In My Footsteps: Trip 96: Falmouth, Mass. - Trip 2

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 96:  Falmouth, Mass. – Trip 2

October 20, 2010

            I decided to return to the scene of my initial In My Footsteps trip: Falmouth.  That first trip had no rhyme or reason to it and in the end I did not see very much of what the town has to offer besides Nobska Light.  I knew that there was so much beauty and history in Falmouth that it deserved a properly planned trip and that is what I will share with you here.

One of Sarah Peters' bronze plaques on Main Street.

            Falmouth was first settled in 1660 and named for the similarly named town in England.  It was explorer Bartholomew Gosnold’s home town, the name was chosen due to the fact that Gosnold had given Cape Cod its name.  The Native American name of Suckanesset was originally kept for the settlement; it was incorporated as a town in 1686 with the name being changed to Falmouth in 1690. 

I was amazed to find out that the area near Surf Drive Beach which I wrote about in my first Falmouth article actually saw some action in the War of 1812.  The Massachusetts militia entrenched themselves on the beach after the initial bombardment, preparing for a British landfall but it never came.  Falmouth is also the birthplace of American poet Katharine Lee Bates who wrote America the Beautiful in 1910.  There is a bronze statue of her in front of the Falmouth Public Library and her family’s home is forever preserved as an historic landmark in the town.

View of the garden at the Julia Wood House.

            I began my second trip to Falmouth at a beautiful town green along Main Street which lies in front of the Falmouth Public Library.  I parked along Shore Road which runs perpendicular to the green and took in the sights and sun.  The way Main Street borders the green gives it a different feel than most commons or greens in other towns, I can’t put my finger on what it is.  I particularly enjoyed the small bronze plaques along the walkway depicting working life in Falmouth in the 19^th century.  They include plaques featuring the whaling industry, cranberry harvesting, old saltworks, and woolens industry.  Created by local sculptor Sarah Peters between 2000 and 2003 they are both informative and striking in their detail, I appreciate little things like that which make a trip even better.

            Ironically there is another town green located just up the road from that one, it is where Main Street forks off into West Main Street.  This is another great spot to park and walk.  There is an interesting wishing well with a plaque on it which tells that the acre and a half Town Green was set aside as the Meeting House Lot in 1749 with the third Meeting House, the first built on the site, being erected in 1756. 

Nobska Lighthouse

            A short walk down Main Street to where it becomes Palmer Avenue brings you face to face with a couple of historic homes.  These combine together to make the Falmouth Museums on the Green.  The town’s historical society resides in the Conant House which was built in the 1760’s and originally was owned by the Reverend Samuel Palmer, minister of the town’s First Congregational Church in the early 1730’s.  Next door to the Conant House is the Julia Wood House.  It was built in 1790 for Revolutionary War physician Dr. Francis Wicks.  The best part of the house is the exquisite garden located just to the left of it.  There is an astrolabe surrounded by flowers on the way in and a sweet cherub birdbath near the middle.  The view of the garden from the small gazebo was fabulous; the bright sun seemed to bring out each and every color of every flower.  There are other historic homes to see on Palmer Avenue however there was another spot I needed to revisit.

            A trip to Falmouth would not be complete without stopping at Nobska Lighthouse.  Originally constructed in 1829 the current lighthouse was built in 1876 and became a part of the Coast Guard family in 1939.  It has a magnificent view of Vineyard Sound, Martha’s Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands from up on a hill where the lighthouse resides. 

Crocker Pond at Bourne Farm

            From the point on Nobska Road it is possible to see all the way down into Woods Hole to the west and it is the norm to see the ferry boats carrying passengers out to the Vineyard quite often throughout the day.  I enjoy taking photos of this amazing lighthouse from as many angles and spots as possible and there is no shortage of them.  Besides the fact that Nobska Light sits on a hill there is a place across the street that gives a wider perspective of the lighthouse.  Be careful though as it sits at the top of a steep dirt hill leading to the rocky shore below.

            A short drive north will bring you to the Bourne Farm, established in 1775.  In addition to the historic buildings on the property I was drawn to the spectacular view of the sloping green hill leading down to Crocker Pond.  The forty-nine acre farm is perfect for hiking, walking dogs, and even renting for weddings and other events.  The farmhouse itself is known as the Crowell-Bourne Farmhouse because the home was erected by Joseph Crowell along with his father.  I found it particularly amusing that the trail guide states that nothing historic happened there and nobody famous ever lived there, but in my mind a farmhouse dating back to the Revolutionary War era is historic enough for me.

            Falmouth was even better for me the second time around, I used my travel experience to fill the trip with way more historic sites than the first time.  Obviously Nobska Light is a great place to start but the Museums on the Green and the ‘nothing historic ever happened here’ Bourne Farm are excellent companion pieces to a wonderful trip to the second largest town on Cape Cod.  Have fun and happy traveling!

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Directions:  Nobska Light:  From the Bourne Bridge take Rt. 28 south into Falmouth.  Continue onto Locust St., slight left at Mill Rd., right at Surf Drive.  Continue onto Oyster Pond Rd., continue onto Nobska Rd., follow it to the point where the lighthouse is.

            Bourne Farm:  From the Bourne Bridge follow Rt. 28 south for 9 miles going through a rotary along the way.  Turn right at Thomas Landers Rd., slight right onto Rt. 28A, Bourne Farm is on left. 

            Museums on the Green:  From the Bourne Bridge take Rt. 28 south for 13.5 miles, going through a rotary along the way.  Rt. 28 becomes Palmer Ave., take slight left at Main St.  There is parking along the road, this is where I began my walk.

References:  Sarah Peters Sculpture

                      Nobska Light - New England Lighthouses

                      Falmouth Historical Society.org
 

               

Falmouth on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Cape Cod's Lighthouses

In My Footsteps – Cape Cod’s Lighthouses

Christopher Setterlund

            Lighthouses.  Their defined purpose is that of steering ships from the treacherous coasts that they inhabit.  These guardian angel structures do their job and yet have also gained stature as historic landmarks wherever they stand.  For me, any of my trips that have included coastlines have to include at least one lighthouse; they make the trip.  Luckily for me there are many of these amazing beacons located such a short drive away all over Cape Cod. 

            Incredibly the first lighthouse was not built in America, nor was it even built in the last thousand years.  No, the first example of a structure built to aid in navigation for sailors was the Lighthouse of Alexandria.  Built between 280 and 247 B.C. on the island of Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt the lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  It used fire and reflective mirrors to produce a visible light and was said to be visible from up to twenty-nine miles away due to its incredible height of between 393-450 feet.  Two earthquakes in 1303 and 1323 damaged the lighthouse so much that it was rendered useless; its remains are able to be seen during diving expeditions.

            Cape Cod’s lighthouses can be divided into three categories: easy access, difficult access, and inaccessible.  Obviously the easily accessible lighthouses are the most popular as well. 

Easy Access:  First on this list is Nobska Light(left) in Falmouth.  Located right on the point of Nobska Road and Church Street the current tower was built in 1876 and overlooks a tremendous view of Vineyard Sound, Martha’s Vineyard, and the Elizabethan Islands.  It is available to be toured on specific dates set by the Coast Guard from June to August.

            Also falling into the easily accessible lighthouses is Chatham Light.  Located right across the street from North Beach and run by the Coast Guard, this lighthouse is still an active aid for sea travelers.  Built in 1877 Chatham Light was originally one of two towers on the same location; ironically the second tower is next on the list of easily accessible lights. 

            Nauset Light in Eastham(right) once resided along the shores of Chatham before being moved further north in 1923.  This tower stands out with its red and white body and hovers over Nauset Beach from its perch on a hill.  You can walk right up to the tower here and place your hands on a piece of history.  It is probably this reason that makes it my personal favorite of the lights listed here.  

            Difficult Access:  The second category of lighthouses, the difficult to access lights, deals with ones that you can get to but it takes a bit of leg work.  All of these are highly recommended and the walks are very much worth it.  One such lighthouse is Stage Harbor Light in Chatham.  Located at the mouth of Stage Harbor it does not have its lantern top anymore and is a mile walk down Harding’s Beach.  The walk is surprisingly easy as the dirt path taken doubles as the road for vehicles going to the lighthouse.  The immediate area around the lighthouse is private but you get very close and the beach which faces the Monomoy Wildlife Refuge is very secluded due to its distance from the parking lot.

            Cape Cod Light, also known as Highland Light, in Truro is not as long of a walk but it is still enough of a drive off of the beaten path that I decided to include it here.  This light is unique due to how much it was affected by erosion from the Atlantic Ocean.  Built in 1857 this tower was originally five hundred feet from the coast, by 1990 it was only a hundred feet away, and another forty feet of land was lost during 1990 alone.  In 1996 Highland Light was jacked up and moved to a spot 570-feet from the menacing sea.  The grounds are open year round and the lighthouse itself opens for tours in mid-May including the unique ‘full moon tours’ when appropriate.

            Finally in the list of difficult to access lighthouses on the Cape is Race Point Light in Provincetown(left).  It is accessible from two spots, both are long ways.  First if you have the ability you may drive out to the lighthouse from Race Point Beach, a nearly two-mile drive.  Second is the way I went which is to walk the Province Lands bike trail which begins at the end of the Herring Cove Beach parking lot.  From there you may take a dirt road which connects with the four-wheeling dirt road that leads to the lighthouse, about a mile and a half total.  It sounds like a lot of walking, and it is, but the feeling I got standing next to the lighthouse was one of total peace.  On my trip there the only sounds were the ocean waves and the sea birds.  As with the other lighthouses listed it is well worth the trip.

Inaccessible:  I won’t spend too much time with the inaccessible lighthouses as they are only able to be viewed from a distance, but they are huge parts of Cape Cod history.  Out on the private Great Island in West Yarmouth is Point Gammon Light which is best viewed from the ferry or Centerville’s beaches.  It can be seen from two-miles away but can only be visited with permission from a resident of the island.

            Monomoy Point Lighthouse is located out on South Monomoy Island off the coast of Chatham.  Only accessible by boat it is located a mile from shore and is possibly the least visited lighthouse on the Cape due to its remoteness.  There are excursions to the island which include a visit to the lighthouse; it is the only evidence of any human presence on the island.

            On the west coast of the Cape is Wings Neck Light in Pocasset(right) which is at the end of a private road and is probably better off being viewed from the water.  While on the water in that area there is also Cleveland Ledge Light, a lesser known lighthouse named for President Grover Cleveland.  Located eight miles southwest of the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal this lighthouse was the last commissioned to be built in New England in 1943.  It is visible from Old Silver Beach in Falmouth, or by boat.

            No need to worry about those lighthouses that you cannot reach; there are so many that can be visited that seeing them all will take several days.  Nobska, Chatham, and Nauset Lights are right on main roads you can reach out and touch them.  While Stage Harbor, Highland, and Race Point Lights are a bit of a hike they are great for excursions on a sunny day.  The history of the lighthouse goes back more than 2000 years and even though the Cape Cod lighthouses don’t go back that far they all are their own slice of history individually.  I highly recommend each and every one of them, even the ones that are harder to get to if you so desire.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Nobska Light, Falmouth: From Rt. 28 heading west take left onto Shore St.  Continue onto Surf Dr., continue onto Beach Rd.  Continue onto Oyster Pond Rd., take left onto Fay Rd, bear left onto Nobska Rd.  Lighthouse will be on the right.

            Chatham Light:  From Rt. 28 heading east, take 3^rd exit at rotary for Main St.  Turn right to stay on Main St., lighthouse is on the right, parking across the street.

            Nauset Light, Eastham:  From Rt. 6 heading north turn right onto Nauset Rd., continue onto Doane Rd.  Turn left onto Ocean View Dr., follow it to Nauset Light Beach on right, lighthouse is across the street.

References:  Lighthouse of Alexandria - Wikipedia

            Jeremy D'Entremont's Guide to New England Lighthouses

Pocasset on Dwellable

In My Footsteps: Trip 1: Falmouth & Woods Hole, Mass.

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In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 1: Falmouth & Woods Hole

January 7, 2010

Falmouth and Woods Hole are two must-sees for any Cape Cod traveler. Falmouth has plenty of stores and restaurants but those can be seen in any town. What I was most interested in were the beaches and historical places that both Falmouth and Woods Hole possess.

The best way to discover and appreciate the natural beauty of Falmouth is to take a drive down Shore Street to Surf Drive. The aptly named Surf Drive Beach(below, left) stretches out for nearly a half mile, overlooked across the street by quaint homes and lovely inns and small motels. For those coming from further away needing sleeping accommodations; Shore Haven Inn and Beachside Village sport a tremendous view of the rocky, seaweed strewn beach. The narrow Fresh River empties out into Vineyard Sound along the way and housed several pairs of adorable ducks swimming and feeding. Keep your eyes peeled at the corner of Mill Road. In the front yard of a residential home, a statue of an old sea captain dressed in a blue fisherman’s raincoat waves a friendly hello to all those who pass by. Several private beach front cottages dot the remainder of the beach. They were a hint of summer even as I drove along on a windy, bitterly cold January afternoon.

The Shining Sea Bikeway, named for a line in the iconic song ‘America the Beautiful,’ crosses Surf Drive near Oyster Pond and continues its journey along the coast of Falmouth and onto Woods Hole. It is a bit too cold on this day to bike, but it should be on the schedule for any bicycling or nature enthusiast in the spring, summer, or fall.

Bearing left, Surf Drive becomes Oyster Pond Road and continues weaving through the rural wooded neighborhoods of coastal Falmouth. The bike path is clearly visible on the left at times as I peer through the bare trees. I follow Oyster Pond Road for a while until reaching Nobska Road. Taking this left leads you to the southern most tip of Falmouth and the famed Nobska Lighthouse(right).

Originally constructed in 1828, the current light tower was built in 1876 and became part of the Coast Guard in 1939. It overlooks Vineyard Sound with the privately owned Elizabeth Islands located less than a mile offshore. The island of Martha’s Vineyard sits a few miles further out. There are also some very high rocky cliffs bordering Nobska Road. These are ideal for scenic photography, but they are also dangerous so be careful where you step.

Nobska Road becomes Church Street as you pass the lighthouse. The similarly named Nobska Pond sits on the right. Following Church Street leads to the intersection with Woods Hole Road. A left turn leads you down into the heart of one of the most highly regarded scientific communities on earth. Woods Hole is home to the Sea Education Association, Marine Biological Laboratory(below, right), and the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). Most of these buildings are open to the public unless otherwise noted, feel free to walk around and get a real taste of what goes on here.

For those not interested in the scientific areas of Woods Hole, there are plenty of other things to see. Mixing in quite seamlessly with the 21^st Century technology is the look and feel of a 19^th Century fishing village.

Water Street, the main passage way of Woods Hole, is home to many small restaurants and cafes including Shuckers and Captain Kidd. The Woods Hole - Oak Bluffs ferry to Martha’s Vineyard is always coming in and out, so a trip to the island is quite easy, and tempting.

For kids there are two aquariums, the Woods Hole Science Aquarium on Water Street and the Aquarium of National Marine Fisheries located a short walk away on Albatross Street. The Marine Fisheries aquarium is home to many spectacular species of fish, crabs, lobsters, eels, and my favorite the seal tank. Located outside in the front of the aquarium, the seals are usually fed twice a day. The 11:00am feeding is almost always right on schedule. There are also tanks with creatures that can be gently handled, along with a historical ‘walkthrough’ complete with life-sized photos near the entrance.

Everything in Woods Hole is a short walk away. There is plenty of parking along Water Street(left) but make sure to bring quarters for the parking meters! Exiting Woods Hole is as easy as heading east on Water Street back to Woods Hole Road. This can be followed all the way to its end where it meets up with busy Route 28.

Falmouth and Woods Hole are two of the most exciting places to visit on Cape Cod. Especially Woods Hole which is one part Olde Cape Cod village and one part scientific epicenter, woven seamlessly together. I highly recommend anybody visiting Cape Cod, or wishing to do so, to take this route described above. It is a worthwhile trip filled with both natural beauty and education that can be enjoyed any time of the year. Have fun and happy traveling!

From the East: Take Rt. 28 into Falmouth and turn left on Shore Street to begin the trip. It is located approximately 500 feet past the fire station.

From the West: Follow Rt. 28 south from the Bourne Bridge approximately ten miles. Shore Street is the next right after the Falmouth Public Library. Or, to do the trip in reverse, follow Rt. 28 as stated, but instead take a right onto Locust Street which leads to Woods Hole Road. There you may start the trip where I ended it.

References: Welcome to the Village of Woods Hole

Cuttyhunk Historical Society

Surf Drive on Dwellable