Sandwich, Massachusetts |
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The Town of Sandwich is a seaside community of 23,000 residents located in the northwest corner of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1639, Sandwich is the oldest town on Cape Cod and one of the oldest towns in the United States, settled by European immigrants nearly 150 years before the American Revolution. Sandwich is a quaint and quiet New England town with seaside charm. The Town's historic charm and uniqueness, combined with its ideal location, make Sandwich an attractive place to both visit and live.
The town motto is Post tea Naufracia Portu (Latin for after so many shipwrecks a haven). Sandwich was first settled in 1637 and incorporated in 1639 by colonists who led ten people through the woods with the stated purpose: "To Worship God and to Make cotton." It was settled by a group from Saugus with the permission of the Plymouth Colony. It was named for the seaport of Sandwich, Kent, England. It is the oldest town on Cape Cod.
Sandwich was the site of an early Quaker settlement. However, the settlement was not well-received, as their beliefs clashed with those of the Puritans who founded the town. Many Quakers left the town, either for further settlements along the Cape, or elsewhere, including places like Dartmouth. Early industry revolved around agriculture, with fishing and trading also providing for the town. Later, the town grew a small industrial component along the Scusset River and Old Harbor Creek and its tributaries. Today, most of its industry revolves around tourism.
Deming Jarves founded the Boston and Sandwich Glass Factory in 1825. Sandwich had proximity to a shallow harbor, was a possible canal site, and had local supplies of timber to fuel the glass furnaces. The glass works primarily made lead-based glass, and was known for its use of color. Jarves received several patents for his improvements in glass mold designs and pressing techniques. The factory declined after the American Civil War due to competition from Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia companies that produced less expensive pressed soda-lime glass tableware.
There are several attractions in Sandwich, including Heritage Museums and Gardens, the Wing Fort House, the Sandwich Glass Museum, the Thornton Burgess Museum, Hoxie House (the oldest house on Cape Cod), the Dan'l Webster Inn, and the Dexter Grist Mill, the oldest on Cape Cod. The Sandwich town boardwalk is also popular for tourists. The walkway was destroyed by Hurricane Bob in 1991, but was rebuilt via private donations. Sandwich is home to numerous art galleries, rare book and antique stores. It is also home to a major portion of Otis Air National Guard Base, including half the land the runways are on. [edit] Geography