Falmouth, town (2020 pop. 32,517),
Barnstable co., SE Mass., on Cape Cod; settled c.1660, inc. 1686. Once a
whaling and boatbuilding center, the town has become a popular tourist
summer resort. Falmouth was attacked by the British in the Revolutionary War
and again in the War of 1812. Historic structures include the Ship's Bottom
Roof House (1678); the Congregational church on the town green (1756;
restored), with a bell cast by Paul Revere; and the Julia Wood House (1790).
The town includes the community of Woods Hole, seat of the Oceanographic
Institution and Marine Biological Laboratories.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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