uring the 1800s, the streets
of Edgartown rumbled with wagons carrying barrels of whale oil, and rang with
the hammering of carpenters building stately homes for newly rich whaling
captains.
When the whaling industry declined, however, so did the town's economic
growth, and the pace of new construction eased off. Although Edgartown remained
an important harbor, it ceased to be a boom town. Today, much of Edgartown has
been preserved exactly as it was 100 years ago. Along Water Street, and down the
narrow lanes, most of the captains' homes still stand, their manicured lawns and
white picket fences whispering tribute to the town's proud past. In 1671, the
town's name was chosen to honor the three-year-old son of the Duke of York, next
in line to the British crown upon the death of his uncle, King Charles I. Thomas
Mayhew, who founded the town in 1642, chose the name to curry royal favor,
unaware that Edgar had died one month earlier. Lighthouse Beach, accessible from
North Water Street, offers a lovely view of the harbor. The present lighthouse
was brought to the site in 1939 from Ipswich, Massachusetts, after the original
building was destroyed.
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1.
DANIEL FISHER HOUSE.
1840. Reception Facility.
Edgartown's premiere Federal style house was built by Dr. Daniel Fisher,
one of Edgartown's most successful whaling entrepreneurs. In 1840, he had an
income of $250,000 and owned what is now the town wharf, a whale oil refinery,
and a spermaceti candle factory. He supplied whale oil to all of the nation's
lighthouses. His house is crowned with a cupola from which he could view his
many enterprises. Tours available at 11 am. 12, 1, and 2 pm through the Vincent
House Museum. {top of page}
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2.
THE VINCENT HOUSE.
1672. Museum.
Behind the Fisher House is the Vincent House, the oldest house on the
Vineyard. This museum highlights 300 years of Island life. Open daily for tours.
10:30 am to 3 pm. Call 627-8619. {top of page}
3.
OLD WHALING CHURCH.
1843, Performing Arts Center.
This church, the third and last designed by Frederick Baylies, has a
ninety-two-foot clock tower which can be seen far out at sea. The interior,
including a Simmons and Fisher organ, is worth a look. Tours available at 11 am,
12, 1, and 2 pm through the Vincent House Museum. {top of page}
4.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
1839, Private Residence.
The tower of this church, the second of the Baylies churches, was lost due
to leaks that rotted some of the main underpinnings. The Baptist and
Congregational churches merged in 1925 to form the Federated Church.
{top of page}
5.
NORTON HOUSE.
1730, Private residence.
This farmhouse was moved from Oak Bluffs in 1822 "by the help of
stalwart men, strong oxen and good Jamaican rum." It has hand-hewn beams,
hand-split laths, and handmade nails, hinges and latches. {top of page}
6.
VINEYARD MUSEUM.
1765.
Portraits, furniture, tools, and folk art are displayed in the Thomas Cooke
House. The Foster Gallery features maritime and whaling exhibits. The Pease
Galleries include the Native American Room, the Children's Room, and exhibits
about the changing landscape of the Vineyard. The Huntington Library of History
has an extensive collection of Island history including whaling genealogy,
hereditary deafness on the Island, maps and photographs. The famous Gay Head
lighthouse beacon of 1,004 prisms is also on the museum grounds. The Museum is
open seven days a week from July 5 through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, and
during the rest of the year from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Saturday. Call 627-4441 for more information. {top of page}
7.
FEDERATED CHURCH.
1828, Church.
A traditional meeting house, the Island's oldest congregation (established
in 1642), and the first Baylies design. Inside is a 1895 Hook and Hastings
organ. Also of note is the whale oil lamp chandelier. {top of page}
8.
BENJAMIN SMITH HOUSE.
1760, Newspaper Office.
Now the home of the Vineyard Gazette, this house was built by Benjamin
Smith, later a captain in the Island Militia during the Revolutionary War.
{top of page}
9.
THE PAGODA TREE.
Planted mid-1800s.
Captain Thomas Milton brought this tree from China when it was still a
seedling in a flower pot. It is the oldest of its kind on the continent. Captain
Milton first came to the Vineyard during the War of 1812. He liked it so much
that he bought some land and built the house that the tree now shades.
{top of page}
10.
EDGARTOWN NATIONAL BANK.
Commercial.
Dr. Fisher started the Martha's Vineyard National Bank in this building.
The doorway and pediment roof are characteristic of Edgartown houses.
{top of page}
11.
OSBORN'S WHARF.
1800s, Edgartown Yacht Club.
Samuel Osborn Jr. outfitted and unloaded his ship at this wharf. In the
1850s, a bilge pump shop, blacksmith, hardtack bakery and tombstone carver
shared the waterfront with other shops selling staples and supplies to sailors.
{top of page}
12.
TOWN WHARF.
The ferry to Chappaquiddick, On Time III, leaves from here. The wharf's
upper platform offers a nice view of the harbor. Many homes nearby face the sea
rather than the street. {top of page}
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13.
OLD SCULPIN GALLERY.
1800s, Martha's Vineyard Art Association.
This art gallery was originally the boat shop of Manuel Swartz Roberts in
the early 1900s. Two of his boats are in the Smithsonian. {top of page}
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14.
CAPTAINS' HOMES.
1800s, Residential.
Many of the houses along North and South Water Streets feature fluted
columns, pilasters and entrances capped with pediments in the Greek Revival and
Federal styles. Crowning some roofs are platforms, known as "widow's walks,"
surrounded by a balustrade. Legend has it that many a captain's wife watched
from here for her husband's return. {top of
page}
15.
ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.
1899, Church.
The stained glass windows in this church were made and signed by Louis
Tiffany. The pulpit is actually the bow of a dory, from the schooner Northern
Lights, for many years the largest ship in Edgartown harbor. {top of page}
16.
GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE.
1838, Residential.
Built in a period when symmetry was the fashion, this house is unusual for
the asymmetrical placement of its Doric columns. {top of page}
A Walking Tour of EDGARTOWN
HE AGE OF
WHALING SHAPED
the Federal and Greek Revival homes of Edgartown. Born in 1642, as the
Island's first settlement, the town grew steadily during 17th and 18th
centuries. By 1825, it was a major whaling port.
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