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Fall River Heritage State Park

1985 establishments in MassachusettsFall River, MassachusettsParks in Bristol County, MassachusettsProtected areas established in 1985State parks of Massachusetts
Tourist attractions in Fall River, MassachusettsUse mdy dates from August 2023
Fall River Heritage State Park sign and building
Fall River Heritage State Park sign and building

Fall River Heritage State Park is a history-themed public recreation area on the Taunton River in Fall River, Massachusetts. The state park encompasses 14 acres (5.7 ha) beside the Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge on Battleship Cove, home of the World War II battleship USS Massachusetts. The park is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Fall River Heritage State Park (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Fall River Heritage State Park
Central Street, Fall River

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Wikipedia: Fall River Heritage State ParkContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 41.705555555556 ° E -71.160555555556 °
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Central Street
02722 Fall River
Massachusetts, United States
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Fall River Heritage State Park sign and building
Fall River Heritage State Park sign and building
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USS Massachusetts (BB-59)
USS Massachusetts (BB-59)

USS Massachusetts (BB-59) is the third of four South Dakota-class fast battleships built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s. The first American battleships designed after the Washington treaty system began to break down in the mid-1930s, they took advantage of an escalator clause that allowed increasing the main battery to 16-inch (406 mm) guns, but refusal to authorize larger battleships kept their displacement close to the Washington limit of 35,000 long tons (36,000 t). A requirement to be armored against the same caliber of guns as they carried, combined with the displacement restriction, resulted in cramped ships, a problem that was exacerbated by wartime modifications that considerably strengthened their anti-aircraft batteries and significantly increased their crews. On completion, Massachusetts was sent to support Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa, in November 1942. There, she engaged in an artillery duel with the incomplete French battleship Jean Bart and neutralized her. Massachusetts thereafter transferred to the Pacific War for operations against Japan; she spent the war primarily as an escort for the fast carrier task force to protect the aircraft carriers from surface and air attacks. In this capacity, she took part in the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign in 1943 and early 1944 and the Philippines campaign in late 1944 and early 1945. Later in 1945, the ship supported Allied forces during the Battle of Okinawa and thereafter participated in attacks on Japan, including bombarding industrial targets on Honshu in July and August. After the war, Massachusetts returned to the United States and was decommissioned and assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Norfolk in 1947. She remained out of service until 1962, when she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Three years later, she was transferred to the Massachusetts Memorial Committee and preserved as a museum ship at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts. Some material was removed in the 1980s to reactivate the Iowa-class battleships, but the ship otherwise remains in her wartime configuration.

Lafayette–Durfee House
Lafayette–Durfee House

The Lafayette–Durfee House is a historic house located at 94 Cherry Street in Fall River, Massachusetts. The house was originally located at the site of the old Fall River Superior Courthouse now the Fall River Children's Museum on 441 North Main Street, and owned by Judge Thomas Durfee. While the exact date of its construction is not known, it is estimated to have been built before 1750. The large property which the house was originally situated on stretched from the shore the Taunton River all the way to North Watuppa Pond. However, Thomas Durfee mortgaged all of his land to help finance the American Revolution. His son Joseph, became a colonel and served with the Marquis de Lafayette at the Battle of White Plains, New York and also in Rhode Island; Joseph also commanded a company of men at the Battle of Fall River. The Durfee's would host Lafayette at their home in the summer of 1778, as well on other occasions.This is anecdotal. About 1872 the house was moved to its current location on Cherry Street. It was owned by members of the Lewin family until 1936. In 1973, with the help of Caroline Durfee, a descendant of Thomas Durfee, a group was formed to preserve the house. During the United States Bicentennial year of 1976, a time capsule was placed in the base of one of the fireplaces.The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, a non-profit group the Lafayette Durfee Historical Foundation, Inc. maintains the house and gives tours usually during Fall to Spring.