
The British Torched New Bedford’s Waterfront Before Fairhaven Stopped Them
In September 1778, a fleet of 40 British warships sailed into New Bedford Harbor and burned the city to the ground. As America celebrates 250 years of independence, this is the SouthCoast story you need to know.









![The 40-Year Cleanup of New Bedford Harbor [TOWNSQUARE SUNDAY]](http://townsquare.media/site/518/files/2021/01/DSC_0135-1.jpeg?w=980&q=75)