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AHistory
History · Somerset

Somerset dates to 1677, and 18% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns · #103 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it

6 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 257 buildings. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1790.

1677founded
6on the National Register
18%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
5famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Somerset began, and where its name came from

When was Somerset founded?

1677

Somerset dates its founding to 1677 (Wikipedia’s history). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 1,151 in 17902020 census: 18,303349 years

How did Somerset get its name?

Somerset was named for Somerset Square in Boston, which was, in turn, named for the county of Somerset in England.

How historic is Somerset?

A

More historic than 94% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1826. Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Somerset’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Somerset is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #103 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Somerset’s overall grade.
Founding era1677, from Wikipedia: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194018.4% of homes (±4.3) · typical MA town 21.1% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register6 listings, 261 historic buildings, 143 per 10,000 residents · typical MA town 46.0 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 94%
NewerOlder
Massachusetts towns of 2,500+ (283)Ahead of 64%

Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Somerset’s 143 sits above most of its state (70% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 261 historic buildings outnumber those of 95% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1677.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.3 points).

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Somerset’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A historic districtThe Somerset Village Historic District takes in 257 historic buildings.A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18857 editions of the USGS map, 1885 to 1985. Watch Somerset change.Older than the countryEstablished in 1677, 99 years before the Declaration of Independence.
★ What stands out · On the National Register

6 listings protect 261 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
261
each building in a district counts
first listed
1983
Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden House
Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden House, built 1882St. Patrick's Church, built 1881Borden Flats Light Station, built 1875Swansea Friends Meetinghouse and CemeterySomerset Village Historic DistrictBrayton Homestead
BuildingsDistrictsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Gothic1
Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden HouseBuilt 1882
St. Patrick's ChurchGothic · Built 1881
Borden Flats Light StationBuilt 1875
Swansea Friends Meetinghouse and CemeteryBuilding
All 6 listings
Somerset Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2020Brayton HomesteadBuilding · listed 2020

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Help out

Start Somerset’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Somerset’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo1 archive item has no date. Guess the decade.+2Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the map

Somerset on the map, 1885 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Somerset. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Somerset on the 1885 USGS mapSomerset on the 1893 USGS mapSomerset on the 1918 USGS mapSomerset on the 1948 USGS mapSomerset on the 1967 USGS mapSomerset on the 1977 USGS mapSomerset on the 1985 USGS map1885Taunton sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Somerset.

The story

How Somerset came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Somerset.

Read it all →

Somerset was first settled in 1677 on the Shawomet lands, and was officially incorporated in 1790. It was named for Somerset Square in Boston, which was, in turn, named for the county of Somerset in England. It was once a vital shipping point, and after the War of 1812 it was one of America's chief distribution points. In 1872, it became the site of a major coal port, and in the early 20th century a large cannery existed in the town. However, as neighboring Fall River's industry grew, it absorbed much of Somerset's, and the town took on more of a suburban character. In fact, the town's population grew during the Great Depression, as many people from Fall River and other localities moved to the suburb. Today, the town's major industry (other than suburban services) is power generation, with the Montaup Electric Company plant upriver (founded in 1923) and the Brayton Point Power Station a…

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Somerset, 1677 to 1951

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1677
    FoundingSomerset is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1826Post officeThe Somerset post office opens
  5. 1875BuiltBorden Flats Light Station is built
  6. 1881BuiltSt. Patrick's Church is built
  7. 1882BuiltAriadne J. and Mary A. Borden House is built
  8. 1883Born hereClifford Milburn Holland is born here
  9. 1885Post officeThe Pottersville post office opens
  10. 1885On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  11. 1886Born hereEdna Howland is born here
  12. 20th century
  13. 1925Born hereLillian DeCambra is born here
  14. 1926Born hereCrimilda Pontes is born here
  15. 1939Post officeThe Pottersville post office closes
  16. 1951Post officeThe Somerset post office closes
By decade

Somerset, decade by decade

Date unknown1 to date
Plan of the Dighton and Somerset Rail Road, circa 1860sDate?Plan of the Dighton and Somerset Rail Road, circa 186…Map
Today16 recent
Remains of Broad Cove railroad bridge, October 20202020Remains of Broad Cove railroad bridge, October 2020PW&B abutment in Somerset, October 20202020PW&B abutment in Somerset, October 2020Welcome to2018Welcome toWelcome to Somerset, Massachusetts (cropped)2018Welcome to Somerset, Massachusetts (cropped)SomersetWaterTower22017SomersetWaterTower2SomersetWaterTower2017SomersetWaterTowerBroad Cove Coastal Access Trail2016Broad Cove Coastal Access TrailBroad Cove2015Broad CoveSomersetMA FriendsMeetinghouse2014SomersetMA FriendsMeetinghouseSomersetMA FriendsCemetery2014SomersetMA FriendsCemeterySomerset, Massachusetts2012Somerset, MassachusettsMA Route 103 southbound at US Route 62010MA Route 103 southbound at US Route 6I-195 west MA Exit 42009I-195 west MA Exit 4View of Somerset, Massachusetts2008View of Somerset, MassachusettsSomerset Public Library, MA2008Somerset Public Library, MAInterstate 195 - Massachusetts2005Interstate 195 - Massachusetts
Every building

Somerset, building by building, 1885

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.

Somerset fire insurance map, 1885, sheet 21885Sheet 2 of 2
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

People over time

Somerset, census by census

05,00010,00015,00020,00018001850190019502000Peak: 18,813

Between 1,151 and 18,813 people in every census since 1790.

19 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Somerset’s Wikipedia page.

Famous people

5 famous people were born in Somerset

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Clifford Milburn HollandAmerican civil engineer · b. 1883
Edna HowlandAmerican vaudeville artist · b. 1886
C
Crimilda PontesAmerican graphic designer · b. 1926
L
Lillian DeCambraBaseball player · b. 1925
R
Rhoda LeonardBaseball player · b. 1928
Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Somerset had its own post office from 1826 to 1951. Another post office, Pottersville, opened and closed inside today’s town.

Somerset
1826–1951
Pottersville
1885–1939
18201920today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Brayton PointPottersville
4cemeteries and burying grounds inside Somerset
FriendsGibbsNathan SladeSaint Patrick's

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Swansea32 historic placesADighton3 historic placesA−Fall River108 historic placesA+Freetown2 historic placesABerkley1 historic placeB+

Questions about Somerset’s history

What year was Somerset founded?

In 1677, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Somerset’s post office opened in 1826, and the first U.S. census counted 1,151 people here in 1790.

How does Somerset rank for history?

Somerset is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #103 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Somerset?

6 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Ariadne J. and Mary A. Borden House (listed 1983, the first), 1 historic district, the Somerset Village Historic District, with 257 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 261 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Somerset?

18% of Somerset’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.3 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1962.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.