Cultural and Historic Resources

2.7 Cultural and Historic Resources

Historic Preservation is about civic pride and Dennis, still essentially a small rural town, is filled with treasures. In earlier years, Capt. John Sears produced the first salt by solar evaporation in the colonies. Asa Shiverick’s three sons built eight magnificent clipper ships along the edge of Sesuit Creek that would grace harbors throughout the word. The first cranberry cultivation in America took place in Dennis. Liberty Hall is located at the crossroads of one of the “most perfectly preserved 19th century intersections” in New England, according to the Massachusetts Historical Society. The sea captains’ village in South Dennis and historic structures elsewhere in Dennis mirror Cape Cod’s history as a place anchored by the sea.

Like other towns on Cape Cod, though, Dennis is an endangered species. Although the town shares a common history with other Cape towns, Dennis faces a challenging future. It cannot, for example, be assumed that the town’s meadows; its wooded lands and its waterfront will remain as they are. They likely will – until the next push to develop the town’s landscape.

Inventory

Historic Resources

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places identifies the following (See Map 2-7-1):

Josiah Dennis Manse (1736) – Nobscusset Road and Whig Street

West Schoolhouse (c. 1770) – Nobscusset Road and Whig Street

Sites on the State Register of Historic Places

The State Register of Historic Places identifies the following:

“Tom Sailor” Howes House (1720) – New Boston Road (See Map 2-7-1)

Old King’s Highway Regional District –Including historic structures (See Map 2-7-1)

South Dennis Historic District – Including historic structures (See Map 2-7-2)

Non-Register sites in existing historical surveys

Within each of the Town’s Villages there are several historical sites, which are not listed on the National Register. Listed below, by village, are some of those sites. However, some are within the Old King’s Highway Historic District and the South Dennis Historic District.

Village of East Dennis (See Map 2-7-1, except as noted)

• Site of Shiverick shipyard (1812-1862) – Asa Shiverick bought land along Sesuit Creek and began building vessels for whales and fishermen who wanted to fish the waters of the Grand Banks rather than coastal waters. The first schooner was launched in 1815, and the following year a brig was sent off to Boston for rigging. In the next few years several more schooners were built and rigged in Boston. The shipyard would eventually build eight handsome clipper ships for the world trade.
• Site of first salt produced by solar evaporation in the colonies. Captain John Sears began this salt making process in 1776. 

• Burial grounds with 17th century grave sites
• Numerous 18th and 19th century dwellings, including the homes of many sea captains. (Individual homes have not been shown on a map.)
• First Wesleyan Methodist Church (1845) – Later the East Dennis Community Church
• Worden Hall on Route 6A was built in 1866 and used as a community social center for 100 years. It is on the site of the Worden family land.
• Jacob Sear Memorial Hall (1896) – Library, 23 Center Street
• Community Gardens – Off Route 6A – Listed as a cultural landscape

Village of Dennis (See Map 2-7-1, except as noted)

• Cape Playhouse, a former 19th century Unitarian Meeting House, and since 1927, the “Birthplace of the Stars”. Now, the oldest summer theater in America.
• Indian Burial Grounds – The Nobscussett tribe’s chief, Mashantampaine, deeded to settlers most of the land that ultimately became the Town of Dennis. In 1828, the town voted to fence the tribe’s burial ground located off Route 6A and along a portion of Scargo Lake.
• Former Masonic Hall (1800)
• Site of Henry Hall’s cranberry bog – Off Scarsdale Road
• Hall family burial ground (late 1600’s)
• Country store and post office (1850) – 776 Route 6A
• Grist mill sites
• The four acre town blueberry patch, a popular berry picking fruitery for the past 50 years. Harry and Regina Cross donated the land to the town in 1972.
• The Scargo Hill Observation Tower built of stone in 1901 after two others had been destroyed by fire and storm and located atop the highest point in the mid-Cape area. It provides a panoramic view of the legendary Scargo Lake, Cape Cod Bay and the shoreline from Provincetown to Sandwich and beyond.
• In 1814, a 600 foot wharf was built at Nobscusset Point (Corporation Beach). It was at this site that packet boats regularly loaded corn and salt for Boston markets. Small vessels were also built at Nobscusset Point until the wharf and ship-building facilities were storm damaged in 1849.
• Cemeteries in Dennis trace the town’s history beginning with the first settlers in the 1600’s. Portraits were common in the 18th century and good examples are found throughout the burial grounds. One example is the portrait stone of Michah Chapman who died in 1797. The remains are in the burial ground at the Dennis Union Church, properly called the Dennis Village Cemetery.

Village of South Dennis (See Map 2-7-2 except as noted)

• Congregational Church containing oldest working pipe organ in America
• South Dennis Library (1858) former cottage with gingerbread decoration
• Liberty Hall and Green mirror the village’s culture since 1844: gathering place, general store, post office, and stage coach stop
• Several 18th and 19th century burial grounds
• Historic sea captains’ village
• Quaker Burial Ground (Friends Meeting House 1717-1809)

Village of West Dennis (See Map 2-7-2, except as noted)

• Former schoolhouse (1867) and now a community building
• Jericho House (1801)
• Community Church (1835)
• Free Public Library (1924)
• Burial ground (1857)
• A number of 19th century dwellings, including several wonderful examples of Greek revival style houses built mostly between 1830 and 1875 (Individual homes not shown on Map)

Village of Dennis Port

• Schoolhouse (1802) (See Map 2-7-2)
• Burial ground (1845)
• Several 19th century dwellings (Individual homes not shown on map)

Local Historic Districts

These districts can be found under the State Register of Historic Places.

Significant Historic Archaeological Resources

The Indian Lands along the Bass River in South Dennis, Crowe’s Pasture in East Dennis and Scargo Hill may yield archaeological finds in the future. Nobscusset Indians lived along the Old King’s Highway, which was once an Indian Trail. The settlers in the area eventually bought the land from the Indians (deeds from 1694). To date only one small burial ground has been formally documented. In Crowe’s Pasture, as part of the Quivet Neck/Crowe’s Pasture DCPC process, archeological resources were inventoried and special archeological resource protection efforts have been put into place.

About the year 1000, Leif Ericson, a Norwegian, led a Viking expedition from Greenland to North America making landfall somewhere along the east coast. Ericson called the area Vinland. Some historians believe Vinland was located in either what in now Maine or Massachusetts. Others think it was in Newfoundland where the remains of a Viking settlement were found in 1961. Although local historians believe Vikings may have sailed up the Bass River in the year 1000, there is no historical evidence of any Viking expeditions to Massachusetts.

Scenic Landscapes

Within the Town of Dennis there are many other distinctive scenic areas. Some are listed below. (See Map 2-7-3 and 2-7-4)

• Simpkins Neck (Chase Garden Creek Marsh) – wooded roads wander through undisturbed stands of oak and pine leading to panoramic salt views and fresh water wetlands.
• The Indian Lands offer views of the Bass River, saltwater marsh and fresh water marsh and in spring the largest stand of lady slippers on Cape Cod.
• Swan Pond Overlook
• Flax Pond Conservation Area features cranberry bogs and old wood roads, red tailed hawks and white tailed deer.
• Chapin Beach (Bass Hole) is a good example of a barrier beach protecting upland along Route 6A. It features tidal flats and coastal sand dunes.
• Princess Beach and Scargo Hill on Scargo Lake features nature trails, fresh water swimming and fishing. The lake is stocked with trout annually.
• Cold Storage Beach features sand dunes, a large granite jetty and a panoramic view of natural dunes and the historic Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown.
• West Dennis Beach offers a panoramic view of saltwater marsh, Bass River and ferries passing to and from Historic Nantucket.
• The Cape Cod Rail Trail begins in South Dennis following the path of the Cape’s first railroad, the Cape Cod Railroad, which early in its service used wood-burning engines. Later, the Old Colony Railroad provided service between Boston and eventually (1873) to Provincetown. The Rail Trail continues to the Cape Cod National Seashore, a distance of about 26 miles.
• Merrill Veterans Memorial and Horsefoot Cove Landing offer boat access and an overlook of Horsefoot Cove off of Bass River. It also features a memorial for Dennis’ War Veterans.
• Dennisport Village Green and Michael Stacy Park serve as a memorial to Michael Stacy and provide a village green with gazebo and a children’s playground.
• Crowe’s Pasture offers one-hundred acres of preserved open space including a large sandy beach, salt marsh and views of Cape Cod Bay and Quivett Creek.
• Lower County Road, West Dennis Marsh views.
• Upper County Road, South Dennis, Swan River views.

Culturally Significant Landscapes

• Soldier’s Field located on Old King’s Highway in Dennis Village was used to train citizen soldiers during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The training ground was identified in 1902 as the Village Green. (See Map 2-7-3)
• Liberty Hall Green, along side one the “most perfectly preserved 19th century intersections” in New England and the location of a 19th century structure that mirrors the early settlers way of life. (See Map 2-7-2)
• Carleton Hall on Old Bass River Road was originally built as a “praying house” in 1828 by the Reformed Methodists. It was acquired in 1847 for use as a private academy and in 1865, it was purchased by a local group led by Carleton Howes for community uses. (See Map 2-7-3)
• Historic Churches in Dennis include: the Dennis Union Church built in 1838 (See Map 2-7-1);
• the First Wesleyan Methodist Church built in 1845, replaced in 1959 (See Map 2-7-1);
• the West Dennis Community Church built in 1835 (See Map 2-7-2); and
• the South Dennis Congregational Church built in 1835. (See Map 2-7-2)

Preserving historic and potentially historic structures is important. The town has adopted a Demolition Delay By-law to allow the Dennis Historical Commission an opportunity to be involved before buildings 75 years or older are changed or removed. However, as in many communities, Dennis is not positioned to prevent “demolition by neglect” a process where a historic property is no longer maintained to the point that it must be condemned.

Dennis has also moved forward in two historic villages, Dennisport and West Dennis, with the adoption of design controls under the Dennis Zoning By-law. These architectural standards are intended to ensure that new construction is compatible with older structures in the immediate area. The town has also adopted, town-wide, a Formula Based Business By-law intended to direct formula style businesses, defined as businesses with the same building design and business model location after location to make their building compatible with the neighborhood they are locating in.

On the south side of Dennis there are several large cottage colonies. These colonies were targeted for extinction in town almost from the day they were first created. As far back as the 1930’s, barely after Chase’s Ocean Grove opened its doors, the Cape Cod Standard Times was calling for Cape communities to protect themselves from these “obnoxious” uses. Starting in the 1930’s Dennis started regulating them through general and health by-laws. In 1973, with the first town-wide zoning by-law they were prohibited outright. For the 40 years since, these properties survived. Finally, in 2009, the owners of these cottages stood up and were heard. They explained in meeting after meeting the culture and way of life of the colonies. Finally, in 2010, the town embraced these properties and returned them to desirable land use standing.

Historic properties within the Old King’s Highway Regional Historic District and the South Dennis Historic District have a high level of protection through the Historic District Committee review process. These Committees have established standards for design within their boundaries. These design standards guide the construction of new structures in the districts to ensure compatibility with the neighborhood they are located in. The Committees also have significant power in ensure that historic structures are not altered in a fashion that might be detrimental to the historic nature of the property.

Dennis has the largest number of properties in seasonal use on Cape Cod. Seasonal communities, beyond the cottage colonies discussed earlier, where people return for a week, month or the entire summer is a large part of the town’s culture. Every summer the town benefits both economically and culturally from visitors from across the globe. Any significant shift of these seasonal properties to year-round use would adversely change the town from a place people return to year after year to just another suburban community.

The Town, at an annual Town Meeting in 1974, adopted the provisions of Chapter 67, Acts of 1973 – Scenic Roads, and designated, within the five villages, 43 roadways and three major highways as such. Roadways are considered for this designation based upon scenic qualities such as panoramic views, appealing rural patterns, significant historical or architectural sites or structures, stone walls, or the contour of the roadway contribute to its quality.

The Dennis Historic Commission is tasked to determine how best to protect historic properties and sites beyond the two historic districts. The Commission oversees possible major renovation or removal of structures over 75 years old through the Demolition Delay By-law. There are many homes and businesses in located in structures dating to the 19th century governed by this by-law, for example the former Bass River lighthouse, built in 1850 as a beacon of safety for Bass River’s 200 fishing vessels and packets engaged in trade and fishing along the Atlantic coast and now located at the present Lighthouse Inn in West Dennis.

Revised  November 20, 2011