The towns of Dartmouth, Massachusetts and Dartmouth, England are now bound by more than just a name. In late May, Dartmouth sent a delegation to England—led by Select Board Chairman Stanley Mickelson—to unite the two towns under a sister city agreement.

The partnership—titled the Plymouth 400 in the States and the Mayflower 400 in England—aims to increase tourism for both towns, celebrate their cultures and histories, and strengthen connections across the Atlantic.

On May 21, England hosted a gala at the Ballroom of Guildhall to celebrate the official sealing of the newly-formed bond (that was 20-years in the making), said Plymouth 400 facilitator, Dr. Cynthia Marland. Mickelson represented the Massachusetts town, while Mayor Rob Lyon represented its English counterpart.

“Back home in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, often we are told that we live in a beautiful local,” Mickleson said at the gala. “Our natural borders, the bay, the lush landscape flowing to the sea. Here in the valley of the river Dart, I realize we share so much in common.”

“We pledged our support to the project in the form of marketing and outreach opportunities in collaboration with the upcoming celebration starting this summer though 2021,” Marland said.

“The Town of Dartmouth sees this partnership of value in honoring the Mayflower voyage and the American traditions that began with the interaction of the Wampanoag and English peoples,” she said.

The same delegation from England came to Dartmouth, Massachusetts in 2014 to celebrate the town’s 350th anniversary, Marland added.