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Visit us soon!
Welcome to an on-line look at Fairhaven, Massachusetts. (You may click on the pictures for a better view.)We hope you'll consider visiting our community.
A free Visitors Guide book is availble by calling, writing or emailing the Fairhaven Office of Tourism.
Fairhaven Office of Tourism
43 Center Street
Fairhaven, MA, 02719
Phone/Fax: 508-979-4085
Email: FairhavenTours@aol.com
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A Small Town With A Big History
A lovely seacoast town on the shore of Buzzards Bay, Fairhaven Massachusetts is directly across the harbor from the famed whaling port of New Bedford.
Historically, the town has been linked with the sea. After being settled in the 1600s by colonists from Plymouth, including Mayflower passenger John Cooke, the shore of the Acushnet River became the departure point of merchant traders and whalers. The first naval battle of the American Revolution was fought in the waters off Fairhaven in May, 1775. Revolutionary War era Fort Phoenix still guards our harbor, its cannons still booming every Fourth of July. Captain Joshua Slocum rebuilt the sloop SPRAY here before using it to become the first man to sail around the world alone.
Fairhaven has many connections to the world. It's the town where Seventh Day Adventist co-founder Joseph Bates Jr. grew up. Manjiro Nakahama, the first Japanese person to live in America, lived here in the 1840s after having been rescued by Fairhaven whaling captain William H. Whitfield. The Delano family in Fairhaven brought forth two U.S. Presidents, Ulysses S. Grant and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, both descendants of Lt. Jonathan Delano.
Perhaps most striking about Fairhaven are the magnificent European-style buildings donated by Standard Oil Co. millionaire Henry Huttleston Rogers, a native of the town.
For recreation, one will find a number of marinas in Fairhaven, a state beach, a lovely paved bike path and other outdoor attractions. The Office of Tourism offers free historical walking tours in the summer and early fall. A number of unique shops and wonderful restaurants are here, too, along with two bed and breakfast establishments and three larger accommodations.
We welcome your visit and know you'll enjoy your stay.
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Famous Residents
The town of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, has been home to a number of famous people throughout its history.
John Cooke (1607 - November 23, 1695)
One of the earliest European settlers here was Mayflower passenger John Cooke, the son of Francis Cooke. Cooke was one of the original purchasers of the territory in 1652 and moved here from Plymouth with his family about 1662. One of the most prominent men in town, Cooke served as a Representative to Plymouth Court, a town Selectman and was one of the earliest Baptist ministers in southeastern Massachusetts. At the time of Cooke's death on November 23, 1695, he was the last surviving male passenger of the Mayflower.
Joseph Bates Jr. (July 8, 1792 - March 19, 1872)
Joseph Bates Jr. (pictured above, second from the left) grew up in Fairhaven and went to sea as a cabin boy on a merchant ship at the age of 15. He was one of the four investors in building of the town's Washington Street Christian Meeting House and was active in early temperance and anti-slavery movements. He became an ardent follower of William Miller, active in the Second Advent organization and was one of the three co-founders of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
Warren Delano II (July 13, 1809 - January 17, 1898)
Warren Delano II (pictured above, far right) was born in Fairhaven in 1809 and followed his father's footsteps in merchant trade. In 1833, he traveled to China and became a partner in Russell & Co., the largest American firm engaged in China trade. Delano made a fortune, returning to Fairhaven a millionaire. Here he created River-Side Cemetery in 1850 and was active in civic endeavors. He maintained the Delano Homestead on Walnut Street. Warren Delano's daughter Sara married James Roosevelt and the couple became the parents of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Young F.D.R. visited the family homestead in Fairhaven often during his youth. His last visit to town was as President in 1936. The Delanos all descended from Lt. Jonathan Delano, who settled in Fairhaven during the 1660s.
Manjiro Nakahama (1827 - November 12, 1898)
Born in a tiny fishing village in Japan, Manjiro Nakahama (pictued above, far left) became a folk hero in his native land after having been the first Japanese person to live in America. Stranded on an island in the Pacific in 1841, the young fisherman was rescued by Fairhaven whaling captain William H. Whitfield. He studied English, math, and navigation in Fairhaven before eventually returning to Japan, shortly before the arrival there of Commodore Perry. Manjiro's knowledge of American customs helped pave the way for the opening of Japan to western trade. Today the Town of Fairhaven has a Sister City relationship with Tosashimizu, Japan, continuing the friendship begun more than 150 years ago.
Henry Huttleston Rogers (January 29, 1840 - May 19, 1909)
Henry Huttleston Rogers (pictured above, second from the right) was born in Fairhaven in 1840 and was a member of the first graduating class of Fairhaven High School. In 1861, he left town to seek his fortune in Oil City, PA, and started a small oil refinery. He soon joined with Charles Pratt and their refinery was eventually absorbed in John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Co. Becoming a director and vice-president of Standard Oil, Rogers made a vast fortune. Beginning in 1885, Rogers began giving unique public buildings to his hometown: the Rogers Grammar School, the Millicent Library, the Town Hall, the magnificent Unitarian Memorial Church and a new Fairhaven High School among them. Rogers was also a close friend of Mark Twain, who frequently visited the Rogers mansion in town. At Twain's suggestion, Rogers paid for the college education of Helen Keller and contributed to Booker T. Washington's educational causes.
And others. . .
Other well known people who live in or stayed for a period of time in Fairhaven are artist William Bradford, whose marine painting gained international recognition in the last quarter of the 19th century, Herman Melville, who sailed from Fairhaven aboard the whaleship Acushnet in 1841, a decade before penning Moby Dick; and Captain Joshua Slocum, who rebuilt the sloop SPRAY here in the early 1890s before sailing it around the world alone.
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Free Tours & Fort Phoenix Guides
From June through September, the Fairhaven Office of Tourism offers two free historical walking tours each week.
The H.H.Rogers Tour is held on Thursday mornings at 10:00 a.m., starting at the Visitors Center, 43 Center St. This ninety-minute tour highlights the life of Standard Oil Co. millionaire Henry Huttleston Rogers and the magnificent European-style public buildings that he donated to his hometown.
The Fort Phoenix Minuteman Tour is held on Friday mornings at 10:00 a.m., beginning at the Hurricane Barrier, Fort Street. This tour, guided by a colonial militiaman, highlights the history of the fort from 1775 through the Civil War and includes a flintlock musket firing demonstration.
Additionally, Colonial Guides are on hand at Fort Phoenix on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., with a musket firing demonstration scheduled at 2:00 p.m. Learn about the fort and life during the Revolutionary War.
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