4. Matthews House

Tour the Villages
South Yarmouth

Matthews House

Captain Henry Matthews, a coastal captain commanding the sloop "Mary Francis" is believed to have lived in this house along the shores of Bass River. In the background is the Judah Baker Windmill. Built in 1791 in South Dennis, the mill was later moved to West Dennis, and later still, in1863, to this location. No matter the mill's location, its purpose was clear: to grind grain for local residents so that they might have flour and meal for cooking and for trade. By the late 19th century, however, large commercial mills were providing cheap flour and meal and the services of the windmills throughout the Cape were no longer necessary. In the 1890s, artists William and Alice Stone purchased the house and mill. Using the property as a summer retreat, the Stones painted many Bass River scenes, some of which included the windmill. Mrs. Stone gave the windmill to the town in 1953. The town moved the mill up river where today Judah Baker Windmill is an historic site open to the public.