Cape Cod Insider

Life Saving Stations

All around the coast of Cape Cod from Provincetown to Monomoy, there were 13 Life Saving Stations set up to save lives of those who were shipwrecked in the waters off the Cape.  The Cape waters were well-known as being particularly treacherous.  The Old Harbor Life-Saving Station Museum is located near to the parking lot at Race Point. 

The men walked the beaches in regular shifts scanning the horizon for ships in trouble. They were mostly local men who saved countless lives duirng the 42 years these life saving stations were in operation on the Cape.  How the men sprang into action and saved lives is an amazing story.  There are demonstrations or re-enactments done here at scheduled times.  They are quite informative and interesting to attend.  Check with the National Seashore Visitor Center for the dates and times.

The Somerset and the American Revolution

The British ship, Somerset, was wrecked off the northern coast of Truro, almost on the Provincetown line on November 2, 1778. Some of her timbers are still under the sands on Cape Cod National Seashore property while others were removed when the sand was washed away in 1886 and 1973. Who knows when the ocean will shift the sands and once again reveal the “skeleton” of this ship again? The ship played an important role in the American Revolution.  The Somerset was involved in the bombardment of Charlestown as well as instrumental in landing British soldiers at Bunker Hill.  To this day, there are many facts and myths about this ship and its demise.

The Somerset is immortalized as part of American history since Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described the ship in his famous poem, "Paul Revere’s Ride:"

Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British Man-o-War
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar,
Across the moon like a prison bar
A huge black hulk, that was magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.

The Somerset met her fate at the Twin Peaks bars.  These are a pair of very dangerous sand bars and shoals that caused the ruin of many ships off Truro and Provincetown.  Their exact location is constantly shifting with the winds, tides, currents and storms of the North Atlantic.

Dune Shacks

There are 17 designated historic Dune Shacks within the boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore in the Province Lands.  What was their original purpose?  They may have originally been part of the survival huts that were built for shipwrecked sailors along deserted parts of the coast.  Then as manned Life Saving Stations were established, the dune shacks may have been used for families visiting the working men.  Thus, many of these dune shacks were built near the Peaked Hill Bars Life Saving Station.

Many of the shacks still in existence today were built in the 1920 and 1940’s when Provincetown was becoming not only a vacation place, but also an art colony.  The remoteness of these shacks would certainly provide solitude and an amazing place to work and contemplate nature.  This site gives you a picture of what many of them look like.  They have no electricity, no running water and are not easily accessible.

The Peaked Hill Life Saving Station, itself not more than a dune shack, after it was decommissioned, was later used by Eugene O’Neill who loved the beauty and solitude that this area afforded . It was here that he wrote some of his best early works. The building was finally destroyed by a hurricane.

Provincetown Overview

It is not a stretch to say that Provincetown is a unique and incredibly interesting place to visit. However, there is a lot more to do than walking down Commercial Street (the main road) and looking in the shops, although that is fun to do too. The town and area are full of some really neat and unusual things to do. There is a lot of history here too.

To begin with, even the drive along route 6 to P-Town is interesting. As you get into the Truro area, you will notice that to your right are huge sand dunes that appear very majestic and beautiful. On a clear day, the view out to the mighty North Atlantic is spectacular. To your left, is Cape Cod Bay. As many times as I go to P-Town, I am in awe of the scenery. Take your time and enjoy the view.

This area is known as the Province Lands. Before Provincetown was incorporated as a town in 1727, the entire tip of Cape Cod was simply known as the Province Lands. In 1961, the US Department of Interior took control of most of this area and made it part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.

As you enter Provincetown, you will see a lake to your right. This is Pilgrim Lake but it wasn’t always a lake. It used to be East Harbor and it used to be connected to Cape Cod Bay. Ships often anchored here to ride out storms. Fearing that the dunes would erode and the ocean would break through and make P-Town an island, a dike was eventually built right across the mouth of the harbor. Today this is route 6 where you will be driving. Since there are cat tails growing along the edge of the lake, it is safe to assume that the water is at least brackish. I understand that the lake is only about 3’deep and is inhabited by large carp and white perch.

Just past Pilgrim Lake on the right (to the North), there are two large sand dunes visible. The tallest of the two is known as Mount Ararat. This is the tallest sand dune in the Province Lands. Of course, Mt. Ararat is the name of the mountain where Noah’s ark ended up after the great flood so you can judge for yourself how important this sand dune is. As unstable as sand dunes are, it is amazing to find out that this sand dune was even on maps back in the early 1800’s. Although it is not forbidden to climb it, you would need to ask at the Province Lands Visitor Center where you could park if you really wanted to climb it. I would imagine that it would be quite a workout!

As beautiful as the area is, it was not always this barren and open to the assault of the ocean. At the time the Pilgrims arrived, most of the Cape, including the Province Lands, was covered with an extensive hard wood forest. Unfortunately, the settlers cut the forests, probably for housing and fuel primarily. Also, a lot of wood was needed for the fires to burn down the whale blubber. With the forest gone, the settlers then took to grazing and overdid that too. Once the land was exposed to the winds and waters of the ocean, the topsoil was lost. The Cape forests have never grown back. The only remnant you will see here is the Beechwood forest. There are trails that will take you to this section. Going here can help you imagine what the Cape must have looked like. In fact, today the National Seashore continually works to plant the beach grass and keep it growing in an effort to hold off erosion and keep the sands in place. Actually, it is an interesting ecological or environmental disaster by today’s standards.

Combining Panoramic Views with History

If you are looking for some panoramic views and some great history, you will have to go to the Fort Hill area in Eastham.

As you travel east on Rte. 6 past the Orleans rotary, you will see signs for the Fort Hill Area (marked by brown and white signs) on the right side of Route 6 in Eastham, one mile past the Orleans/Eastham rotary.  Pull in and drive to the far parking area at the top of the hill.  All around you are views not to be missed.

To orient yourself and have an idea of where you are and what you are seeing, gaze slightly to the northeast and you will be able to see a large building.  This is the life saving station at Coast Guard Beach.  If you look to your west, you will see the entrance to Town Cove in Orleans.  All around you are fields that overlook Nauset Marsh and beyond you can see the barrier beach of the Cape Cod National Seashore.  You will be impressed at how skinny that barrier beach actually is and what a great job this fragile piece of land (sand) does to protect this area from the mighty North Atlantic. From here you can see the opening to the ocean.

There is a path that winds all around this area.  You will find historical signs that explain that this is the way the land looked when Champlain first arrived here and entered Nauset Marsh over 400 years ago (1605).  The open fields were being farmed by the Native Americans who lived here.  The National Seashore decided to return this area to what it looked like around the beginning of the 17^th century.  This is history at its best when you can see and experience similar views to what Champlain might have seen (there is a map he made of this area) as well as imagine what the native Americans must have felt when they first saw those ships arriving under sail while working in these fields on Cape Cod.  At times, the National Seashore runs a free Guided program here to explore this encounter and its consequences. Check the listings to see when this particular walk and talk happen. (Fort Hill Programs)

For the immediate, bask in the beauty of the Cape Cod National Seashore at Fort Hill.