Harwich, Massachusetts |
 |
Harwich is a town on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod.
The town is a popular vacation spot, located near the Cape Cod National Seashore. Harwich's beaches are on "the Sound side" of Cape Cod; the shores that face Nantucket Sound. Harwich has three active harbors. Saquatucket, Wychmere and Allen Harbors are all in Harwich Port.
The town is known for its many cranberry bogs, which produce cranberries that are commercially farmed. Harwich also contains the largest lake on the Cape, called Long Pond, which serves as a private airport for planes with the ability to land on water.
In the summer, the town is host to the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The Mariners are the 2008 league champions. The team plays at Whitehouse Field.
Harwich was first settled in 1670 as the eastern parish of the town of Yarmouth. The town was officially incorporated in 1694, and originally included the lands of the current town of Brewster. Early industry involved fishing and farming. The town is considered by some to be the birthplace of the cranberry industry, with the first commercial operation opened in 1846. There are still many bogs in the town, although the economy is now more centered on tourism and as a residential/retirement community. The town is also the site of the start/finish line of the "Sail Around the Cape," which rounds the Cape counter-clockwise, returning via the Cape Cod Canal.
Harwich operates its own school system for its approximately 1,400 students. Harwich Elementary School serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, Harwich Middle School serves grades 6-8, and Harwich High School serves grades 9-12. Harwich's teams are known as the Rough Riders, and their colors are blue and gold. Harwich is known for its excellent boys basketball, girls basketball, girls field hockey and baseball teams.
In addition to public schools, Harwich is also the site of Cape Cod Regional Vocational Technical High School, which serves most of Cape Cod. The town is also home to Holy Trinity Regional School, a Catholic school which serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grades.