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About Chatham, Massachusetts

Chatham covers an area of 24.33 square miles at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and is bordered by Pleasant Bay and Orleans on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, Nantucket Sound on the south, and Harwich on the west. The town, orginally known as Monomoit, is 17 miles east of Hyannis, 89 miles southeast of Boston, and 223 miles from New York City. The Chatham Town Hall Offices are located at 549 Main street, Chatham, MA 02633.

Geography

Major geographical features of Chatham are hilly, wooded uplands, extensive barrier beaches and spits, harbors, numerous small estuaries, and salt and freshwater ponds.

Mainland features are the result of glacial action during the last Ice Age and consist of ridges, knobs (hills), outwash plains, and kettles (depressions and ponds). Several ponds formed by melting glacial ice have become salt ponds because of rising sea levels. The Town’s coastal dunes and beaches have been formed through thousands of years of erosion of scarps (cliffs) and movement of the material from the north and west.

Strong Island in Pleasant Bay marks the Town’s northern boundary. Morris and Stage Islands mark the extent of developed area on the south. The Red River is the boundary on the west and the Muddy Creek (or Monomoy River) on the northwest. The highest point (131 feet) in Chatham is "Great Hill", long a landmark for vessels offshore.

Read about the new Chatham Bike Trail

Extension at CapeCodToday.com

Chatham Government

Chatham is a happy combination of past and present: old fashioned, yet affording the best in modern facilities. The town operates under the town meeting form of government. The executive officers are a board of five part-time selectmen and an executive secretary. Once a year, the citizens meet to discuss articles in a town warrant and pass or reject them. Most funds spent by the town are voted at this meeting. The citizens of Chatham enjoy the special benefits of forward-looking zoning and current planning, and of both public and private conservation efforts.

Chatham Climate

Warm summer days with cool summer nights, beautiful warm Indian summers, and relatively mild winters make Chatham a comfortable place in which to live year-round or vacation.

SUMMER: Chatham lies far out at sea on the “elbow” of the Cape, at Latitude 41.40 North and Longitude 69.58 West. Air conditionins units are not much in use here in Chatham, as a fan indoors provides more than enough cooling even on the hottest days, as our ocean breezes keep things reasonable, even when the northeast cities are wilting under August heat.  We are fortunate in having navigable waters on almost three sides, and, as a result, the average summer temperature is close to 70 degrees. We are also notorious for our Chatham fogs and they are a boon to our gardens and usually yield to the sun by noon.

AUTUMN & INDIAN SUMMER: This is one of our finest seasons, growing more popular each year. The water is never bluer than in October, the air is bracing and dry, the scenery at its best with the sharpest colors of the year. Swimming in September and early October is not too cold for some hardy folk, who continue to take ocean dips until Columbus day or later.

Indian Summer lingers through September, October and well into November - a succession of glorious days and cool evenings. It’s an uncrowded time for tennis and golf, bicycling and hiking, beach exploring, sailing and fishing.

WINTER: The past couple of winters notwithstanding, our average winter temperature is about ten degrees warmer than on the mainland. We do get an occasional fall of snow, but most New England storms pass us by or just dust the landscape with the white stuff. We who live here in the winter find our paved roads fully plowed and sanded.

SPRING: March to May is just spring and we expect the thermometer to read in the upper thirties to the low fifties most of the time. But when June comes the waters of Pleasant Bay sparkle and our famous roses and early flowers are in bloom everywhere.

Note:  Chatham is hurricane country read Cape Cod hurricane preparation tips

Chatham Public Schools
Chatham High School- 425 Crowell Road

Chatham Middle School- 425 Crowell Road
Chatham Elementary School- 147 Depot Road

Monomoy Community Services

Monomoy Community Services, Inc. is a private, non-profit agency dedicated to promoting a healthy social environment for Chatham residents of all ages. Services are preventive and therapeutic. Goals of prevention include maintaining the integrity of family relationships, enhancing the mental and social development of individuals, easing the transition of youth and adolescents into the adult world, and helping parents, children and others cope with the stresses of society and the environment. Current programs designed to meet these goals include, after school and summer child care and enrichment programs for children ages 3-9, a variety of interest and informational programs for older children through age 18, parents support groups, and individual counseling as requested.

Therapeutic goals and groups are to help individuals and groups of any age resolve personal problems that adversely affect their ability to function in society, so that they may lead independent, responsible and self-satisfying lives. Psychiatric and clinical counseling, a variety of personal development and recovery groups, and family advocacy services comprise the presently available resources intended to meet the mental health goals of the agency.

Chatham Eldredge Public Library

The Eldredge Public Library, at 564 Main Street, is one of the most beautiful librarieson Cape Cod, both inside and out. Within its three levels, visitors will find a generous selection of modern literature, local historical materials, a genealogy department, newspapers, magazines, DVDs, music CDs, audio books and 10 public computers with a wireless hot spot.  The Library offers borrowing privileges to visitors, and invites them to participate in programs of interest for adults and children of all ages.

The Friends of the Eldredge Public Library sponsor a variety of events such as lectures, performances, fundraisers and classes all year long. There is a Children's Room full of games, puppets, computers and toys for any imagination to go wild. There is a Children's Drop-In Storyhour from September through June on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. for children 3 to 5 years. In the summer, there is a Family Storytime for school-aged children as well on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. that everyone can enjoy! Each hour is filled with stories, songs and theme-based activities. In the summer, all children are encouraged to participate in the statewide Summer Reading Program.

Library Hours

Monday: 10 am - 5 pm
Tuesday: 1 pm - 9 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 5 pm
Thursday: 1 pm - 9 pm
Friday: 10 am - 5 pm
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm

Sunday: Closed

Genealogy: Tuesday, Thursday & Sat. 1 - 5 pm

Golfing in Chatham

Chatham Seaside Links- Seaview Street, Chatham. This town-owned course, within walking distance of downtown Chatham, provides nine holes of challenges in the midst of seaside beauty. Carts available. Tel. (508) 945 4774 and click here for more info.

 

Churches in Chatham

Baptist- First Light Church of Cape Cod, Non-denominational
195 Meetinghouse Road (Route 137), South Chatham.
Rev. David L. Otis, Pastor. Sunday Worship Service 10:00 am; Classes for all ages; Childcare provided. Women’s Bible study 9:00 am Tuesday. Men's meeting 7:00 pm Tuesday. Family dinner 6:00 pm Wednesday, 7:00 pm worship and teaching./ 508-432-8022.

Catholic- Holy Redeemer - Highland Avenue, Chatham.
Sunday Masses 8:00am, 10:00am, and 11:30am, Saturday Vigil 4:00pm.
Daily Mass 8:00am Confession 3:00-3:30pm Saturday.
Rectory-(508) 945-0677. Mass schedule line (508) 432-2279.

Catholic- Our Lady of Grace - South Chatham,
Route 28 & 137 (Meeting House Road).
2005 Summer Schedule - June 25th - September 4th
Sunday Masses 8:00am, 9:30am and 11:00am. Saturday Vigil 4:30 pm
Rectory - (508) 945-0677. Mass schedule line -(508) 432-2279

Congregational- (United Church of Christ)-Main Street at the rotary, Chatham. Sunday Service 10:00 am. Rev. Dr. David Michael Erickson, Pastor, Rev. Matt Mees, Pastor of Visitation. Childcare and church school provided. Holy Communion celebrated first Sunday of each month. Wheelchair accessible with elevator. Office hours 9:00 am to 2:00 pm Monday through Friday. Church Office 945-0800.

Episcopal - St. Christopher’s Church - 625 Main Street, Chatham.

Lutheran - St. Peter’s Lutheran Church - Route 137, Harwich, (south of Exit 11 on Route 6). Holy Communion: Summer 8:00 am and 10:00 am; Winter 9:00 and 11:00 am. Educational Hour 10:00 am. For more info 432-5172. Rev. Dr. Jane O’Hara Shields, Pastor.

Methodist - First United- Main at Cross Street.

Sunday Service 10:00 am. Communion first Sunday of month. Nursery care, hearing aids, elevator available. Fellowship coffee follows service. Phone 945-0474. the Rev. Henrietta D. Aiello

Inter denominational - South Chatham Community Church- Rt 28 and Mill Creek Rd.
Sunday Worship 9:00 a.m.,child care and Sunday School for children during the service. The church is fully accessible. Revs. Robert and Sue Baker co-pastors.The church Benefit Shop is open year round Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during summer.

Unitarian Universalist Meeting House, 819 Main Street.
Sunday services at 10:30am. Childcare during worship services all year. Religious Education Program, "Children's Circle", September through early June, 10:30am-11:45am. Coffee served after the service.
Ed Hardy, Minister; President, Robert Snow. For more information, call 945-2075.

Read about Chatham and Cape Cod Hiking Trails

Click Here for Chatham, MA Harbormaster, Waterways, and Mooring Information

- "I Dig! Monomoy Clams" Campaign Launched - The Red Tide is gone but Federal closing of Monomoy to commercial activity is still a possibility.  Chatham received a wake up call to the value of clamming to the economoy of the town with the recent shutdown and lost income in June in Chatham alone was estimated at $1.7 million. "We still need aid for people," said Shannon Eldredge of the Chatham Shellfishermen's Association, who explained that losing a month of earnings can be serious trouble and that people should still donate to the association's relief fund. In response, MyChatham.com has kicked off a new program to raise funds for the Chatham Shellfishermen's Association, in the face of the possibility that the Monomoy clam flats may be closed to commercial shellfishing, a 5 million dollar industry here in the town of Chatham.  Click below to see our I Dig! product store where 10% of all profits will go directly to the Chatham Shellfishermen's Association.  Show your Chatham pride and give this issue the visibility it deserves.   Official "I Dig! Monomoy Clams" Campaign Page 'Losing Monomoy and the Southway would be devastating,'' says Chatham Shellfish Warden Stuart Moore.   He estimates 80 percent to 90 percent of the soft-shell clams currently being harvested in Chatham are coming out of those two areas.  ''Soft-shell clams are our biggest crop by far, and the vast majority of people who shellfish in Chatham are digging soft-shell clams right now,'' he said. Donations can also be made directly to the Chatham Shellfishermen's Association Relief Fund, P. O. Box 485, Chatham, MA 02650.

Chatham, Cape Cod Town Services Telephone #'s
within Area Code (508)

* Unfortunately, Chatham lags behind a bit here with not having email contacts for our public offices.  Stay tuned for updates!

Police EMERGENCY 911
Routine Calls 945-1213
Fire & Ambulance EMERGENCY 911
Routine Calls 945-2324
Permits: Beach, Dump, Shellfish & Mooring 945-5180
Building Inspector 945-5160
Chatham Airport 945-9000
Coast Guard 945-0164
Council on Aging 945-5190
Disposal Area (Waste Transfer Station) 945-5156
Elder Affairs Hotline 1-800-882-2003
Chatham Fish Pier 945-5186
Harbormaster 945-5185
Health Inspector 945-5165
Highway Department 945-5155
Liberty Commons of Chatham (Nursing Home) 945-4611
Monomoy Community Services Inc. 945-1501
Monomoy Youth and Family Center 945-1117
Chatham Parks Department 945-5158
Recreation Center 945-5175
School Administration 945-5130
Selectmen's Office 945-5107
Chatham Shellfish Warden 945-5181
Town Administrator 945-5106
Town Clerk 945-5101
Visiting Nurse Association 945-2869
Water Department 945-5150