This autumn, the Mattapoisett Museum at 5 Church Street will have a variety of interesting programming, both on-site and around town, including four walking tours in October and November to explore special and historic sites in town that have intriguing stories to tell. The goal of this walking tour series is to acquaint participants with past industries that have vanished from Mattapoisett’s landscape and contemporary ones that they might not know about. Guided by the stewards of the property, the walks will visit a granite quarry, an active oyster farm, a cranberry bog and the sites of former salt works. This series of tours is funded through a generous grant from the Mass Cultural Council. These tours are free and open to the public.
On Saturday, October 7 during Museum open hours, a museum volunteer will be offering informal demonstrations of yarn spinning using the Museum’s 18th century walking wheel. The Museum has been working to restore the wheel to working order, and we invite visitors to watch how wool is turned into yarn and maybe try a turn on the wheel yourself.
The Museum guesses that you have noticed the pink granite of Mattapoisett’s curbs and sidewalks or noted this granite lining the sides of the Cape Cod Canal, but did you know that it was from a quarry right in Mattapoisett on Mattapoisett Neck Road? On Saturday, October 14 from 10 to 11:30 am, those interested in a tour of the quarry will meet at the entrance to the quarry trail on Mattapoisett Neck Road (about 100 yards south of Rte 6) to begin. Street parking will be available. Owned by the Mattapoisett Land Trust, the tour will be given by Land Trust President Mike Huguenin.
On Saturday, October 21 from 10 to 11:00 am, join Mattapoisett Museum Curator, Connor Gaudet to learn about the saltworks that lined Mattapoisett beaches. An early industry in Mattapoisett, the “Salt Works” produced vast quantities of salt from sea water. Gaudet will describe the process it took to create salt from seawater as the group explores the sites of former saltworks starting at the Munro Preserve at the corner of Water Street and Main.
Bob Field will share all he knows about oyster farming on a tour of his Copper Beech Oyster Farm from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday, October 28. Interested participants should meet at 100 Mattapoisett Neck Road. Field will give the history of how he founded his oyster farm and explain the processes involved. Please wear water-resistant shoes/boots and be prepared to walk about a quarter-mile.
Restoration Ecologist, Sara Quintal from The Buzzards Bay Coalition will tour participants through “The Bogs” on Acushnet Road on Saturday, November 4 from 10 to 11:30 am. The Bogs is a gateway to more than four miles of trails through the woods, along a scenic freshwater swamp and around 50 acres of cranberry bogs. The Bogs were created in the 1930s and operated until the fall of 2011. Although these bogs are now retired from commercial production, native cranberries continue to grow wild here. Join the Buzzards Bay Coalition to take a walk and enjoy the outdoors. Meet at The Bogs parking lot at 141 Acushnet Road. Because of active construction, this tour will be limited to 20 people and will be filled on a first come first served basis.
Please dress appropriately for these tours.