Falmouth, Bourne, Mashpee, Sandwich

Falmouth
Official Town Website | Chamber of Commerce

The Wampanoag Indians, Falmouth ’s earliest inhabitants, called this southwest corner of the Cape, Suckanesset. This Indian word meant “The place where the black wampum is found”. Wampum was the Indian name for quahog shells that they used for currency, beads and jewelry. The Indians traded these items with Bartholomew Gosnold, who was believed to be the first Englishman to set foot on Cape Cod. It was he who changed the name of the settlement to Falmouth, which was the name of his English sailing port. The town was incorporated in 1686.

Today, Falmouth is a special place where sandy beaches, crystalline harbors and hidden coves are reached by winding country roads through the eight quaint villages. Sixty-eight miles of seashore along with 1,740 acres of fresh water ponds and rivers offer an unmatched myriad of recreation for boaters, beach-goers and fishermen. Falmouth is also a golfer’s haven. There are many special places of interest to visit and event to enjoy. These include Woods Hole Village, Nobska Light, Shining Sea Bike Path, Ashumet Holly Reservation and working cranberry bogs. A few of the annual events include the Falmouth Road Race, Christmas-By-The-Sea, antique and craft shows, the Strawberry Festival, and summer concerts at the town’s Band Shell.

Few communities offer the variety of homes and house settings that are available here – antique homes in the villages, homes in the country, at a pond or by the golf course, cottages and estates by the sea.

Thriving and vital Falmouth offers all the amenities and modern conveniences you would expect from a community its size, without sacrificing its small-town feeling.

Bourne
Official Town Website | Chamber of Commerce

First settled in 1640, Bourne was separated from Sandwich and incorporated as a town in 1884. The town was named for Jonathan Bourne, a successful whaling merchant and the town’s most prominent citizen. Hailed as the “Gateway to Cape Cod” because one can’t arrive on the Cape without passing over one of Bourne’s two bridges that space the Cape Cod Canal.

Bourne is very much a waterfront community. The Canal traverses more than 16 miles, east to west, in the northern section of town, and there is an amazing 54 miles of intriguing shoreline along its west coast – providing the most varied coastline on Cape Cod. This coastal treasure offers beautiful bays, protected harbors, sandy beaches, islands, inlets, coves, marshes, rivers and streams. All of which are attractive to the eye, inspiring to the water enthusiast and inviting to both the home owner and visitor.

Bourne is comprised of seven villages. Each of its’ villages is distinct and different. All of the villages south of the canal remain quiet and rural. Pleasant, winding country roads reveal wooden fences and weathered residences above its bays and harbors. Town fathers work diligently, with community cooperation, to maintain the character of each village.

Bourne’s beckoning call is its’ water accessibility, small town charm and to many, its’ each commutability. Somehow, in spite of all these benefits, Bourne has remained one of the Cape’s best kept secrets.

Mashpee
Official Town Website | Chamber of Commerce

Mashpee is a Cape Cod gem. Blessed by nature with a gently rolling terrain, rich forests, warm beaches, beautiful bays, inlets, and sparkling freshwater lakes and ponds, Mashpee offers the perfect setting for a comfortable lifestyle that is truly marvelous.

Mashpee’s small-town atmosphere is no accident; it has been carefully planned and nurtured. The town’s rich Indian heritage is evident everywhere, as is the centuries-old harvesting of cranberries from the town’s many bogs. Somehow, these daily historic reminders add to the sense of community here, where houses become homes and neighbors become friends.

At once diverse and connected, Mashpee can perhaps be best described by its names and places – Aptucxet, Wampanoag, Popponesset, New Seabury, South Cape Beach, Ashumet Holly Reservation, Otis, Wakeby, Santuit, Mashpee Commons, Willowbend, Meetinghouse, and more.

Mashpee, with but 438 residents in 1950, has grown to become one of Massachusetts most desirable and sought-after residential communities. It’s no wonder! The geographical blessings of the town have been generously improved by man, with good schools and government, and a variety of home styles, settings and neighborhoods that are unmatched.

Sandwich
Official Town Website | Chamber of Commerce

Incorporated in 1639, Sandwich is Cape Cod’s oldest town. Picturesque, preserved and private, it has all the charm and character of an old New England village. Here, weathered shingle cottages co-exist very nicely with antique colonials, cozy ranches, modern glass-walled homes and stately ocean-view residences.

Sandwich offers quaint shops along the Olde King’s Highway, a bustling harbor, meandering tidal inlets, open space, forests and conservation land. History abounds from stately sea captains’ homes to wonderful Shawme Pond and the grist mill, the glass museum, Thornton Burgess Museum, Greenbriar Nature Center and Heritage Museum & Gardens.

Sandwich boasts great schools and services, sound government and incredible community spirit. The town is convenient to shopping, dining and entertainment as well as an easy commute to Boston and Providence.