Rochester

Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,581 at the 2000 census. Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay. ("Sippican" was the name of the local tribe.) It originally included the lands of Mattapoisett, Marion and parts of Wareham (which was lost when Wareham was founded in 1739). The town was officially incorporated on J... more

Rochester is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,581 at the 2000 census. Rochester was settled in 1679 on the lands called "Sippican" by the local Wampanoags, along the coast of Buzzards Bay. ("Sippican" was the name of the local tribe.) It originally included the lands of Mattapoisett, Marion and parts of Wareham (which was lost when Wareham was founded in 1739). The town was officially incorporated on June 4, 1686 as Rochester, and was renamed for Rochester, England, from which early settlers to the town came. The town originally thrived with the early shipbuilding and whaling trade in Mattapoisett Harbor. However, in 1852 and 1853 the towns of Marion and Mattapoisett, respectively, were separated and incorporated as separate towns, thus landlocking the town. Since that time, the town has become mostly rural-residential, with some farms located in town. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.4 square... less