Preservation

History

Preserving the Past Today

Rightfully proud of their past, the people of Yarmouth work hard to preserve their unique heritage. The private, non-profit Historical Society of Old Yarmouth owns and opens to the public the only fully furnished sea captain’s home on 6A in Yarmouth Port, the retirement home of Captain Bangs Hallet.

The organization maintains an historical archive, library and research facility at the Gorham Cobbler Shop (behind the Post Office on 6A). Also, the Society presents programs and exhibits, and publishes town history. The Society also owns and maintains 50 acres of Nature Trails open to the public.
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The Yarmouth Historical Commission, organized at town meeting in 1977, identifies and protects historical assets such as the Baxter Grist Mill in West Yarmouth and other sites on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. And the Old Kings Highway Committee, organized under state law but administered locally, addresses the architectural historical integrity of homes and business on the Northside of Yarmouth.

Knowles Store

Yarmouth has always charmed visitors with its pristine beaches and storybook sunsets. Among the first to be impressed was perhaps the explorer Bartholomew Gosnold, who in 1602 named this sandy peninsula of Massachusetts because cod was so plentiful. Stretching from Cape Cod Bay to the north and Nantucket Sound to the south, and in equal distances east and west, the Mid-Cape town of Yarmouth retains the charm and quaintness of early New England coastal communities while accommodating contemporary lifestyles. Those lucky enough to reside in and not merely visit Yarmouth are truly blessed; they live and work amongst the pages of American history.