Happy Birthday Cape Cod Canal!

Post by New England Historical Society.

Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge - 1934

Post by Bourne Police Department.

Wicked Awesome History today in 1914

After nearly three centuries after being first proposed by Captain Miles Standish of Plymouth Colony today marked the grand opening of the Cape Cod Canal. In the beginning it was only 15 feet deep and fairly expensive for the day to use the canal. 

Courtesy nae.usace.army.mil

 

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers took over the waterway in 1928. They then widened (500 ft.) and deepened(32 ft.) the canal. It is still operated and maintained by them to the present day.

Cape Cod Attacked!

On this day in 1918 Cape Cod came under attack from a German submarine. Off the coast of Nauset Beach in Orleans U-156 attacked the tugboat "Perth Amboy" and four wooden barges. With a combination of fire from the deck gun and torpedoes the tugboat was sunk and barges and town of Orleans came under fire also. The nearby Chatham Naval Air Station was alerted and joined foray to thwart the German attack. Unfortunately they were dropping duds or completely missed there mark. All 32 merchant sailors, including the tugboat Captain's wife and child, were saved. It was the first attack on the continental United States from a foreign power since the Mexican War in 1846. The U-156 then left to continue it's mission elsewhere.

Crafty Bastards by Lauren Clark

It is true the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth because they were low on beer. I don't remember hearing that in history class. You'll get the full story and more here. It was in 1620 that New England's relationship with beer and ale started. You'll learn about the growth of brewing and New Englander's thirst for for the stuff has rarely ebbed. Although Cider, rum and prohibition gave beer some competition it still survived. Even learn of it's revival in recent decades. Crack open a local brew and enjoy this easy to read and enjoyable trip along the region's brewing history. Crafty Bastards: Beer in New England from the Mayflower to Modern Day by Lauren Clark

Wicked Awesome History in 1812

Post by USS Constitution.

Seacrest or the Coast Guard Mansion

Back in the Coast Guard days

Growing up in Marshfield we lived nearby a mansion on a hill. We knew it as the Coast Guard mansion as it was the property of the U.S. Coast Guard. At that time it wasn't being used. It ran along the end of South River Street and ends at Ferry Street. It  was set back on a hill with some trees that were spaced apart enough to be able to see the place on top. It had a driveway that went to the front entrance with it's grand columns. It also had a driveway on the left side leading to the back which a had more utilitarian looking four bay garage.

Maintenance garage adjacent to the mansion.

Being uninhabited at the time so it sparked my curiosity. Peaking in through windows see a bare inside in very good condition. Rich wood center stair case to center walkway that spanned between the two wings of the building. I don't remember seeing much else there. I tried peaking through other windows but wasn't too successful. I was usually wary of Coast Guardsmen that were stationed further in back of the land should they catch me. Doors were locked so entry wasn't attempted beyond a twist of the knob. 

A peak inside.

Neighborhood kids used the worn out baseball diamond on the nearby grounds for pick up games of softball during summer. further along the back was a large hill that was used for sledding in the winter months. Of course I participated in both. 

An aerial view.

Opposite aerial view.

At the bottom of the hill was a a simple paved road that led to some smaller more official looking building where the Coast Guard did there business. I actually never remember seeing them there although there were cars there and the official sign at the entrance which was often times the only hint that someone was there. My mother, who also grew up there, remembers seeing Coast Guardsmen there and even got candy from them on Halloween.

I never knew the history behind this so my brief research has turned up some interesting items. The mansion was built for the family of Richard Morris Hunt around 1890. Who is this Hunt? He was a world famous architect of his time. Responsible for the likes of The Metropolitan Opera House, Statue of Liberty Pedestal, "The Breaker's" in Newport,  Marble House also in Newport, Rhode Island. It would seem he was the the "go to guy" if you wanted a mansion built in the "Guilded Age". I'm not positive of how much involved he was in building what was called "Seacrest" at the time. It was owned by various members of the Hunt family up until World War 2. 

During World War 2 the Federal Government, by use of eminent domain,  also like the property too cause of its ocean view originally for enemy submarine spotting. I guess the Coast Guard, needing to beef up it's communications  in the area eventually took it over as a communication's station. The mansion was used as a barracks, mess and offices for personnel. A maintenance garage, antennas and other related buildings were also erected. Much of the Trans-Atlantic Radio traffic during the war was directed from here known as call sign "NMF" (aka Radio Boston).

The Coast Guard continued to use the building after the war into the mid 70's when they gradually moved to bases on Cape Cod. The mansion fell into disuse(around the time I was exploring the grounds) for many years. In November of 1999 it was turned over to the town of Marshfi

eld. It was renovated and later sold to private owners in 2008 for $2.8 million. 

What it looks like today.

Little did we know about Marshfield's connection to the "Guilded Age" of architecture.