Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Eastham (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Eastham Windmill, Cove Burying Ground, and Bridge Road Cemetery. Also, be sure to include Eastham Public Library in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Eastham (Massachusetts).
Table of Contents
Eastham Windmill
Park in Eastham, Massachusetts. The Eastham Windmill, located in Eastham, Massachusetts, is the oldest windmill on Cape Cod. It was constructed by Eastham resident Thomas Paine in Plymouth in 1680. It was first moved to nearby Truro in 1770, then finally to Eastham in 1793. In 1808 the windmill was moved to its present location, near the Eastham Town Hall and the Eastham Public Library. Eastham Windmill, as part of the Eastham Center Historic District, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
A local festival, Eastham Windmill Weekend, has been held on a yearly basis in Eastham since 1977, and takes place the first weekend after Labor Day.
While repairs are necessary over time, a large contribution was made in 1996 by a local Boy Scout whose Eagle Project included both raising the funds and providing the labor to replace several sections of the fencing around this historic landmark. All of the funding was provided by businesses located within Eastham. The Eastham Windmill has been a long-standing icon to the local Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts.[1]
Address: 2500 State Hwy, 02642-2589 Eastham (Outer Cape)
Cove Burying Ground
Cemetery in Eastham, Massachusetts. The Cove Burying Ground is an historic cemetery located just south of MA 6 and Corliss Way in Eastham, Massachusetts, USA. It is Eastham's oldest cemetery, dating to c. 1646. It was laid out not long after the town's first meeting house was built nearby. Although there are no graves marked with 17th-century markers, it is virtually certain that some of Eastham's early settlers are buried here. It was the town's only burying ground until the establishment in 1720 of the Bridge Road Cemetery. The cemetery remained in active use until about 1770. Families placed memorial markers in there in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[2]
Address: MA 6 & Pine Woods Road, Eastham (Outer Cape)
Bridge Road Cemetery
Cemetery in Eastham, Massachusetts. The Bridge Road Cemetery is an historic cemetery on Bridge Road in Eastham, Massachusetts. It is a roughly 1.4-acre rectangular parcel on the west side of Bridge Road. The cemetery was established in 1720, and marks the location of the town's second meeting house. It was the second cemetery established in the town, after the Cove Burying Ground. The cemetery was in use from 1720 until the late 1880s; its earliest dated grave is marked 1754. Most of the burials took place between 1770 and about 1830, when a new cemetery was laid out further north. There is a single 20th-century burial, dated 1933.
The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[3]
Eastham Public Library
Public library in Eastham, Massachusetts. Eastham Public Library is the public library of Eastham, Massachusetts that has been serving the community for over 130 years. It provides a collection of print, non-print, and electronic resources for the community. The Eastham Public Library is a part of the Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing library network on Cape Cod and the Islands.[4]
Eastham Center Historic District
The Eastham Center Historic District is a historic district encompassing the main village center of Eastham, Massachusetts. This village center grew around the railroad station, which was built in 1870. The arrival of the railroad resulted in a shift of economic and civic activity from the old town center, a short way to the north. Prominent buildings in the district include the Town Hall, a Colonial Revival structure built in 1912, the Library, built in 1897, and the Universalist Chapel, built 1889. The main focal point of the district is Windmill Park, location of the Eastham Windmill, built c. 1680 and moved to Eastham in the 1790s; it is the oldest windmill on Cape Cod. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.[5]