Mashpee Town News & Information

 

MashpeeCLAIM TO FAME: Land of the Wampanoag Tribe

HISTORICAL BRAGGING RIGHTS: Home of the Oldest Native American church in the country

BEACHES:  South Cape Beach, Attaquin Park Beach, John’s Pond

DON’T MISS: Mashpee Commons shopping, Wampanoag Indian Museum, Cape Cod Children’s Museum,

Mashpee was incorporated in 1870 and is bounded by Sandwich to the north and northwest, Barnstable to the east, Nantucket Sound to the south and Falmouth to the west. The town is also the site of South Cape Beach State Park, and the Lowell Holly Reservation.

It is impossible to think about Mashpee without first considering its strong Native American roots. In 1658, English colonists began to settle in Mashpee after coming “across the pond”. Two years later, the colonists allowed the Christian Wampanoag in the settlement. Beginning in 1665, the Wampanoag governed themselves with a court of law and trials according to English custom. Mashpee was designated the largest Indian reservation in the state, and the tribe was finally federally recognized in 2007.

Today the town of Mashpee is known both for tourist recreation and its distinctive Wampanoag culture. The Wampanoag hold an annual pow-wow during which they display traditional activities and crafts. The Old Indian Meeting House, built in 1684, is the oldest Native American church in the United States. Established in 1995, the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge consists of marshes, cranberry bogs, white cedar swamps, and expansive forests. It’s also home to endangered New England Cottontail rabbits, white-tailed deer, red fox, red-tailed hawks, waterfowl, shorebirds, and even bald eagles.

Mashpee Commons is an open air shopping center built in the style of New England town centers. Starting out with 62,000 square feet in the 1960s, today the commons features over 90 stores and over 278,000 square feet of retail floor space, including a movie theater. Throughout the year, Mashpee Commons hosts concerts, fireworks, Oktoberfest, and other events.

Mashpee has two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high. The middle school is located in the same building as the high school but operates under its own administration and has its own wing strictly for the 7th & 8th grade students. The town operates its own school system and consists of approximately 2,200 students.

Mashpee Information

Town of Mashpee Information

Fire Department
20 Frank Hicks Drive
Mashpee, MA 02649
(508) 539-1454

Police Department
19 Frank Hicks Drive
Mashpee, MA 02649
(508) 539-1480
www.mashpeepd.com

Town of Mashpee
16 Great Neck Road North
Mashpee, MA 02649
(508) 539-1400
www.mashpeema.gov

Chamber of Commerce
Mashpee Commons
5 North Market Street
Mashpee, MA 02649
(508) 477-0792
www.mashpeechamber.com

Mashpee in the News



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