Quick History Stops: Yarmouth, MA
Along with touring Historic New England’s Winslow Crocker House, Edward Gorey House, and sites maintained by Historical Society of Old Yarmouth during my trip to Yarmouth, MA back in September 2023, I also made several quick history stops around the town. Like in other towns, I visited the cemetery, library, churches, and historic houses, along with a unique bookstore.
Parnassus Book Service & Town Water Pump
Now a general book store specializing in antiques, the building holding Parnassus Book Service has housed a wide range of organizations. The building began its life at some point during the 19th century as Knowles General Store. The Yarmouth Swedenborgian Church met on the second floor of the building until the congregants built what is now called Thatcher Hall. Down the street was a stone well where the historic town water pump once sat. As of February 15, 2023, the pump had been moved for preservation by the Yarmouth Historical Commission.
Ancient Cemetery
Yarmouth has seven burial sites, of which Ancient Cemetery is the oldest. The carved stone for Margaret Winslow Miller, who died in 1698, is the oldest surviving permanent marker. The cemetery was in use during the 18th, 19th, and 20th century, expanding to cover over twenty-one acres with nearly five thousands known graves. Since 2018, the group Friends of Ancient Cemetery have cleaned and repaired the stones.
First Congregational Church of Yarmouth
The congregation at First Congregational Church of Yarmouth began in 1639 at the founding of the colonial village. A marker for the original building stands inside Ancient Cemetery. The church at the top of fittingly named Zion Hill was built in 1870 and was the fourth building. The one hundred and thirty-five church steeple was an important landmark for the many sailors in nearby Cape Cod Bay, and the church calls itself “God’s Light on the Hill”. As an added bonus, the church had a quippy sign proclaiming, “Billions Served Since 33 AD”.
Yarmouth Port Library
Little Yarmouth Port Library was established in 1866 as a subscription library, similar to the original structure of other libraries I have visited, such as the Whitinsville Social Library in Whitinsville, Northbridge, MA and the Portsmouth Athenaeum in Portsmouth, NH. The building has undergone significant renovations since its opening. The original had Gothic style features removed in the 1940s and 1950s for being unsafe. One wing of the library is named for John Simpkins, a US Representative (R-MA) who spent much of his life in Yarmouth. Another wing is named for Mary Thacher who renovated Winslow Crocker House and the Thacher family home.
Chapter House
Now a historic inn far outside my travel budget, Chapter House was constructed in 1716 for John Minot who worked as a local doctor. The Ryder family built a house next door to Minot in 1730. At some point, the Eldridge family purchased both properties, and by 1860, the buildings were combined. The wealthy, politically important Thacher and Simpkins families each had their turn owning the house until the building became an inn.
Old Yarmouth Inn
The Old Yarmouth Inn predates Chapter House by twenty years, as the original part of the building was constructed in 1696. The business was always an inn or stage stop, although it has transitioned to being only a restaurant in 2007. A colorful, handpainted sign in front still features a pair of white horses drawing a bright red carriage.
The Inn at Cape Cod
Now a luxury bed and breakfast, the Inn at Cape Cod began its first few years of life as a mansion built in the Neoclassical style with large pillars in front of two stories of porches facing the street. The building quickly turned into another stagecoach hotel in the 1830s.
Thatcher Hall
This building was originally called Church of the New Jerusalem when a Swedenborgian congregation constructed it in 1870. The American Gothic style building was designed by Samuel Joseph Follon Thayer, whose other work included Providence City Hall, private homes, and churches throughout New England. The building was abandoned until 1998, when Yarmouth New Church Preservation Foundation formed to save it. Not until 2022 did the building receive its current name of Thacher Hall after the local Thacher family. Now restored, community arts programs and weddings take place on the property throughout the year.
Bonus! Christmas Tree Shop Flagship Store
Famous for its whimsical windmill and Old English style design, the former Christmas Tree Shop flagship store stands near the Sagamore Bridge in Sagamore, MA and welcomes visitors to the Cape. The company was founded by Charles and Doreen Bilezikian in 1970 with their first shop in Yarmouth Port. The company grew substantially over thirty years until the family sold to Bed, Bath, & Beyond in 2003, which in turn sold to Handil Holdings in 2020. All three companies went bankrupt and closed in 2023. When I visited the former flagship store, it had temporarily found new life as a Spirit Halloween.
