis D. Brandeis, Supreme Court justice
• Shirley Booth, actress
• Bernard Cornwell, author
• Franklin Cover, actor
• Todd Eldredge, champion figure skater
• Julie Harris, actress
• Jack Hynes, newscaster
• Joseph Crosby Lincoln, author of Cape Cod Stories
• Joseph Lord, Puritan pastor
• Christopher Seufert, filmmaker
• Bob Staake, cartoonist & illustrator
• Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML
• Harry Connick Jr., Singer and Actor
• Jonas Brothers, singers/actors they have a summer house in Chatham

Gallery

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External links

• Template:Wikitravel
• Official Website
• Chatham's hometown newspaper
• Chatham Chamber of Commerce tourist information
• Chatham Online Guide.
• Archive of Historical and Contemporary Chatham Photos
• Chatham Lodging Association
• Eldredge Public Library
• Monomoy Theatre
• Chatham Cultural Council
• Chatham Media Archive
• Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge
• Chatham Public Schools
• Chatham A's