Somerset

History

Somerset was first settled in 1677 on the Shawomet lands, and was officially incorporated in 1790. It was named for Somerset Square in Boston, which was, in turn, named for the county of Somerset in England. It was once a vital shipping point, and after the War of 1812 it was one of America's chief distribution points. In 1872, it became the site of a major coal port, and in the early 20th century a large cannery existed in the town. However, as neighboring Fall River's industry grew, it absorbed much of Somerset's, and the town took on more of a suburban character. In fact, the town's population grew during the Great Depression, as many people from Fall River and other localities moved to the suburb. Today, the town's major industry (other than suburban services) is power generation, with the Montaup Electric Company plant upriver (founded in 1923) and the Brayton Point Power Station at the town's southern tip (founded in 1963). Brayton Point has been the target of much criticism for its pollution problems from burning coal. It closed May 31, 2017. Historically, the town has had a connective relationship with Fall River. Originally, Slade's Ferry ran across the Taunton River to connect the two towns since the late 18th century. In the late 19th century, the Slade's Ferry Bridge connected the two towns, from the current southern terminus of Brayton Avenue in Somerset to Brownell Street in Fall River, and was double-decked, with a railroad section on the top level. The bridge was dismantled after closing in 1970 due to its rapid deterioration and its low height. (The path of the old bridge is still somewhat visible; two large sets of power lines cross the river at the same point.) The Brightman Street Bridge just to the north was opened in 1908. A new bridge, named…

Geography

Somerset is located at (41.748502, −71.153188). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 32.30%, is water. It borders on Mount Hope Bay and Narragansett Bay, and its east border is formed by the Taunton River, an arm of the former bay. Somerset is bordered by Swansea on the west, Dighton on the north, Fall River on the east (across the Taunton River), and Bristol, Rhode Island, to the south. The border with Bristol is located in the middle of the bay. Cities close to Somerset include Fall River, New Bedford, Attleboro, and Providence, and the town is one hour's drive south of Boston. The town is accessed via Interstate 195, which enters the town via the Braga Bridge from Fall River and has an exit at Route 103. It is also connected via the Veterans Memorial Bridge, the fourth bridge to cross the Taunton River between the town and city. The Veterans Memorial Bridge carries U.S. Route 6 and Route 138 across the river. Route 6 heads east–west towards Swansea, with several shopping plazas along the route. Route 138 travels north from the bridge along County Street, the town's main north–south thoroughfare, towards Dighton. Route 103's eastern terminus lies at the former intersection of Routes 6 and 138 just south of the new bridge. It heads south-southeast for three-quarters of a mile before turning west-northwest towards Swansea, crossing into that town at a bridge over Lee's River. Due to the controversy in Fall River over the proposed building of an LNG terminal, town officials have consider keeping the old Brightman Street Bridge open, as the tankers would not fit through it, and the terminal's proposed site is upriver of the bridges. However, as of the opening of the new bridge, the bridge is closed, as…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  21,876
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  21,830
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,978
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,227
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  18,085
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  17,332
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,757
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  16,292

Largest nearby schools

• B M C Durfee High
  High · Fall River · 2,460 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Diman Regional Vocational Technical High
  High · Fall River · 1,412 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Atlantis Charter School
  Other · Fall River · 1,283 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Somerset Berkley Regional High School
  High · Somerset · 1,003 students · 13.2:1 ratio
• Westport Middle-High School
  High · Westport · 832 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• Henry Lord Community School
  Elementary · Fall River · 815 students · 13.1:1 ratio
• William S Greene
  Elementary · Fall River · 721 students · 15.7:1 ratio
• Carlton M. Viveiros Elementary School
  Elementary · Fall River · 696 students · 14.2:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 3.6 — 2020-11-08
  10 km S of Bliss Corner, Massachusetts
• M 2.6 — 2015-01-13
  2 km E of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 3.3 — 2015-01-12
  0 km NE of Wauregan, Connecticut
• M 2.5 — 2007-10-19
  2 km WSW of Littleton Common, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2005-11-17
  4 km S of Plymouth, Massachusetts
• M 2.5 — 2002-06-07
  3 km NNW of Hopedale, Massachusetts