Dighton, Massachusetts

Dighton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, located on the western shore of the Taunton River in the southeastern part of the state. Originally part of Taunton’s South Purchase and other surrounding towns, it was separated in 1672 and officially incorporated in 1712. It was named for Frances Dighton Williams, wife of Richard Williams, a town elder.

Located at the beginning of the tidewater of the river, Dighton was a shipbuilding community and even had status as a port of call. Because of this and its centralized location, it became a shipping hub for southeastern Massachusetts. There were also cotton mills, manufacturers and farming concerns in the town. With the passage of time, many of these industries left, transforming the town into a rural suburban community with some small farms.

Dighton is bordered by Rehoboth to the west, Swansea to the southwest, Somerset to the south, the Taunton River and the town of Berkley to the east and the city of Taunton to the north. In addition to being bordered by the Taunton River, it also is bordered by the Three Mile River, a tributary which empties into the Taunton along the town’s northeast border. The town is also crossed by the Segreganset River, another tributary of the Taunton which flows through the center of town. The highest point in the town is in its northwest corner, where the elevation rises above 236 feet (72 m) above sea level.