Sandwich, Massachusetts

2 3 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 Sandwich, Massachusetts A SEASIDE GEM N estled in the northwest corner of Massachusetts’ magnificent Cape Cod, the Town of Sandwich is a seaside community with a strong past and a vibrant future. As the oldest town in the region, Sandwich was incorporated in 1637, and since that time has preserved its heritage while welcoming progress and possibility. With 20,000 full-time residents, Sandwich grows by only 50% during the summer months, a sharp contrast with many of the surrounding communities whose populations swell dramatically during the tourist season. “Sandwich has always been a working town,” says Director of Planning & Economic Development Ralph Vitacco. “It had that distinction from its first days of settlement. In the 1800s, we were a focal point for glass manufacturing. The Cape is a summer community, but Sandwich’s proximity to both Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island has really given us a suburban feel. We have a very stable population. So, when people come here to start their business, they know they are going to have a steady year-round clientele, not just dependent on the summer season.” Major industries in the community include healthcare, partly due to the older demographic throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, where the average age range is in the mid to high forties. Vitacco describes, “Healthcare is AT A GLANCE SANDWICH MASSACHUSETTS WHAT: The oldest town on Cape Cod, incorporated in 1637 WHERE: Barnstable County, Massachusetts WEBSITE: www.sandwichmass.org