page_title: Taunton, Massachusetts
section_title: Public spaces
hierarchical_section_title: Taunton, Massachusetts / Arts and culture / Public spaces
caption_attribution_description: English: Daffodils and flowering trees brighten Taunton Green (Massachusetts) on a spring day. iPhone panorama.
context_page_description: Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, 10 miles to the south. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 55,874. Shaunna O'Connell is the mayor of Taunton.
  Founded in 1637 by members of the Plymouth Colony, Taunton is one of the oldest towns in the United States. The Native Americans called the region Cohannet, Tetiquet and Titicut before the arrival of the Europeans. Taunton is also known as the "Silver City", as it was a historic center of the silver industry beginning in the 19th century when companies such as Reed & Barton, F. B. Rogers, Poole Silver, and others produced fine-quality silver goods in the city.
  Since December 1914, the city of Taunton has provided a large annual light display each December on Taunton Green, giving it the additional nickname of "Christmas City".
  The original boundaries of Taunton included the land now occupied by many surrounding towns, including Norton, Easton, Mansfield, Dighton, Raynham, Berkley, and Lakeville.
context_section_description: The Taunton Green is the city's central square. Early in its history, "The Green" was used as a training ground for militias in the American Revolution. Some say it was also the site of the historic "Liberty & Union"/"Taunton" flag raising in 1774 by the Sons of Liberty, prior to the American Revolution. Since the early 20th century, Taunton Green has temporarily been transformed during the winter holiday season into a grand display of holiday lights, scenes, and extravagant events. This is where and how the city earned its unofficial nickname in the surrounding areas as the "Christmas City."
  "The Green" continues to provide a centralized location for citywide Christmas activities, other holidays, events, and parades for the citizens of Taunton. A fountain is located at the center of the Taunton Green. Always to be seen flapping together in emblematic unison, the "Liberty & Union" flag and the U.S. flag fly side-by-side on the flagpole at the city's center.
  The city is served by a central public library, the Taunton Public Library, which opened in 1903 and has undergone several expansions and renovations since that time. Also of note is the Old Colony Historical Society, which archives the city and region's past.
  The city is home to two state parks operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts / Department of Conservation and Recreation, Massasoit State Park in East Taunton and Watson Pond State Park in the north part of the city.
caption: Daffodils and flowering trees brighten Taunton Green (Massachusetts) on a spring day
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "Daffodils and flowering trees brighten Taunton Green, (Massachusetts) on a spring day. iPhone panorama.", "Image Make": "Apple", "Image Model": "iPhone 6", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.9 (Macintosh)", "Image DateTime": "2017:05:10 18:21:45", "Image Artist": "Kenneth C. Zirkel", "Image Copyright": "\u00a92017 Kenneth C. Zirkel", "Image ExifOffset": "400", "GPS GPSLatitudeRef": "N", "GPS GPSLatitude": "[41, 54109/1000, 0]", "GPS GPSLongitudeRef": "W", "GPS GPSLongitude": "[71, 11229/2000, 0]", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSAltitude": "7862/847", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[15, 19, 34]", "GPS GPSSpeedRef": "K", "GPS GPSSpeed": "0", "GPS GPSImgDirectionRef": "T", "GPS GPSImgDirection": "267466/1213", "GPS GPSDestBearingRef": "T", "GPS GPSDestBearing": "267466/1213", "GPS GPSDate": "2017:05:10", "GPS Tag 0x001F": "5", "Image GPSInfo": "874", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1278", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "8463", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/1000", "EXIF FNumber": "11/5", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "80", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2017:05:10 11:19:47", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2017:05:10 11:19:47", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "1245723/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "2275007/1000000", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "70199/8991", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire", "EXIF FocalLength": "83/20", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "431", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "431", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF SensingMethod": "One-chip color area", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF CustomRendered": "6", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "29", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[83/20, 83/20, 11/5, 11/5]", "EXIF LensMake": "Apple", "EXIF LensModel": "iPhone 6 back camera 4.15mm f/2.2"}