New Bedford, Massachusetts
Accushnet

1652

1787

1847

Jonathan F. Mitchell

Councilors-at-Large:

  • Ian Abreu
  • Shane A. Burgo
  • Naomi R.A. Carney
  • Brian K. Gomes
  • Linda M. Morad
Ward Councilors by Ward:
  1. Leo Choquette
  2. Maria E. Giesta
  3. Shawn Oliver
  4. Derek Baptiste
  5. Joseph P. Lopes
  6. Ryan J. Pereira

  • Jonathan F. Mitchell
  • Melissa M. Costa
  • Christopher A. Cotter
  • Colleen Dawicki
  • Ross M. Grace Jr.
  • Joaquim Livramento
  • Bruce J. Oliveira

24.13 sq mi (62.50 km2)

20.00 sq mi (51.80 km2)

4.13 sq mi (10.70 km2)

50 ft (15 m)

102,882

5,053.70/sq mi (1,951.25/km2)

02740, 02744–02746

25-45000

0613714

During the first half of the 19th century, New Bedford was one of the world's most important whaling ports.[4] At its economic height during this period, New Bedford was the wealthiest city in North America per capita. New Bedford was also a center of abolitionism at this time. The city attracted many freed or escaped African-American slaves, including Frederick Douglass, who lived there from 1838 until 1841.[5] The city also served as a setting in Herman Melville's 1851 novel Moby-Dick. From 1876 to 1900, New Bedford served as the initial home port for the Revenue Cutter School of Instruction, the precursor of the United States Coast Guard Academy.[6]


At the 2020 U.S. census,[7] New Bedford had a population of 101,079, making it the state's ninth-largest city and the largest of the South Coast region. The city is also known for its high concentration of Portuguese Americans. New Bedford remains known for its fishing fleet and accompanying seafood industry, which as of 2019 generated the highest annual value of any fishing port in the United States.[8] The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum and New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.

[87]

Massachusetts Senate's 2nd Bristol and Plymouth district

[88]

Massachusetts House of Representatives' 8th Bristol district

Massachusetts House of Representatives' 9th Bristol district

Massachusetts House of Representatives' 10th Bristol district

Massachusetts House of Representatives' 11th Bristol district

Massachusetts House of Representatives' 13th Bristol district

Culture[edit]

Literature[edit]

Herman Melville is associated with New Bedford, with his 1851 novel Moby-Dick set in the city. The New Bedford Whaling Museum hosts an annual marathon reading of the whaling classic.[107]

Points of interest[edit]

Museums[edit]

New Bedford is the home of the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the centerpiece of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. It is the country's largest museum on the subject of whaling and the history of interaction between humans and whales. The museum has the skeletons of a 66-foot (20 m)-long baby blue whale (obtained in 2000), a 35-foot (11 m)-long adult humpback whale (obtained in 1900), and a 45-foot (14 m)-long sperm whale (obtained in 2004) on display. All whales died in New England waters and were cleaned and assembled for display.


The Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum is a 28-room Greek Revival mansion that was built for the whaling merchant, William Rotch Jr., in 1834. Between 1834 and 1981, three prominent families owned the house. It was restored by the Waterfront Historic Area LeaguE (WHALE) in the early 1980s and converted into the house museum it is today, chronicling 150 years of economic, social, and domestic life in New Bedford.[122]


The New Bedford Fire Museum is housed in a red-brick building, formerly Fire Station No. 4, which opened in 1867. The fire station was one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the state when it was closed in 1979. The museum has a collection of old firefighting equipment and some old fire engines. Old city fire records dating to 1890 are available for research and review. Retired and active city firefighters act as docents.


The New Bedford Museum of Glass reflects the city's history as home of the Mount Washington and Pairpoint Glass companies. The museum's collection ranges from ancient to contemporary glass with a large focus on the glass of New England. A research library contains over eight thousand volumes on glass. The museum is located in one of the historic Wamsutta Mills textile factory buildings.