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Come to Play on Route 6A
Okay, so it doesn’t have the ring of “Get your kicks on Route 66″, but Route 6A on Cape Cod is one of America’s Scenic Byways and definitely well worth the cruise.
Route 6A, also known as the Old King’s Highway, is roughly 34 miles of road running through Cape Cod from Bourne on Cape Cod Canal at the west end of the peninsula and traveling south and east to Orleans. It runs right by my front door, in fact. My wife and I run a Bed and Breakfast in West Barnstable and always enjoy the opportunity to ride along even a piece of the route.
We have a particular fondness for the historic aspects of this drive. Each community traversed by Route 6A has an historic something to offer.
In Bourne, the Aptucxet Trading Post and the Briggs-McDermott House are of note. The existing Trading Post structure is a replica erected on the original foundation excavated in the 1920’s. The Briggs-McDermott House is a Greek Revival style house located in Historic Bourne Village. This house was nearly destroyed in the early 1970’s, but thanks to the determination of a group of concerned citizens, the house was registered with the Massachusetts Historical Commission in 1974 and has been on the National Register of Historic places since 1981. It is restored to the period between 1840 and 1910.
The next town on the route is Sandwich. There are several historical points of interest in Sandwich. It could be a destination of its own, in fact. With the buildings managed by the Dexter Historical Society, Hoxie House, and the Wing Fort House, to name just a few, one could be immersed in history for several hours.
The Dexter Historical Society is responsible for the Dexter Grist Mill, the Abbott Museum and Gift Shop, and the Carr School. Each of these buildings is between 100-200 years old and each offers a rich and varied background for the history enthusiast.
If long-standing residences are your cup of tea, consider Hoxie house and Wing Fort House. Hoxie House, built circa 1638, may be the oldest house on Cape Cod (there are a couple houses in Provincetown that also may own that claim). It was acquired by the town of Sandwich in the 1950’s and has been restored with an historically accurate austere beauty. The Wing Fort House’s claim to fame, besides its age, is that it has been owned and occupied continuously by the same family for over 300 years. It was built in 1641.
In Barnstable, there are several beautiful and historic buildings. Our own home, the Honeysuckle Hill Bed and Breakfast, is nearly 200 years old! The Olde Colonial Courthouse is very interesting. The building is made of wood and is one of the oldest court houses in the nation, although it stopped serving as such in 1938.
Traveling to Yarmouth, there are two more colonial residences to visit. The Captain Bangs Hallet house is a sea captain’s home circa 1840. The parlors are arranged as though the Captain had just returned from an extended voyage to the Far East. Those rooms are filled with items from that area. The Winslow Crocker House was actually built in Barnstable and moved to Yarmouth in 1936 by Mary Thacher, an antiques collector.
If visiting Dennis, include the sites maintained by the Dennis Historical Society on your agenda. The society maintains about 14 historical sites of varying natures. For a look at a period theatre, there is the Cape Playhouse. If you prefer a more nautical flavor, visit Bass River Lighthouse, the Sea Captain’s Church, or the Shiverick Shipyard. If colonial life, in general, is your interest, include the 1736 Josiah Dennis Manse, the home of the man for whom the town is named, and the 1745 one-room schoolhouse on the same property. For a broad view of the mid-Cape, take yourself up to Scargo Tower, located on the highest point in the mid-Cape, and view the Cape all the way to Provincetown and to Yarmouth on the West.
The next village East on Route 6A is Brewster where some different sorts of historical sites may be found. The Stoney Brook Grist Mill and the Harris Black House and Windmill are examples. The New England Fire and History Museum is another.
The last village to see on your road trip down Route 6A is Orleans. The French Cable Station Museum houses an historic collection of original undersea cable, maps, instruments and other assorted memorabilia. This is the station through which, in 1927, came word that Charles Lindburgh had landed in Paris. The Jonathan Young Windmill is a site to see as well. All of its original parts and machinery are intact, making it historically unique.
And where should you stay while you explore Route 6A? With us, at the Honeysuckle Hill Bed and Breakfast in West Barnstable. Look for us online at http://honeysucklehill.com/. Not only can we provide you with a lovely ambiance, good company, and a 3-course gourmet breakfast, we can provide suggestions for your Route 6 travel and cruising plans.
