Though
there have been countless hundreds of nightclubs, bars, and other
forms of nightlife on Cape Cod since as far back as the late 17th
century, very few locations have reached the iconic heights of the
Mill Hill Club. Born out of a restaurant which debuted in the
mid-1920’s, and standing atop Mill Hill for more than five decades,
this was more than a bar, more than a nightclub, this was a
destination, a landmark, it was an institution.
The history of the Mill Hill Club must be traced back to its predecessor. Nearly thirty years before the king of Cape Cod entertainment would open another business sat atop the hill overlooking what is today known as Route 28. In the summer of 1924 a restaurant would open its doors. It was called Old Mill Tavern and it would carve out its own niche.
Old
Mill Tavern was owned by Rose Klous, who based her restaurant on the
idea of ‘traditional Southern cooking.’ This was further
stressed by the fact that advertisements from the day would proudly
trumpet the fact that they had a real ‘Southern Mammy’ cooking
the meals such as chicken and waffles. The 1600-square-foot
establishment came complete with a 12-foot piazza and enticed
passers-by in a time when automobiles were very much still a luxury.
Klous would eventually sell Old Mill Tavern to Henry Fern who would
run the restaurant up until his death in 1941. His death, and the
outbreak of World War II, effectively ended the tenure of the
establishment and it would in turn lay dormant for the most
of
the 1940’s.
In
1948
the most famous resident of Mill Hill would take root in the former
restaurant building and Cape Cod would be forever changed.
In
the beginning the Mill Hill Club was far different from how it would
be viewed during its heyday. It
was originally owned by Harold Smith, whose son Jack Braginton-Smith
would eventually own Mill Hill, Sandy Pond Club, and later Jacks
Outback. Mill Hill was
an upscale establishment
hosting fancy
gatherings, weddings, and other parties, while
also having
an orchestra which played there. Smith sold the fledgling establishment in May 1952 to a company called Mill Hill Development headed by Joseph Sullivan for $100,000 ($970,000 in 2020).
Though
it was known more for strings and suit jackets during the 1950’s
the initial incarnation of Mill Hill Club did play a big part in the
early days of Cape Cod jazz. It was during the early 1950’s that
legendary jazz trumpeter Lou Colombo got his start on the Cape by
commuting from Brockton to play as part of a Big Band ensemble at
Mill Hill. In the 1970’s he would get a full-time gig there
leading to him moving to Cape Cod with his family permanently.
Though
still maintaining a finger on the pulse of Cape Cod jazz throughout
its early decades the Mill Hill Club began to incorporate other forms
of music inside its walls. Purchased
in the late 1960’s by Carmine Vara the club would usher in acts
like Folk
rockers Peter, Paul, and Mary while later on during the days of punk
Black Flag would blister through a set during the early 1980’s.
Comedian,
and future Crystal Palace owner Dick Doherty would begin to perform
on the Mill Hill Stage. In
addition
to those
performances stars such as Jonathan Edwards, B.B. King, Gary Lewis
and His Playboys, The Grass Roots, local
legends The Incredible Casuals, and
more would make appearances. So legendary were the live sets at the
Mill Hill that in 1979 a live album was released.
 |
| The Mill Hill Club Live Album Cover. Courtesy of Kings of Cape Cod |
Vara
along with his son Henry and manager Corydon Litchard would oversee
the most prosperous and yet controversial period of the Mill Hill
Club. From 1969 to 1978 the same management team would be in charge.
That changed when Litchard left at the beginning of 1979 to try his
hand at owning the venerable Velvet Hammer in Hyannis.
The
Mill Hill Club was one of the pioneers of the Cape Cod Happy Hour and
attracted countless thousands of people yearly especially in its peak
period of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The club would expand from its
original 1600-square-footprint of the old tavern to an enormous
8500-square-feet plus parking for 150 vehicles. It truly was the
king of Cape Cod clubs.
 |
| Inside the Mill Hill Club. Courtesy of Kings of Cape Cod |
However
its popularity became
a problem.
Wrought with liquor violations, small fires, rowdy crowds, and
increasingly louder entertainment Mill Hill became a target of the
town. Beginning
as early as the late 1970’s resident complained to the town about
overflow parking with people parking vehicles wherever they could
just to get into the iconic establishment. Liquor and entertainment
licenses would be temporarily suspended at times like in 1983 and
2001 however the club would soldier on. Henry Vara would take full
control of the club from his father in late 1985 with Jim Liadis
coming on as manager. He would introduce the appropriately named
Mill Tavern at the Mill Hill Club as part of the complex.
 |
| The coming attractions at Mill Hill during the late 1980's. Courtesy of Kings of Cape Cod |
At
the dawn of the 21st
century complaint calls would continue to rise and the Mill Hill
slowly slid into obscurity.
Though
it remained technically open until 2008 the club was virtually
deserted in the years leading up to its official demise. The
shell of the once
mighty Mill
Hill Club fell into disrepair, sitting on high overlooking Route 28
as a relic of the
Golden Age of Cape Cod nightlife.
The
façade crumbled over the period of several years before finally
being razed in 2014, making way for a
senior living facility, Mill Hill Residence, owned by Maplewood.
Opening in August 2017 this retirement community sits where the
former king of Cape Cod nightclubs once stood for more than five
decades.
In a piece of irony, the disco ball which hung inside the Mill Hill
Club for decades now sits in the lobby of Mill Hill Residence,
enjoying its retirement.
 |
| The retired Mill Hill Club disco ball. |
For More on the Golden Age of Cape Cod Nightlife check out Kings of Cape Cod.com
View my previous blog posts: In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - Storyland Amusement Park, Hyannis
Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com
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