About Barnstable

Barnstable 2010 Population: 1,850 (39,540 - includes all seven villages)

The Town of Barnstable includes seven villages (Cotuit, Marstons Mills, West Barnstable, Barnstable, Centerville and Hyannis) within its boundaries. Each village has unique and significant cultural and historical qualities.

Barnstable takes its name from Barnstaple, Devon, England. The area was first explored by Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602. Barnstable was one of the first towns to be settled, one year behind Sandwich, in 1638, and was incorporated in 1639. The early settlers were farmers, led by the Reverend Joseph Hull, the founder of Barnstable. A memorial tablet was dedicated there in 1939 (the 300th anniversary of the town's founding) marking the site of his home, and the rock from which he preached still stands along the highway there.

Today, tourists come in droves to the town during the summer months. There is abundant shopping in the quaint shops of Hyannis, and other popular sites abound, such as the John F. Kennedy Museum and several other museums and places on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Ancient Burying Ground and Gideon Hawley House. Barnstable has a working harbor, several small beaches and is a popular spot for residents and visitors alike.