Map of Martha's Vineyard. The island
is roughly triangular in shape, and is approximately 30 kilometers
in length. |
Martha's Vineyard
is a roughly 100 square mile (259 km²) island off the southern
coast of Cape Cod, and is often known simply as "the Vineyard".
Located in the state of Massachusetts, the Vineyard makes up most
of County of Dukes County, Massachusetts (the rest of the county
consists of Cuttyhunk and the Elizabeth Islands). It was home to
one of the earliest known deaf communities, and consequently a special
dialect of sign language, Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, developed
on the island. The island is now primarily known as a summer colony,
but seems to be growing as a year-round community.
Political geography
Martha's Vineyard is made up of six towns
(see below for profiles and official web sites):
* Tisbury, also known as Vineyard Haven.
* Edgartown, which includes Chappaquiddick Island.
* Oak Bluffs, often mistakenly referred to as Oaks Bluff.
* West Tisbury.
* Chilmark, including the fishing village of Menemsha.
* Aquinnah, formerly known as Gay Head.
The
Towns of Martha's Vineyard, County of Dukes County, MA
Spectacular sunsets highlight the yachting scene in Vineyard
Haven Harbor. Photo Al Mahoney |
Tisbury, MA 01568
Tisbury was settled by the English in the mid-sixteen hundreds.
Its' ample harbor lies nestled between two small peninsulas, or
"chops", thus creating the year-round port and village of Vineyard
Haven, once called "Holmes Hole". The harbor is home to several
shipyards and marinas, in addition to the Steamship Authority terminal.
It remains to this day a "dry" town. The nightlife tends to be more
low key, the better to enjoy many fine restaurants, shops, galleries,
and theatres. Bike and walking paths are found on and off the road,
and leisurely strolls along the harbor or side streets are full
of local history and architecture.
Web site: http://tisburygov.org
Oak Bluffs
Ocean Park in 'OB' is a large seaside park that is host to
many events, kite flying, frisbee, etc. |
Since the mid 1800's, Oak Bluffs has been
a vacation destination for a diverse group of visitors, and has
retained its character as a charming Victorian seaside community
that is especially family friendly. It is home to colorful gingerbread
cottages, a beautiful town park and a long stretch of calm, sandy
beach.
The bustling harbor and downtown area offer many restaurants, shops,
galleries and ice cream parlors, two vintage movie theaters and
the Flying Horses, the oldest carousel in the nation. Annual summer
events include Illumination Night, weekly band concerts and sing-a-longs,
a monster shark tournament, and an evening of fabulous fireworks
at Ocean Park, signaling the end of summer.
Web site: http://oakbluffs-ma.gov
Edgartown's
majestic homes are only one feature of this historic seaside
town. Photo: Al |
Edgartown
Edgartown was the Island's first colonial settlement. It was a major
whaling port in the eighteenth century, and the stately Greek Revival
houses built by the whaling captains still line the streets of the
downtown area. The Whaling Church is the venue for many events.
The charming Edgartown lighthouse overlooks the harbor, world renowned
as a great yachting center.
Web site: http://www.edgartown-ma.us
The small island of Chappaquiddick
is just a short ferry ride away. Walk the streets to see the variety
of architectural designs, visit the restaurants and shops. Drive
or bike to South beach, well known for its gulfs stream warmth and
rolling breakers, the perfect place to swim, build a sand castle,
and read the book you've been saving.
 |
West Tisbury
West Tisbury, with its white church, general store, old mill,
farms, ponds, open space, and even an arboretum, is often
referred to as "the Athens of Martha's Vineyard". It has all
the characteristics people associate with a typical New England
village. Several homes in town were once owned by sea captains,
and are still occupied by their descendants.
The Grange Hall and Agricultural Hall regularly host antique
markets and farmers' markets throughout the summer and fall.
Farm grown vegetables and homemade baked goods, flowers, and
assorted crafted items serve up tempting treats.
The newly built Agricultural Hall hosts the annual four day
Agricultural Fair in August and several major art and craft
shows.
Web site: http://www.town.west-tisbury.ma.us
To left: The Grange Hall, part of the MV Preservation Trust |
Chilmark
Menemsha Harbor |
Chilmark is known for its panoramic views
and unmatched coastline. The rolling hills "up island" offer unobstructed
views of farmland and livestock with a backdrop of the Atlantic
Ocean. Ancient stone walls line the roads and crisscross the fields.
The beaches are unspoiled, and are known to be some of the best
in the world. The center of Chilmark boasts a lovely church and
a general store. The busy community center is nearby, where family
activities are held all summer. Catch a swim or a fish on Menemsha
Harbor where draggers still come in with their catches, and where
seafood may be purchased on the spot. Stay for sunset while watching
a parade of pleasure and fishing boats return to port.
Web site: http://www.ci.chilmark.ma.us
Chilmark is also the home of the
scenic and historic fishing village of Menemsha.
A small opening for boats, called Menemsha Bight, leads vessels
from Vineyard Sound to a safe harbor with scenic and quaint fishing
port along the shores. Colorful fishing shacks, houses, and shops
adorn the docks and streets of the village. Menemsha is famous not
only for its fresh seafood and unique architecture, but also for
the stunning sunsets along the harbor, Lobsterville and Menemsha
beaches. Menemsha is a very popular touring stop on the island.
Aquinnah
 |
Aquinnah, formerly known as Gay
Head, sits high on the southwestern end of the Island and,
as a 3,400-acre peninsula, is surrounded by some of the most
beautiful beaches anywhere. It has been home to the Wampanoag
Tribe for thousands of years. The Wampanoags taught the colonial
settlers how to farm and hunt whales. To this day their descendants
keep their memories and traditions alive. Aquinnah is known
to sun worshippers and scientists alike for its' breathtaking
clay cliffs, a national landmark. The colorful layers are
a geological treasure, and from its crest beyond the shops
are seen panoramic views towards the Elizabeth Islands, New
Bedford, and the Atlantic Ocean.
Profile on County of Dukes County web site: dukescounty.org/Aquinnah |
| Most
visitors view the colorful cliffs of Gay Head from the village
above, but most don't realize that the beach below is public,
and the view from the shoreline is even more spectacular!
Photo: Al Mahoney |
History
Originally inhabited by the Wampanoag Indians, Martha's
Vineyard was known in their language as Noepe, or "land amid
the streams." It was named Martha's Vineyard by English explorer
Bartholomew Gosnold, who sailed to the island in 1602. Gosnold's
mother-in-law as well as his daughter, who died in infancy, were
each named Martha, and even today there are many areas of wild grapes
on the island.
Like the nearby island Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard was brought
to prominence in the 19th century by the whaling industry, sending
ships around the world to hunt whales for their oil and blubber.
The discovery of petroleum in Pennsylvania, producing a cheaper
source of oil for lamps, led to an almost complete collapse of the
industry by 1870. The island struggled financially through the Great
Depression, but since then its reputation as a resort for tourists
and the wealthy has continued to grow. There is still a substantial
Wampanoag population on the Vineyard, mainly located in the town
of Aquinnah. Aquinnah (which means "land under the hill"
in the Wampanoag language) was formerly known as Gay Head, but was
recently renamed its original Indian name.
The island received international notoriety on July 18, 1969, when
Mary Jo Kopechne was killed when a car driven by U.S. Senator Ted
Kennedy drove off the Dike Bridge (also spelled Dyke Bridge). The
bridge connected Chappaquiddick Island (which is next to the Vineyard
and generally thought of as part of it) with an isolated barrier
beach. Martha's Vineyard received further notoriety on July 16,
1999, due to a plane crash off its coast that claimed the lives
of pilot John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and her
sister, Lauren Bessette. Kennedy's mother, former U.S. first lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, maintained a home in Aquinnah until
her death in 1994. Mrs. Onassis frequently stated that she preferred
to keep her children away from the often troubled Kennedy family
compound in Hyannisport.
In 1974, Steven Spielberg filmed the movie Jaws on Martha's Vineyard.
Spielberg selected island natives Jay Mello and Chris Rebello for
the parts of Sheriff Brody's sons, and used scores of island natives
as extras. Later, scenes from Jaws 2 and Jaws the Revenge were filmed
on the island as well. In June, 2005, the island celebrated the
30th anniversary of Jaws with a weekend long "JawsFest."
In 1977, Martha's Vineyard tried to secede from the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts (it also tried to secede from the United States
and become an independent nation) along with the island of Nantucket.
Martha's Vineyard received more world-wide attention because of
the many summers U.S. President William J. Clinton and his wife,
now-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, spent on the island during
his presidency.
Tourism and Residents
The Vineyard grew as a tourist destination primarily because
of its very pleasant summer weather — during many summers
the temperature never breaks 90°F — and many beautiful
beaches.
Wealthy Boston sea captains and merchant traders formerly created
estates on Martha's Vineyard with their trading profits, and today,
the Vineyard has become one of the Northeast's most prominent summering
havens, attracting celebrities like the Clintons, Warren Buffett,
Bill Gates, Ted Danson and Mary Steenbergen, the late Katherine
Graham and Princess Diana, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Dan Aykroyd
and Donna Dixon, Spike Lee, Michael J. Fox, William F. Buckley,
Alan Dershowitz, former US Senator Bill Bradley, Diana Ross, Roger
Styron, Beverly Sills, Art Buchwald, Walter Cronkite, Mike Wallace
and David Letterman.
The roster of celebrities who vacation on the Vineyard often makes
people think of the island as glitzy, which is not the case. It
is better thought of as intentionally rustic, a place where people
who normally spend their time around glitz can wear T-shirts and
flip flops. The charms of the island are not obvious to someone
who visits for a day or less. Martha's Vineyard has very little
in the way of obvious tourist attractions. This is mostly a conscious
strategy, as vacationers there seek an escape from the city, not
a re-creation of it.
Martha's Vineyard is one of the traditional resorts of U.S.'s African-American
upper class. Due to a long history of racial harmony on the island,
many black families started vacationing there a century ago. The
epicenter of black culture on Martha's Vineyard is the town of Oak
Bluffs, where many African American celebrities own houses. Its
main beach has been dubbed "The Inkwell" by African-American
residents.
Martha's Vineyard has become one of the best real estate values
in the United States in recent decades. Excellent construction and
renovation specialists, as well as service and maintenance companies,
enjoy thriving business throughout the year. The addition of high
speed internet service has also increased off-island job and shopping
opportunities, and has added to a growing year-round population.
The island is home to five elementary/middle schools and a highly
rated blue-ribbon regional high school and charter school. Additionally,
the MVRHS sports programs are very good, and have won state championships
in football, hockey, and cross-country in recent years. Any game
with rival island Nantucket is well attended, with the annual football
game played the Saturday before Thanksgiving receiving national
attention in newsprint (USA Today) and television (NBC).
It now has a year-round population of about 20,000 people in six
towns, but in summer the population swells to 100,000 residents,
with more than 25,000 additional visitors coming and going on ferries
every day. The most crowded weekend is July 4. In general, the summer
season runs from June to the end of August, correlating with the
months most American children are not in school. May and September
are often as nice or nicer, without crowds and with much cheaper
prices.
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