Built around 1870, the Half Way House can be seen from Forest Beach parking lot. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
But there are also lesser-known historic gems worth a visit. Some of these locations are actually hidden in plain sight, while one will require a boat ride and pre-approval to visit. Here you go:
Half Way House
“Perhaps the most unusual of the town’s National Register listings, the Half Way House, was originally located off Andrew Harding’s Lane along Chatham Harbor [near Chatham Lighthouse]. The small shed was used by members of the U.S. Lifesaving Service as they patrolled the beach; it was called the “Half Way House” because it was halfway along the patrol route. It was also probably used as a shelter by shipwrecked mariners. The town’s historic inventory form lists the date of construction as around 1870. It was moved from Chatham Harbor to Forest Beach when threatened by erosion in 1991. The privately-owned shed is now used for storage and was added to the National Register in 1978.”
For the Chatham Marconi Wireless Antenna Challenge fund-raiser, I created a 5-mile running route beginning at their historic campus and ending at the old transmission site at Forest beach. It recently dawned on me having completely overlooked the Half Way House! Finishing in front of the 1870 structure would have been equally as [historically] satisfying.
Location: Forest Beach (west side of parking lot)
The Godfrey Grist Mill stands tall along a short hill in Chase Park. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Godfrey Grist Mill
“Built in 1797 by Col. Benjamin Godfrey, a Revolutionary War officer off Stage Harbor Road, it was moved to its present site off Shattuck Lane, at the rear of Chase Park, in 1955 after it was donated to the town by Stuart Crocker. The mill has undergone numerous restorations and is historically authentic. During the summer, a crew of volunteers give tours and grind corn, just as the mill has done during its 225-year history. The mill was added to the National Register in 1978.”
Located between downtown Chatham and Oyster Pond, Chase Park is somewhat tucked away in the middle of a residential neighborhood. You can easily miss it when driving along Cross Street. It’s worth a stop.
A few years ago, I coincidently found myself in the park during a windmill demonstration. Indeed, my appreciation grew for living (well, surviving) in colonial times after seeing the windmill in action. Indeed, good things take time.
Additional notes about Chase Park: a labyrinth is located in the far end of the park (behind the windmill). Also, across the windmill parking lot is a bocce or croquet lawn open to the public. Chase Park also hosts a variety of seasonal craft fairs and other outdoor events.
Location: Shattuck Lane, Chatham
The Monomoy Point Lighthouse is boarded up after the summer season. Photo credit: New England Lighthouses.net.
“Originally established in 1823, the existing lighthouse and keeper’s house were built in 1849 near the south tip of South Monomoy Island when it was a thriving maritime community. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1923, and came under ownership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the creation of the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge in 1944. It underwent extensive restoration in recent years and solar power was added. The keeper’s house is used by the refuge to house summer interns monitoring the island’s extensive tern colony. It was added to the National Register in 1979.”
Admittedly, I’ve never set foot in, on or around Monomoy Point Lighthouse. I have passed it by boat over the years and always read articles about the various summer programs maintaining, staying (overnight) and surveying the area. There is something awe-inspiring of having a seat at the end of the [Cape Cod] world, where the rowdy seas of Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean meet.
Location: Southern Tip of Monomoy Island
The backyard of Chatham Railroad Museum and Depot at sunset. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Location: Judges Way, off Stage Neck Road (off Cedar Street), Chatham
Finally, while not listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a dozen or so additional historic landmarks can be found in Chatham. Historic Chatham is another good reference.
The Shoe Pole on Tubman Road, Brewster. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
by Jeff Shaw
On a recent drive to Mayflower Beach (bay side), I spotted a curious sight. Something you surely have seen before, perhaps in your neighborhood; discarded shoes. But these pairs were not merely abandoned on the side of the road, they were nailed neatly to a telephone pole!
As most locals, insiders, and GPS afficionados may know, Tubman Road in Brewster is a wonderful short cut to Route 6A from Chatham. The intersection of Route 137 and Route 6A tends to back-up from vehicles attempting to turn left on the bustling Kings Highway. Drivers and bikers alike can avoid the slog and exhaust fumes by barring left just after the Cape Cod Rail Trail crossing near Ferretti’s.
This curious “shoe pole” can be found along a wooded area about a quarter of a mile from the Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. My first theory attempted to connect the shoes and the gun range, perhaps target practice fodder. Alas, most of the footwear appear in remarkably good shape.
About three dozen shoes hang, sadly, like a Christmas tree in February. Sagging and out of place. To continue with the analogy, the “ornaments” range considerably, from flip-flops, to hiking boots, to running shoes, of all sizes and colors. If the shoes didn’t have a nail hammered through the toe box, they would probably be eligible for donation.
Theory #1: The shoes were targets from nearby Brewster Sportsman’s and Civic Club. Doubtful.
As for the backstory, details are thin. As in non-existent. My half-ass internet research (a term of endearment coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast) revealed a similar footwear telephone pole in Perkins, Missouri of all places. Sadly, there was no obvious connection to Cape Cod. Yet another theory debunked.
Interestingly, there have been past attacks on telephone poles in Brewster. Just last summer, a FedEx truck “struck one pole, toppled another and damaged a third while knocking out power for over 200 neighbors.” Fortunately, the driver was not injured and no pedestrians were involved in the accident.
The scene of an accident between a FedEx truck and telephone poles, about four miles from Tubman Road. Photo credit: CapeCod.com
That incident happened at Slough Road at James Burr Road, over four miles from Tubman Road, so a FedEx related theory is also unlikely.
So, three thin theories, all of which have been debunked. Looks like local intel will be needed to solve the mystery. Otherwise, the shoe pole will just remain a curious sight along a short cut to Cape Cod Bay.
One of few images of 304-foot Pine Hill, located in Camp Edwards, Massachusetts Military Reservation, Bourne. Photo credit: Wikipedia.
March 7, 2022
By Jeff Shaw
I’ve been thinking about skiing a lot lately. Mainly because I’ve been doing quite a bit of it. As of today, my two sticks have carved turns 24 days, in six states, at 23 different ski areas across the northeast. Those sticks – more commonly known as skis – have literally been my ticket to ride this winter. But not on Cape Cod.
As you probably know, there are no ski areas on Cape Cod. Proximity to the coast, lack of elevation and geography are not good enough ingredients for an environment to produce and hold snow. To be sure, there are plenty of trails, golf courses and other open spaces that transform into cross country ski or snowshoe paths when the fluffy stuff drops. But for those of us ‘downhill diehards,’ a two-hour drive is needed to find the open slopes.
All of this skiing and snow fun made me wonder, was downhill skiing ever a thing on Cape Cod? I mean, the ski boom of the 1940s and 1950s couldn’t have completely missed Cape Cod, did it? Nor’easters rarely do. Someone must have cobbled together a make-shift rope tow on a small hill or even on their inclined backyard. Sadly, my “half-ass internet research,” a phrase coined by Bill Simmons of the Rewatchables Podcast, produced nothing. Nada. Zilch.
According to the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, Massachusetts has 172 lost ski areas — none of which are located on Cape Cod. The closest lost ski areas to the Cape Cod Canal are in Braintree (former Abell Ski Slope) and North Attleboro (former Sunrise Ski Slope) at 47 miles and 45 miles, respectively. In terms of terrain, Abell Ski Slope was, true to its name, one slope, with a 50-foot vertical drop, serviced by a 500-foot rope tow. Sunrise Ski Slope, also had one slope, with an approximately 140-foot vertical drop, serviced by a J bar.
This downhill dead end made me ponder potential ‘backcountry’ woods or hills that could support a rough and tumble downhill schuss. So, I typed “highest elevation on Cape Cod” into the online abyss that is the internet. The results were not encouraging. Though, there may be a super slim reason for optimism. First, let’s learn a little bit about the highest elevation on Cape Cod – Pine Hill in Bourne.
Let’s not bury the lead. Pine Hill cannot be skied. The hill is located on the grounds of the Camp Edwards portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation. Access to it is restricted, not only because it is on a military facility but because it lies at the rear of an artillery range! Yeah, not a good place to carve some turns.
According to earlier reporting by Eric Williams of the Cape Cod Times, pre-COVID, the public can visit Pine Hill, but must arrange advance permission through the base’s Public Affairs Office (PAO). A PAO escort leads visitors over several miles of roads to a range station on a rise near the hill. I was unable to find the current visitor policy on the Massachusetts National Guard website, but you can call or email the Guard here.
Pine Hill, rising 304 feet above sea level, is the highest natural occurring elevation on Cape Cod. It is a vast wildnerness, thick with trees, bushes and brush with no view of the sea or valley below. Interestingly, just up the road on the same hill is Wheelock Hill, a man-made bump that measures 306 feet above sea level, just edging out Pine Hill. The area surrounding it is 15,000 acres of pitch pine oak forest with expansive views of the sea. Both locations are almost twice as tall as Scargo Hill in Dennis, sometimes thought to be the highest point on Cape Cod.
In terms of that earlier mentioned super slim reason for optimism. Other than the road near it, the Pine Hill area has remained mostly undeveloped. Avoiding man-made obstacles is a good start for any for any downhill skiing.
Further, in 1999, former governor Paul Cellucci tried to convert the area into a state conservation area, but dropped the plan after the military objected.
Perhaps a former 10th mountain division member can talk to the fine people who run Camp Edwards and create a mini-version of the famous Thunderbolt Ski Run at Mt Greylock in western Massachusetts. After all, the name of the highest elevation on Cape Cod is Wheelock. That coincidence must be a sign that downhill skiing on Cape Cod is “alock” to happen (and admitted pipe dream of the author).
In the meantime, if you know of any hills that hosted downhill skiing or operated a rope tow (for sledding, tubing, etc.) on Cape Cod, please let me know!
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, during the holiday season. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
Happy New Year! And what better way to kick-off a new year, with…“Give the gift that will last forever.” That catchy tagline describes a unique fundraiser being hosted by the Chatham Chamber of Commerce & Merchants Association. Specifically, the Beautification Committee within the Chamber, is managing a brick purchasing campaign as part of a larger, two-phase improvement plan for Kate Gould Park along Main Street in downtown Chatham.
Brick sales is the featured activity of phase one of the improvement plan. There are two styles of personalized bricks available. The $150 option includes 3 lines with 20 characters on each line. The $300 option includes 6 lines with 20 characters on each line. The inscribed bricks will look similar to those at walkways at Oyster Pond and the Atwood House in Chatham.
Kate Gould Park, Chatham, featuring holiday lights. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to Mary Cavanagh, there is no deadline just yet. The Chamber will provide plenty of notice before cutting off ordering. As for timeline, the bricks could be installed as early as this June or as late as June 2023, depending on sales.
Other upgrades in phase one include new plantings – hydrangeas, grass and roses. Also, the trash and recycling containers at both park entrances will be relocated. Together, these improvements will soften the appearance of the heavy foot traffic area.
The Whit Tileston Bandstand in Kate Gould Park, Chatham. Photo credit: Mike Shaw.
According to the Cape Cod Chronicle, the Beautification Committee envisions a second phase of the improvement plan that would involve a well and irrigation system, as well as clearing brush from the hillside bordering Seaside Links Golf Course to create more space for crowds at band concerts.
The Beautification Committee consists of Chamber/Merchant board members, along with employees of local businesses, the Chatham Garden Club, the Friends of Trees, the Chatham Band and other community members.
Author’s Note: While walking along a browning salt marsh on a crisp autumn afternoon, I got hungry. And a little thirsty. Suddenly, I was craving a large, warm and steamy bowl of clam chowder from the Chatham Squire. Alas, the restaurant was many miles away. As my mind wandered for other hearty options, oddly, the signature oyster shooter at the Beachcomber came into focus. Perhaps the cracked shells along the shoreline inspired the thought. Sadly, the Comber has been long closed for the season. The disgusting sounding seafood shot would have to wait until 2022. What to do?
Unable to scratch that Squire-Comber itch, my mind remained fixated not on food, not on drink, but the long-standing question – which bar-restaurant was better? Squire or Beachcomber? I’m surely not the only one who has fallen into this rabbit hole of tasty wonder, but it was time to put pen to paper and settle the score.
Two Iconic Cape Cod Bar-Restaurants
The Chatham Squire during Fourth of July, 2019. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Chatham Squire
Since 1968, the Chatham Squire is now without question, the town of Chatham’s most iconic restaurant. Located in the middle of downtown Main Street and known for its two distinctive sections—the family friendly restaurant on the west side and a rowdy tavern on the east – the Squire is a bustling operation and mixing pot of locals, tourists, college students and families.
The original owners, the late Richard Costello and George Payne, operated the business for 53 years. In 2019, Costello and Payne sold the business to Todd Hearle, whose parents owned and operated an art gallery that bared its name across the street. While much of the operation remains the same, a few notable changes (again, after 50 years!) are listed below. The Squire is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. daily (kitchen closes at 9), and sports a 100-person staff.
Awards: Boston Magazine: Best Bar (2007); Cape Cod Life: Best Chowder (Silver); Cape Cod Times Reader Poll: Best Karaoke Venue.
Wondering about the name? “A squire is someone who attends to or takes care of, and that’s what we’ve been doing for 50 years,” said General Manager Richard Sullivan, when interviewed by the Cape Cod Chronicle upon the 50th anniversary of the restaurant.
The Wellfleet Beachcomber in the offseason, fall 2020. Photo credit: Jeff Shaw.
Wellfleet Beachcomber (also known as the Comber or ‘Comah)
Since 1953, The Beachcomber features panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean atop the bluff overlooking Cahoon Hollow Beach. But the building itself – an old life saving station – is much older. Built in 1897, the Wellfleet Beachcomber was one of the nine Life Saving Service stations built on the Outer Cape (Race Point, Highlands, Peaked Hill Bars, Pamet, Cahoon’s Hollow, Nauset, Orleans, Chatham, and Monomoy Point). Life Saving Stations originated in 1872 as part of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Life Saving Service, which pre-dated the U.S. Coast Guard.
As the story goes, in 1953 Russell Gallagher, who had summered at Cahoon Hollow Beach as a child, bought the old station and converted it into a small inn, and dubbed it the Beachcomber. One of the rooms inside was finished with driftwood and nautical bric a brac, that was “combed” off the beach.
About 10 years later (1961), President John F. Kennedy created the Cape Cod National Seashore which would preserve in perpetuity over 43,500 acres of ponds, woods and beachfront along the Atlantic–facing Eastern side of Cape Cod in the towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, Eastham, Orleans, and Chatham. By virtue of a “Grandfather” clause, the Beachcomber was/is allowed to remain within the National Seashore as a privately held commercial property (one of only eleven at that time).
Awards: Boston Magazine: “Best Bar on the Cape & Islands”; Cape Cod Life Readers Poll: “Best Raw Bar, Best Outdoor Dining, Best Specialty Cocktail and Best Entertainment”; Esquire: “Best Bars in America”; Travel Channel’s #10 pick on the “Twenty-One Sexiest Beach Bars in the World” list; and Yankee Magazine: “One of the Best Seaside Dining Spots in New England.”
Wondering about the assertion of being “Cape Cod’s only oceanfront restaurant and club? Even though there are several restaurants, and other businesses on the water (either Nantucket Sound, or Cape Cod Bay), the Beachcomber is the only oceanfront (Atlantic side) restaurant on Cape Cod.
Honorable Mentions
There are many popular bar-restaurant-taverns not named Beachcomber or Squire on Cape Cod. I’ve been to many of them. But the Comber and Squire stand out. First, their followings are second to none. Second, their logos can be seen on t-shirts and bumper stickers across the country. Third, I’ve had some truly wild days and nights at both places. A few nights could probably qualify as episodes for a comedy mini series. Need more proof? Brace yourselves for the debate below.
Iconic Categories
Charm
Beachcomber: The outside bar is regularly packed three people deep. The floor is sandy. The vibe is hazy. Shoes may be optional.
Squire: The collection of roughly 500 license plates hanging from the rafters and walls pairs well with sawdust and sweat on the floor. There are even arcade games near the back bar.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 1-0.
Entertainment
Beachcomber: It’s hard to beat live music at a largely outdoor restaurant, but…
Squire: …offers oodles of entertainment. Take your pick; live music, trivia nights, karaoke, or watching in amusement as already tipsy wedding partygoers hang on for last call. Forget the television, there is always something happening “live” at the Squire. The tavern’s “upstairs” table tops are a great viewing perch for the mayhem.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 2-0.
Food & Drink
Beachcomber: Oyster Shooters. Need anything more be said? The raw bar, stationed outside, is “shucked to order,” which is both fun to watch and obviously a treat to eat.
Squire: We’ve covered the clam chowder. It is excellent. Last year, new chef, Christian Asencio’s, added menu items such as the Angry Lobster, a spicy crustacean pasta dish; pan-seared scallops with a summer succotash of house-roasted jalapenos, roasted corn, edamame, broccoli and tomatoes; truffle fries; an ahi tuna sandwich on brioche; and more. Upgrade?
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire leads 2-1.
“Funkness”
While often seen cruising along Ocean View Drive, The Funk Bus group transportation specifically notes stops at “the Wellfleet Beachcomber, the Chatham Squire,…” on its website. Indeed, we are in iconic territory.
Winner: Tie.
Squire still leads 2-1.
Hours
Beachcomber: Open seasonally, daily, from mid-May to Labor Day. Though, last year, the restaurant reopened through Oct. 3 — only the second post-season reopening.
Squire: The Squire is open year-around, like 364.5 days year-round. I recall they’ve opened Christmas Day afternoon more than occasionally.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 3-1.
History
Beachcomber: A former life saving station, the original building itself is over 100 years old (the service/building pre-dates the U.S. Coast Guard) and business is nearing its 70th anniversary serving customers.
Squire: The 50th Anniversary, celebrated in 2019, featured a special weekend exhibit at the Chatham Historical Society’s Atwood House and Museum.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire leads 3-2.
Location
Beachcomber: (Truly) the only oceanfront – Atlantic side – restaurant on Cape Cod.
Squire: Located in the center of downtown Chatham and walking distance to popular attractions Chatham Lighthouse, Chatham Fish Pier, Chatham Bars Inn, and Veteran’s Field, home of the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod Baseball League); stumbling distance to the Chatham Bandstand in Kate Gould Park.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire-Beachcomber tied 3-3.
Price
Beachcomber: If you park in their parking lot to access Cahoon Hollow Beach, the $30 parking ticket also acts as a restaurant voucher (food, raw bar, merchandise). Of course, you are going to use it! The “Ultimate Season Pass” is also available for frequent patrons including seasonal parking, discounts at the Shop and other perks.
Squire: Before the ownership switch/COVID, a winter dining club/card was offered. Dine five times, the sixth meal was free.
Winner: Beachcomber
Beachcomber leads 4-3.
Pop Culture
Beachcomber: No pop culture references known.
The Squire: In the movie “Summer Catch,” the players hang out at a bar called “The Oasis,” an obvious play of the Chatham Squire.
Winner: Squire
Beachcomber-Squire tied 4-4.
Stores
Beachcomber: The Beachcomber Store is located in the South Wellfleet Plaza off Route 6, between LeCount Hollow Road and the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
Squire: The Squire Shop is located in downtown Chatham, directly across the street from the restaurant.
Winner: Tie. Can we pause for a moment to consider both restaurants have their own stand-alone storefronts to sell logo merchandise. That’s iconic.
Beachcomber-Squire tied 4-4.
Supports the Community
Beachcomber: known for supporting two major fundraising events each year on premises:
Clam Jam, a fundraiser for the Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) that benefits Dan-Farber Cancer Institute.
Live for Lou (Oct 2, 2021), a fundraiser that supports an advised fund of the Cape Cod Foundation established in memory of the LeBarts’ son Louie who from died an opioid overdose in 2014.
Squire:
Donates $50 gift certificates as raffle prizes during each Chatham A’s home game (22 games each season)
Sponsors community events such as First Night, Spring and Fall Harbor Runs; enters a float in the Fourth of July Parade
Founded the Pals For Life Foundation, to help Lower Cape residents from the restaurant and hospitality industries who may need assistance due to injuries that keep them out of work.
No food waste here. As the story goes, Costello didn’t like seeing uneaten food go to waste, so he arranged to have all food waste donated to an area farmer with pigs. ‘Pig buckets’ were located at the dishwasher station and employees were asked to scrap the plates into these buckets to be served to the pigs the next day.
Winner: Squire
Squire leads 5-4.
Special Note/Fun Fact
Beachcomber:
Cottages. On site are two cottages (Sandbar and ComahCabana) for rent. The identical 20’x 25′ cottages both offer about 1,000 sq. ft. of living space; have layouts offering 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a 2nd floor kitchen/living/dining area and, best of all, large decks facing the Comber and the Atlantic Ocean.
Webcams and Superforecasts. The website homepage features a detailed Wellfleet weather dashboard, including wave direction, height and period for the surfer and SUPer alike.
Squire: Started a Mobile Raw Bar (food truck) available for private events. The 1960s FAN (Franklin A. Newcomer) camper was retrofitted with cedar-shake siding and license plates to take the charm of downtown Chatham to a party near you.
Winner: Beachcomber
Squire-Beachcomber tied 5-5.
Final Score
A tie! Come on, man! Look, both the Beachcomber and Squire have strong cases for Most Iconic Bar-Restaurant on Cape Cod.
But to force separation in the top rankings, one indisputable fact cannot be overstated. Remember the whole view? The ocean. The sun. The sand. The remoteness. The outdoors. The Beachcomber experience illustrates why the population on Cape Cod quadruples over the summer. Outside!
That said…my tummy is still craving that large, steamy bowl of clam chowder from the Squire. Sorry folks, but you can’t eat the Beachcomber’s view!
Which do you think is most iconic, and why, the Beachcomber or Squire?
