Thursday, June 3, 2021

Thursday, June 3, 2021

Tonight's picture was taken in June of 2008. We took Mattie to Roosevelt Island that weekend and as you can see, Mattie did not come empty handed. He brought his remote controlled boat with him and he was eager to pilot it on the water. In fact, if you asked Mattie what he was saving his piggy bank money for, he'd tell you.... to buy a boat. Not a toy boat mind you, but a real useable boat! Mattie saw himself as a ship captain one day, and really there was no end to his possibilities. 

Quote of the day: Today's coronavirus update from Johns Hopkins.

• Number of people diagnosed with the virus: 33,217,582
• Number of people who died from the virus: 593,276

Yesterday afternoon, I went on a harbor boat tour. We did not go very far, but it was an interesting way to see the island, which included Edgartown and Chappaquiddick. We learned that Martha's Vineyard has a population of 20,000 in off season and over 200,000 during the summer season. I can only imagine how this congestion spoils the island. We are here prior to peak season, and though the weather isn't the best, there are no crowds. 

The house next to the hotel has this cute chocolate brown dog. We call him Mr. Wrinkles, because he has an adorably wrinkly face. 

We are staying in Edgartown, but today we drove to Oak Bluffs. Which has a completely different vibe from Edgartown. It is fascinating that these towns are next to each other, and yet they are quite different. 

We visited something called the Martha's Vineyard Campground Association. In 1835, Jeremiah Pease, along with six men from the Edgartown Methodist Church, secured a half acre of land for the purpose of holding a religious camp meeting on Martha’s Vineyard, following the religious camp meeting movement of the 19th century. This site became known as Wesleyan Grove. A shed was constructed out of driftwood for the preachers, with a pulpit built onto the front. Past the area of worship, a semi-circle of society tents was formed for housing attendees.

 

The first meeting was considered a success, and they continued to be held annually. The early camp meetings were serious business and children were not in attendance. Prayer meetings and preaching took place morning, noon and night. Growth was rapid during those early years. Wesleyan Grove became one of the largest and best-known camp meeting sites in the country, growing from nine tents in 1835, to 200 in 1855.

Between 1855 and 1865 the character of the camp meetings and surrounding areas began to shift. More family tents appeared and attendees began to extend their time on the Island. When the 26 acres the Association had been renting was purchased in 1864, they developed a radial-concentric pattern which was little used in America in that time. The family tents were typically placed in circular patterns around the society tent of their home church, spiraling out from the main worship tent, and reinforced the growing sense of community. By 1868 there were 570 tents in all, some for “greater domesticity” so children could attend prayer and church meetings, some for provisional vendors, boarding tents, barbers, and others.

 

Between 1859 and 1864, the “Martha’s Vineyard” cottages appeared. Remarkable for their unique architectural form and is considered an invention of the local carpenters. Most of the cottages built were small and imitated the form of the tents they replaced. Wells were dug, transportation services expanded… the Campground was taking on the characteristics of an organized and well-run summer community. Capping out at 500 cottages in 1880, today there are only 318 remaining. 

All I can say is this is a cutest community! Filled with charming painted cottages. Each given a cute name. No cars or bikes are allowed on the streets. It is like a piece of preserved history. 

In the middle of the campground, or where the cottages are is the tabernacle. The open-air Tabernacle, made of cast iron, with seating for over 2,000, is the physical and spiritual center of the Campground. It was built in 1879 by John W. Hoyt of Springfield, Massachusetts. Church services are held weekly in the Tabernacle during the months of July and August, and a variety of cultural events are held there each summer. The first event of the season is the graduation ceremonies of the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School. Architecturally, the Tabernacle is a unique structure, with wrought iron arches and supports, two clerestories with dozens of colored glass windows, and an octagonal cupola.

It looks like a piece of Americana. 

We meandered through the streets. 

To me this had all wonderful Mattie Miracle colors.

The name of this house is Oz. If you look closely at the colorful border of the house, you will see Dorothy's red shoes and yellow brick road. 

You can see why these cottages are nicknamed the Gingerbread Houses. 

Another cutie!

Literally there are dolls made of metal on the balcony. 

The town has a museum, but unfortunately it was closed during COVID. It is too bad, because I would have liked to know more about this camping community. 

The heart house!

Colors of every variety!

We then drove to the town of Aquinnah. It is celebrated as a center of Wampanoag culture and a center of pride and tradition among members of the federally recognized Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head. They make up about one-third of the town's voters and are one of two federally recognized tribes of Wampanoag people in Massachusetts. This area is one of the earliest sites of whaling. 

At the foot of the cliffs is Moshup's Beach, named after a great Aquinnah Wampanoag sachem who is said to have been at least partially responsible for many of the features of the island's physical landscape. The ocean is a rare aqua color they say, with wave heights that are above average for the area. The water sometimes takes on a red, white or grayish tinge resulting from clay eroding from the cliffs above.

Do you see Gay Head Light? It is a red brick lighthouse, and the first on Martha's Vineyard. It was literally pea soup outside and impossible to see it! 

We walked on Moshup's Beach to get a closer view of the red cliffs. What you can't see is it was raining, damp, and cold. 

The Gay Head Cliffs are a national landmark. The beautiful, colorful layers of clay make up the cliffs. It has been said that fossil bones of whales, camels and wild horses have been found in the cliff layers. This red stuff literally felt like clay.