Freetown

The Town of Freetown is a pastoral community in Bristol County with a small summer colony and a maritime history. The town’s early economy was based mostly on agriculture, but the water power of the Assonet River eventually brought grist, saw and fulling mills after 1696 and in the late 18th century the town’s industries included a tannery. One of the state’s first trout hatcheries was established in Freetown.

Freetown’s position at the lead of a tidewater made it the closest port to the iron-producing towns of Middleborough and Lakeville, encouraging iron foundries and nails works as well as shipyards. By the 19th century, iron ore came up the Assonet River and into Freetown’s wharves primarily from New Jersey. The last ship launched in Freetown in 1848, when the demand for larger ships outgrew the depth of Assonet River and the extension of the railroads killed off coastal freighting.

Residents of the town turned to small market gardening, dairy production and lumbering. By the end of the century, much of the land that had been farmed was returning to forest as Freetown gained some of its pre-Colonial rural landscape. Residents are very proud of the town’s Colonial history, pointing out that the first company of militia was formed in Freetown in 1683. Additionally, three companies of Minute Men turned out on April 19, 1775 for the Battle of Lexington and then served honorably and well with the Continental Army.