Tisbury, Massachusetts

Tisbury is the main port of entrance to Martha's Vineyard. The main ferry line is the Steamship Authority, which runs to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and New Bedford, Massachusetts. There are several other private ferry lines that serve Martha's Vineyard, with terminals in the towns of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown as well. Tisbury is the only operational port during most of the year, however.

1 History
2 Geography
3 Demographics
4 Government
5 Education
6 References

[edit] History

Tisbury was first settled in 1660 and was officially incorporated in 1671 by Francis Lovelace, Governor General of New York. The town, which originally included the lands of West Tisbury, was named for Tisbury, Wiltshire, England, the hometown of Martha's Vineyard Governor Mayhew. Citizens of the island, unhappy with the leadership of Governor Mayhew, petitioned William and Mary in 1673 for a change of leadership. It was then that the town, as well as the entire island, became a part of Massachusetts. ^[1]

The town has long thrived on the sea, and is also known for being the home of most of the year-round stores on the island, including Cumberland farms, the only store opened past 11:30 in the winter. Tisbury is now the home of the ferry docks for the island. The town was divided into its current boundaries in 1892. Like the rest of Martha's Vineyard, is a popular summer resort for the rich and famous. Famous residents of Tisbury have included: Art Buchwald, William Styron, Mike Wallace, Lillian Hellman, Carly Simon, and Diane Sawyer.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.2 square miles (49.6 km²), of which, 6.6 square miles (17.0 km²) of it is land and 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²) of it (65.76%) is water. The town ranks 329th out of the 351 communities in the Commonwealth in terms of land area, and is sixth out of the seven town of Dukes County (only Aquinnah is smaller). Tisbury is bordered by Vineyard Haven Harbor, Lagoon Pond and Oak Bluffs to the east, West Tisbury to the southwest, and Vineyard Haven to the northwest. The town also shares a common corner, along with West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs, with Edgartown. Localities of the town include Vineyard Haven, Makonikey, Pilot Hill, West Chop, and Lambert's Cove.

From the western shore of Tisbury to Falmouth, the town is 3-1/3 miles from the Mainland, the closest point on the Vineyard. Most of central Tisbury is low-lying and near sea level,with elevations rising up to 100 feet or so. West Chop is the northernmost point on the Vineyard, tipped by the West Chop Light. The town is also home to Lake Tashmoo, just south of the tip of West Chop.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 3,755 people, 1,646 households, and 902 families residing in the town. The population density was 572.4 people per square mile (221.0/km²). There were 2,720 housing units at an average density of 414.7/sq mi (160.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.04% White, 2.96% African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.33% from other races, and 3.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.04% of the population.

There were 1,646 households out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.2% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 88.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,041, and the median income for a family was $53,051. Males had a median income of $38,452 versus $29,034 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,783. About 7.7% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.9% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

In terms of population, Tisbury ranks 267th in the Commonwealth and second only to Edgartown in Dukes County in terms of year-round population. The town ranks 167th state-wide in terms of population density, below the mean but above the median. It is the most densely populated town in Dukes County.

It should be noted that there is a substantial dichotomy between the wealth of the year-round residents, which is generally below th Massachusetts median, and that of the summer residents, who tend to be quite wealthy.

[edit] Government

The Lighthouse of Tisbury (West Chop Light) in 1891

On the national level, Tisbury is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Delahunt. The state's senior (Class I) member of the United States Senate, re-elected in 2006, is Ted Kennedy. The junior (Class II) Senator, up for re-election in 2008, is John Kerry.

On the state level, Tisbury is represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket district, which includes all of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, as well as a portion of Falmouth. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate as a portion of the Cape and Islands district, which includes all of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and most of Barnstable County (with the exception of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth and a portion of Barnstable.^[3]. All of Dukes County is patrolled by the Fifth (Oak Bluffs) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.^[4]

Tisbury is governed on the local level by the open town meeting form of government, and is led by an executive secretary and a board of selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, both located within Vineyard Haven, just blocks from the steamship authority piers. The post office is also nearby. The Vineyard Haven Public Library is located just north of the heart of Vineyard Haven, and is a part of the Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS) network.

[edit] Education

Tisbury is served by Martha's Vineyard Public Schools. Tisbury Elementary School is the only public school located in the town, and serves approximately 310 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, located in Oak Bluffs, serves the entire island's high school needs. MVRHS's teams are nicknamed the Vineyarders, and their colors are violet and white. The school has a longstanding rivalry with Nantucket High School, with both competing for the Island Cup on an annual basis.

Tisbury is also the home of the Vineyard Montessori School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through third grade.