Cotuit, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Cotuit is a village on Cape Cod
Cape Cod
Cape Cod, often referred to locally as simply the Cape, is a cape in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts, in the Northeastern United States...

 in the City of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Located on a peninsula on the south side of Barnstable about midway between Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census....

 and Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis, Massachusetts
Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape"...

. Cotuit is bounded by the Santuit River
Santuit River
The Santuit River, also known as the Cotuit River, is a river on the border between Mashpee and Cotuit, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.The river flows southwards from the southern end of Santuit Pond into Popponesset Bay on the south shore of Cape Cod.The river was a vigorous herring/alewife run and...

 to the west on the Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee, Massachusetts
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 14,006 as of 2010.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Mashpee, please see the articles on Mashpee Neck, Monomoscoy Island, New Seabury, Popponesset, Popponesset Island,...

 town line, the villages of Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Marstons Mills, Massachusetts
Marstons Mills is a village in the City of Barnstable, Massachusetts. It was founded by the Marston Family in 1648. They built grist mills along the Marstons Mills River, hence the name of the village. It is primarily residential, located on Route 28, and rural in nature...

 to the north, and Osterville, Massachusetts
Osterville, Massachusetts
Osterville is one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound...

 to the east, and Nantucket Sound
Nantucket Sound
Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is long and wide, and is enclosed by Cape Cod on the north, Nantucket on the south, and Martha's Vineyard on the west. Between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard it is connected to the...

 to the south. Cotuit is primarily residential with several small beaches including Ropes Beach, Riley's Beach, The Loop Beach and Oregon Beach.

Colonial Era

Cotuit was part of a major land purchase negotiated by Myles Standish
Myles Standish
Myles Standish was an English military officer hired by the Pilgrims as military advisor for Plymouth Colony. One of the Mayflower passengers, Standish played a leading role in the administration and defense of Plymouth Colony from its inception...

 of the Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 to 1691. The first settlement of the Plymouth Colony was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by Captain John Smith. The settlement, which served as the capital of the colony, is today the modern town...

 with Paupmunnuck, Wampanoag headman of the Cotachessett village allegedly located on or near the island known today as Oyster Harbors
Oyster Harbors
Oyster Harbors is a gated community within the village of Osterville, Massachusetts. It is located on Grand Island.-History:Oyster Harbors was first inhabited by the Wampanoag tribe when they first settled on Cape Cod. Captain Kidd is supposed to have buried treasure at Noisy Point during this...

, or Grand Island. That transaction, which occurred on May 17, 1648, was made by Paupmunnuck and his brother, and "sold" about "twenty square miles of land in what is now the southwestern section of Barnstable.".

The purchase price was two kettles, a bushel of Indian corn, and the agreement to fence off 30 acres (121,405.8 m²) of land comprising the Cotachessett village. However this was renegotiated shortly after the conclusion of the Standish agreement to drop the fence and corn and settled instead on a price of "one great brass kettle seven spans in wideness round about, and one broad hoe."

Cattle and the harvesting of salt marsh hay was the primary economic activity in colonial Cotuit. The Little River section of the village (near the location of the present Cotuit Oyster Company) was the site of some early shipyards.

The name Cotuit is derived from the Wampanoag term: "place of the council". Cotuit was formerly known as Cotuit Port until the postmaster, Charles C. Bearse dropped the "port" in 1872.

Built circa 1793, just off of Main Street near the center of the village, is the Josiah Sampson House, the oldest standing home actually built in Cotuit (the Crocker House on Route 28 was built in 1749 in the village of West Barnstable and then moved its present location in Cotuit by oxen). When this Federal-style New England house was built by English businessman, Squire Josiah Sampson, it was regarded as so extravagant for its day that it came to be known by the townspeople as "Sampson's Folly", faced with many windows and containing a ballroom for dancing on its second floor. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

, this home today operates as a bed-and-breakfast. The house is also referred to as "Sampson's Folly" on the List of Registered Historic Places in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The property contained a working farm and a mill on the Santuit River
Santuit River
The Santuit River, also known as the Cotuit River, is a river on the border between Mashpee and Cotuit, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.The river flows southwards from the southern end of Santuit Pond into Popponesset Bay on the south shore of Cape Cod.The river was a vigorous herring/alewife run and...

, lending its name to the road which ran nearby, Sampson's Mill Road.

A list of Cotuit families with some genealogical information has been compiled by local historian, James Gould.

Modern era

In the early 20th century, Cotuit saw more commercial activity including hotels such as The Pines, one of Cape Cod's earliest summer resorts. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, Cotuit was home to Camp Candoit
Camp Candoit
Camp Candoit, also known as Camp Cotuit was a satellite camp of Camp Edwards. It was located in Cotuit, Massachusetts.-History:Camp Candoit, trained three World War II units that stormed Pacific beaches including those on New Guinea. It was home to the 594th Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment, which...

. During the 1970s there was a large restaurant called The Harbor View which has been turned into a private residence. The Cotuit Inn was demolished in 1986 and condominiums were built in its place. In 1987 the Cotuit Historic District
Cotuit Historic District
Cotuit Historic District is a historic district on Main Street, Lowell & Ocean View Avenues bounded by Cotuit Bay, Nantucket Sound, and Popponesset Bay in Barnstable, Massachusetts....

 was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

Geography

The latitude of Cotuit is 41.61667. The longitude is -70.4375. According to the 1995 Town of Barnstable Comprehensive Plans, Cotuit is among the smallest of the town's seven villages, having a total area of roughly 5 sq mi (12.95 km²): the major part of the village is bounded on three sides by water. Although Cotuit has 12 miles (19.3 km) of coastline, comparable in length to its 10 miles (16.1 km) of scenic roadways, the 8 town-owned beaches, landings and ways to the water in the village combine to only 3.16 acres (12,788.1 m²).

Central Village

The commercial zone is small with only a few businesses located in the center of the village: a small restaurant and bar called The Kettle-Ho (named after the legend of how the town was acquired from the native Wampanoags for a kettle and a hoe, see above), a post office (02635), a Federated church (United Church of Christ/United Methodist Church), several real estate offices, an insurance office, an architect's office and the Cotuit Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...

. To the north on Main Street is a small variety store, the Cotuit Grocery Co. or "Coop" which sells groceries, liquor and has a small deli counter/restaurant. The Josiah Sampson House Bed and Breakfast is located just off Main Street on Old Kings Road, halfway between the center of the village and Route 28. Other Cotuit businesses are located along Massachusetts Route 28 in the Santuit-Newtown area of the town, also location of the Cotuit Center For the Arts and the Cahoon Museum of American Art
Cahoon Museum of American Art
The Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit, Massachusetts has eight galleries in a 1775 Georgian Colonial home.-Museum:Highlights of the permanent collection include the works of Cape Cod artists Ralph Cahoon and Martha Cahoon and other prominent 19th Century American artwork by Ralph Blakelock,...

.

The Cahoon Museum of American Art is located at the former home of Martha
Martha Cahoon
Martha Cahoon was the wife and artistic and business partner of Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr.-Early life:Martha Farham was born in Boston's Roslindale neighborhood to Swedish immigrant parents, Axel and Elma Farham...

 and Ralph Cahoon
Ralph Cahoon
Ralph Eugene Cahoon, Jr. was an artist and furniture decorator.-Early life:Cahoon was born in Chatham, Massachusetts in 1910 to a family directly descended from the first Dutch Settlers of Cape Cod. Growing up close to the Atlantic Ocean, young Ralph spent many of his days sailing, fishing,...

 who were prominent American painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...

s.

A few steps from the village green is the historic Freedom Hall, currently used for various civic gatherings and elections, and Mariners' Hall, currently a Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...

. A little further down Main Street is the Museum of the Historical Society of Cotuit and Santuit, which includes the Samuel B. Dottridge Homestead, a representation of coastal life in Cotuit in the first half of the 19th Century.

Cotuit Bay

Cotuit Bay, the main body of water in town, is bounded by Cotuit to the west, Grand Island/Oyster Harbors to the east (part of the village of Osterville) and Dead Neck/Sampson's Island to the south, making the bay a quiet harbor and part of the so-called Three Bays system which includes North and West Bays. Sampson's Island
Sampson's Island (Massachusetts)
Sampson's Island is an uninhabited, undeveloped barrier beach island of in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The island is only accessible by private boat, but is used by many people for beach recreation and as a kayaking destination.As a barrier island, Sampson's protects Cotuit Harbor and nearby...

 is an Audubon
Massachusetts Audubon Society
The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and in fact was founded...

 bird sanctuary jointly managed by the Three Bays Preservation, Inc. organization that can only be reached by boat. A permit is required for visitors. The bay is shallow and busy with boat traffic during the summer months. It is the site of the Cotuit Oyster Company.

There are no commercial marine facilities in Cotuit Bay. The nearest source of fuel (diesel and gasoline) is in Osterville to the east. A number of local boatyards service boats in the harbor, but there is no commercial marina in the bay or inner harbor. A private launch service runs from the town dock from May through October, charging a small fee for trips to the mooring field. A free pump-out service for marine heads (toilets) is provided by the town harbormaster. Ice and groceries for visiting boaters is available ashore at the Cotuit Grocery Store on Main Street.

A concrete boat ramp for small boats is located at Old Shore Road near Ropes Beach. Car and trailer parking is permitted only with a Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...

 beach parking sticker, available to residents from the town's recreation department.

There are several public ways to water, including: Cordwood Landing off of Old Post Road, Ropes Beach, Town Dock, Riley's Beach, Loop Beach, and Oregon Beach. Other public paths exist and are catalogued by the Barnstable Association of Recreational Shellfishermen.

Mooring is regulated by the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod. The town contains seven villages within its boundaries...

.

Demographics

According to the 1995 Town of Barnstable Comprehensive plans, Cotuit, one of the less densely populated of the villages, has a year round population of roughly 2600, with an additional 1600 summer residents.

Cotuit Oysters

Cotuit Oysters are a distinct version of the Eastern oyster
Eastern oyster
The eastern oyster — also called Atlantic oyster or Virginia oyster — is a species of true oyster native to the eastern seaboard and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America. It is also farmed in Puget Sound, Washington, where it is known as the Totten Inlet Virginica. Eastern oysters are and have...

 species, unique to Cotuit Bay and remarkable for their flavor."Seed now comes from a hatchery...but unspoiled Cotuit Bay has changed little, and the oysters still have the bright and briny flavor they are famous for."

Cotuit Oyster Company

The Cotuit Oyster Company dates back to 1837 and is still cultivating the distinctive Cotuit Oysters with their unique flavor, producing the oldest brand name of oyster in the United States. Cotuit is world famous for its oysters and in years past they rivaled Wellfleet oysters, and could be found on menus in restaurants from San Francisco to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

. In the 1980s, however, many of the Cotuit oyster beds were significantly diminished. Today, Cotuit Oysters are re-appearing on the menus of many fine-dining establishments on Cape Cod and Boston, and the world-famous Oyster Bar Restaurant in Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

.

Cotuit Skiffs

Cotuit Skiffs, formerly known as Cotuit Mosquitos, are 14 feet (4.3 m) gaff-rigged "one-design" sailboats that have been sailed on the waters of Cotuit Bay for the last 104 years, making them one of the oldest continuously sailed fleets of one-design racing boats in the world.

They were designed by Stanley Butler after the turn of the 19th century and were modeled after the flat bottomed skiffs used in the oyster and commercial clam trade. Those boats were built with hard chines and low gunwales to provide a stable platform from which to clam from. The design was altered many times until 1926 when the design was standardized.

Cotuit Skiffs are rigged like classic Cape Cod catboats—that is they carry only a gaff-rigged mainsail, no jib, and their masts are stepped in the very bow of the boat. They carry a considerable amount of sail and are considered an extremely challenging boat to sail, especially in a brisk breeze. They are fitted with a centerboard and are generally raced by one or two people, with three carried only in high winds. The huge mainsail and its boom overhang the hull's transom by four feet.

Since 1906 the Cotuit Mosquito Yacht Club (CMYC) has hosted races during the summer months. Although the yacht club has had more than one fleet—juniors compete in inter-club regatta in 420s - the gaff-rigged skiff has been raced for slightly over the 100 years that the yacht club has existed.

CMYC historian Larry Odence published a comprehensive history of the Cotuit Skiff in 2009: Mosquito Boats: The First Hundred Years of the Cotuit Skiff which was published in a limited edition, but available for loan from the Cotuit Library.

Cotuit Kettleers and the Cape Cod Baseball League

The Cotuit Kettleers
Cotuit Kettleers
The Cotuit Kettleers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division. Cotuit currently plays its home games at Lowell Park...

 of the Cape Cod Baseball League
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League is a collegiate summer baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in which many college baseball stars play during the summer. Many future Major League Baseball players have started there during their college years; MLB has provided...

 play at Lowell Park, located very close to the center of the village, from mid-June to early August. Cotuit has won more Cape League titles in the Modern Era than any other team in history with thirteen, their last of which came in 2010.

The Cotuit ball field is named for Elizabeth Gilbert (Jones) Lowell (d. 1904), daughter of George Jones (publisher)
George Jones (publisher)
George Jones was an American journalist who co-founded with Henry Jarvis Raymond the New-York Daily Times, now the New York Times, publishing its first issue on September 18, 1851....

 of New York, a co-founder of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

.

Historical Books

Published in 2003, there is a pictorial history of Cotuit by James W. Gould called "Cotuit and Santuit, Images of America: Massachusetts". Published by Arcadia Press, 2003 http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738511559

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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