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Marion is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,347 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the village of Marion Center, please see the article Marion Center, Massachusetts.


History

Marion was first settled in 1679 as "Sippican", a district of
Rochester, Massachusetts Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,717 at the 2020 census. History Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay. ...
. The name, which also lends itself to the river which passes through the north of town and the harbor at the heart of town, was the Wampanoag name for the local tribe. The town was mostly known for its many local sea captains and sailors whose homes were in town, although there were also some small shipbuilding operations on the harbor as well. By the late 1840s, however, tensions between the village of
Mattapoisett Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,508 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the village of Mattapoisett Center, please see the article Mattapoisett Center, ...
and the town led to a battle which sought to redraw the town lines and effectively take over Sippican Village. This caused the villagers to form a committee, which went to
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
to petition for incorporation as its own town. Thus, with the help of a powerful local ally, the town was incorporated on May 14, 1852, and renamed Marion in honor of Revolutionary War hero
Francis Marion Brigadier-General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the Swamp Fox, was an American military officer, planter and politician who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. During the Ameri ...
. Mattapoisett was incorporated in 1857. Since that time, Marion's economy has mostly relied on the waters of
Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Sinc ...
, both for fishing and for the summer tourism industry. Recreational sailing is a major seasonal activity for residents and visitors.


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 46.46%, is water. The town is bordered by
Mattapoisett Mattapoisett is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,508 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the village of Mattapoisett Center, please see the article Mattapoisett Center, ...
to the southwest, Rochester to the northwest, and Wareham to the north and northeast. The town is approximately by road west of the
Cape Cod Canal The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately canal traverses the neck o ...
, east of
New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American p ...
, east-southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and south of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
. Marion is located on
Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Sinc ...
, and its geography is shaped by the water. Much of the town is separated into two halves by Sippican Harbor, with Converse Point to the west and Sippican Neck to the east. To the west of Converse Point is Aucoot Cove, where Aucoot Creek and Borden's Brook empty into the bay. Sprague's Cove, Hammetts Cove (which is directly east of Little Neck), Blankenship Cove and Planting Island Cove are all coves off of Sippican Harbor. To the east of Sippican Neck is Wings Cove, which separates the neck from Great Hill Point. Along the northeastern border of town is the
Weweantic River The Weweantic River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 river in southeastern Massachusetts. Its name means "crooked" or "wandering stream" in the Wampanoag ...
, which separates the town from Wareham. The
Sippican River The Sippican River ("long river") is a short river in Massachusetts, United States. The Sippican River is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 arising fro ...
is also a tributary to this river, and further divides the town from Wareham. Between Sippican Harbor and the Weweantic River lies the Great Swamp. To the North of Marion lies Rochester, Massachusetts. Marion has several parks, as well as wharves, beaches, The Beverly Yacht Club, Little Marion G.C. (public), and The Kittansett Club G.C. (private). Marion is a typical old New England town that has a small quaint village with many traditional Cape Cod style homes. The village includes The Marion General Store that dates back to the 1800s.


Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,123 people, 1,996 households, and 1,441 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 2,439 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 92.17% White, 1.58%
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of enslav ...
, 0.10% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.08%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oce ...
, 3.46% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population. There were 1,996 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 28.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $71,250, and the median income for a family was $104,265. Males had a median income of $46,711 versus $35,911 for females. The per capita income for the town was $47,265. About 3.5% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.


Government

Marion is represented in the
Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...
as a part of the Tenth Bristol district, which also includes Fairhaven, Mattapoisett, Rochester and a portion of Middleborough. The town is represented in the
Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the ...
as a part of the First Plymouth and Bristol district, which also includes Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Dighton, Middleborough, Raynham, Taunton, and Wareham. The town is patrolled by the Marion Police Department. On the national level, Marion is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by
William R. Keating William Richard Keating (born September 6, 1952) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in 2 ...
. The state's senior member of the United States Senate is Elizabeth Warren. The junior senator is
Ed Markey Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American lawyer, politician, and former Army reservist who has served as the junior United States senator from Massachusetts since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the U.S. represent ...
. Marion uses the open town meeting form of government, which is led by a board of selectmen. The town's police, as well as the post office, are all located in the town's central village. The village is also the site of the Elizabeth Taber Library, which is a member of the
SAILS Library Network The SAILS Library Network, formerly Southeastern Automated Integrated Library Services, is a non-profit library consortium of 70 member libraries in 39 communities located throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. SAILS was founded in 1995 to link ...
. The Fire/EMS Department is almost completely on-call with only (2) full-time or career members. Fire stations are located at Station No. 1 in the central village on Spring Street and Station No. 2 in East Marion at the corner of Point and Creek Rd. near the Great Swamp.


Education

Marion is a member of the 2,700-student Old Rochester Regional School District. The town, along with Mattapoisett and Rochester, operate as a single school system with each town having its own school subcommittee. Marion operates the Sippican School for students from pre-kindergarten to grade 6. Seventh- and eighth-grade students attend Old Rochester Regional Junior High School, and high school students attend
Old Rochester Regional High School Old Rochester Regional High School (ORR) serves the towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, and Rochester. The school was originally built in 1961 and underwent a major renovation beginning in 2001. This project added the auditorium and combined the h ...
. Both regional schools are located on Route 6 in Mattapoisett, just over the Marion town line. The high school competes in the South Coast Conference for athletics. Their mascot is the bulldog, and their colors are red, black, and white. The town's
Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...
football rival is Apponequet Regional High School, in Lakeville. Marion students may also choose to attend Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School, a technical high school located in Bourne on the Cape side of the canal. The town is the site of Tabor Academy, a private academy serving grades 9–12.


Infrastructure

As a small New England town the major infrastructures are the roads, water, and the waste disposal. Marion also has a fine harbor facility with a wide concrete vehicle accessible jetty. Boats can tie up on three sides to load and unload from vehicles right on the jetty. A wooden ramp runs from the jetty to the Harbormaster lookout. There is a large adjoining unpaved parking lot. Marion is home to one of the largest sailing fleets in Massachusetts showing a forest of masts in the inner harbor. Directly adjacent to the Harbormaster is a small shellfish area which is stocked by the town. There is a public beach at the end of Front St. It is groomed and has a lifeguard station. It also has a large parking lot. The town Library (Elizabeth Taber Library) is on the ground floor of a colonial building next to the Town offices on Spring St.


Transportation

Interstate 195 passes through the town, and has an exit at
Massachusetts Route 105 Route 105 is a state highway in southeastern Massachusetts, running from Marion to Halifax in a generally north-south direction. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 6 (US 6) in Marion and its northern terminus is at Route 106 in Halifax. ...
. Route 105's southern terminus is at its intersection with
U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast from Bishop, California, to P ...
, which also passes through the town. The nearest regional bus and air service can be reached in New Bedford. The nearest national air service can be reached at
T. F. Green Airport Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is a public international airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, south of the state's capital and largest city of Providence. Opened in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Isl ...
in Rhode Island, and the nearest international airport is Logan International Airport in Boston. There are no railroad services in town; the nearest rail service can be reached in Middleborough, at the terminus to the Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA's commuter rail service. The nearest freight rail service is in Wareham.


Military Industry

Until 2022, Marion was home to Lockheed Martin Sippican, which developed technology for undersea warfare (e.g. drones, torpedoes, antennae). The company was founded in 1940 as Francis Associates, went public as Sippican Ocean Systems, Inc. in 1981, and was acquired by Lockheed Martin in 2004.


Notable people

*
Benjamin Briggs Benjamin Spooner Briggs (April 24, 1835 – likely November 1872) was an experienced United States seaman and master mariner. He was the Captain of the merchant ship ''Mary Celeste,'' which was discovered unmanned and drifting in the Atlantic Oc ...
, Master of the
Mary Celeste ''Mary Celeste'' (; often erroneously referred to as Marie Celeste) was an American-registered merchant brigantine, best known for being discovered adrift and deserted in the Atlantic Ocean off the Azores Islands on December 4, 1872. The Cana ...
*
Richard E. Byrd Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer and explorer. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest honor for valor given by the United States, and was a pioneering American aviator, p ...
, Rear Admiral; first man to fly over both the North and South Poles, summer resident * Grover Cleveland, President of the United States; summer resident *
Dom DiMaggio Dominic Paul DiMaggio (February 12, 1917 – May 8, 2009), nicknamed "The Little Professor", was an American Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox (1940–1953). DiMaggio w ...
, Red Sox centerfielder *
Charles Dana Gibson Charles Dana Gibson (September 14, 1867 – December 23, 1944) was an American illustrator. He was best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent Euro-American woman at the turn of the ...
, artist, creator of the "Gibson Girl" look *
Greg F. Gifune Greg F. Gifune (born November 12, 1963, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts) is a horror author, the recipient of multiple Bram Stoker Award and International Horror Guild Award nominations in addition to one for the British Fantasy Award. Chri ...
, Novelist, Editor, Film Producer, former resident, grew up in Marion *
Andrew A. Harwood Andrew Allen Harwood (October 9, 1802 – August 28, 1884) was an admiral in the United States Navy. Early life and education Andrew Allen Harwood was born on October 9, 1802 in Settle Farm, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of John Ed ...
, Rear Admiral; career naval officer *
Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
, novelist * Lucy Myers Wright Mitchell, first female classical archaeologist * Frances Folsom Cleveland Preston, former first lady to United States President Grover Cleveland, summer resident * Geraldo Rivera, summer resident * Franklin Delano Roosevelt, President of the United states; summer resident *
Carl Ruggles Carl Ruggles (born Charles Sprague Ruggles; March 11, 1876 – October 24, 1971) was an American composer, painter and teacher. His pieces employed " dissonant counterpoint", a term coined by fellow composer and musicologist Charles Seeger ...
, American composer, born in Marion *
Augustus Saint-Gaudens Augustus Saint-Gaudens (; March 1, 1848 – August 3, 1907) was an American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance. From a French-Irish family, Saint-Gaudens was raised in New York City, he trave ...
, sculptor, summer resident *
James Spader James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960) is an American actor. He has portrayed eccentric characters in films such as the drama ''Sex, Lies, and Videotape'' (1989) for which he won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor, the action scienc ...
, summer resident


References


External links


Town of Marion official website

Elizabeth Taber Library
(public library)
Marion Gym- workout facility
(athletic facility at town building)
SouthCoastToday.com: Marion

The Marconi radio transmitter station in Marion

Live area Police & Fire Scanner Radio



SOCO magazine

{{authority control Populated coastal places in Massachusetts Towns in Plymouth County, Massachusetts Populated places established in 1679 1679 establishments in Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts