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The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Massachusetts agency names four new cultural districts

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) – The Massachusetts Cultural Council has designated four new state cultural districts, one each in Cambridge, Essex, Marlborough and Sandwich.

The districts are walkable areas with a concentration of cultural attractions. The designation by the state agency is meant to, among other things, help attract artists, enhance property values and promote tourism.

Friday’s announcement brings the number of cultural districts to 14 statewide in just over a year since the initiative was launched.

The new districts include the Central Square area in Cambridge, home to a mix of startups and independently owned shops.

The Essex River district includes the seaside town of Essex’s historic shipyards and marinas.

The downtown Marlborough district includes a skyline unchanged over time because utility wires are underground.

The district in Sandwich, on Cape Cod, is focused on the Sandwich Glass Museum.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
The oldest town on Cape Cod and now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts, Sandwich was the home of Sandwich glass production. The Sandwich Historical Society operates the Sandwich Glass Museum, shown here. Photo by Andrewrabbott, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
A view from Boston looking across the Charles River to Harvard's Weld Boathouse. Cambridge is now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
A view from Boston looking across the Charles River to Harvard’s Weld Boathouse. Cambridge is now an official state cultural district in Massachusetts. Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.