Before we take a break for the holidays, let’s look at Wareham, England from which our town takes its name. Did you know that early settlers in New England often named newly created towns after towns and villages in their native country? While Wareham, England’s history dates over 2000 years, Wareham, Massachusetts, although first settled around 1678, will only be celebrating its 275th anniversary of its incorporation as a town in July 2014!

Wareham England, a historic market town located in the county Dorset, was once a stronghold for King Alfred the Great who built huge earthen walls around the town to defend it against the Vikings. The Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages led up to the Roman settlement that underlies the town today. Then came the Saxons, the Vikings and the Middle Ages. Eventually, in 1762, fire destroyed two-thirds of the town which was rebuilt mainly in the Georgian style of architecture seen there today. The Victorian period followed, and then during the First World War, Wareham became a garrison town housing up to 7,000 soldiers. Following World War II, the population increased and tourism became an important industry. In 2001, the population was listed as 5,665 compared to the Wareham, MA 2010 population of 21,822.

Wareham, England today has a town crier and a town museum which tells the complete story of the history mentioned above. Visit the town’s website for more information at www.wareham-tc.gov.uk. Both Wareham, MA and Wareham, England are “gateway towns.” Our English counterpart is listed as “The Gateway to the Isle of Purbeck” while we are called “The Gateway to Cape Cod.”