Historic Cape Cod

Hyannis, like many villages across Cape Cod, is caught in a construction boom - one that’s bringing an uptick in the demolition of historic properties. Too often, these losses are wrapped in the false promise of “affordable housing.” In reality, Cape Cod’s built character is being leveled to make room for luxury condos: developments that are frequently oversized, out of scale, and stylistically mismatched with their surroundings.

Worse, the “affordable” component is typically limited - offering only a small number of units, often distributed through lottery systems. That doesn’t address the housing crisis faced by year-round residents. Meanwhile, many single-family homes are being converted into seasonal short-term rentals, while older properties are replaced with larger homes and luxury developments that don’t create stable, attainable housing for the people who actually live here.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Residents and visitors can urge local officials to use existing tools to protect Cape Cod’s character while still meeting housing needs — tools such as demolition delays, style and design guidelines, and incentives for adaptive reuse. We can require that redevelopment respects the small cottages; the Victorian main streets; the weathered cedar shingles; and the midcentury charm that give this place its identity.

Once these buildings are gone, they’re gone forever — and so is something far harder to replace: the distinctive sense of place that draws people here, sustaining the tourism dollars our businesses and year-round residents depend on.

Protect Cape Cod’s historic streetscapes and the homes that define them: https://protectourpast.org

Preserve Hyannis: Save the Eugenia Fortes House

With each passing week, my village of Hyannis looks less and less like the quintessential Cape Cod destination that millions of travelers come to see. The charming cottages, mid-century motels, and historic Victorian homes that once defined our community are disappearing, replaced by towering four-story high-rises and sprawling luxury mansions.

Now, yet another irreplaceable piece of our heritage is under threat: the home of Civil Rights activist Eugenia Fortes.

In 1945, while working in Hyannis Port, Fortes visited what was then known as East Beach off Iyannough Avenue. When ordered by a police officer to leave, she refused, taking a stand against the segregation and racism of the time. That same beach now proudly bears her name.

Fortes’ legacy and impact extend far beyond that courageous act. She co-founded Cape Cod’s chapter of the NAACP and served on the Hyannis Public Library Board of Directors for forty years. Her home at 23 Pleasant Hill Lane welcomed national figures, including future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

That same home, steeped in both local and national significance, is now threatened by a development that offers not the affordable housing needed, but yet another batch of unattainable luxury condominiums.

This is not the kind of progress Hyannis needs.

Our community deserves development that honors its character and employs adaptive reuse to preserve our architectural and cultural history. We should be encouraging thoughtful, contextual design that reflects the spirit of our Main Streets and neighborhoods, rather than replacing it with structures that render our village unrecognizable.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

I urge our elected officials and committee members to demand better. Use every available tool, including demolition delays. Work with developers on projects that enhance and preserve, rather than erase, the soul of Hyannis. I also call on residents—my neighbors—to speak up and hold leaders and developers accountable to this standard.

Saving the Eugenia Fortes House is just the beginning.

In a time when many feel powerless, remember real change begins at the local level. Your voice can make a bold and lasting impact. Together, we can preserve the cultural heritage, history, and architectural identity of Hyannis for generations to come.

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Email Councilor Charlie Bloom in support of saving the Eugenia Fortes House: [email protected]
He is collecting signatures on a petition.

Help save the home of Civil Rights Activist, Eugenia Fortes.

Email Councilor Charlie Bloom in support of saving the Eugenia Fortes House: [email protected]
He is collecting signatures to save it.

Contact your councilor: https://town.barnstable.ma.us/BoardsCommittees/TownCouncil/Town_Council/Town-Councilor-Contacts.pdf?tm=4/8/2025%202:20:54%20PM

About Eugenia Fortes: https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/eugenia-fortes-39

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The old Cummaquid Inn in the late 60s or early 70s, later known as Anthony's. Dr. Gorham Bacon, a prominent physician in New York, built this "cottage" overlooking Mill Pond around 1900 on the Yarmouth Port town line. It became an inn in the late 1940s or early 50s, then later the Cummaquid Inn.

It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our mother, Ethel Kennedy. Please keep our mother in your hearts and prayers.

Roadhouse Café is back!

Originally opened in 1981 by Dave Colombo, the café soon became a jazz hub, featuring performances by Colombo's father, the legendary trumpeter Lou Colombo. Even Tony Bennett was a frequent guest. Now, under the new ownership of Ricky Conrado, the iconic spot has been reopened.

Constructed around 1870, the Baxter-Hallett House was part of a fashionable residential neighborhood on Main Street’s East End, near a bustling commercial area. By the mid-20th century, as commercial activity expanded, many homes in the area were converted to businesses. The property became the Sail Loft Motel in the mid-1950s, with two additional units added in 1957 and 1958. Most recently it served as Cascade Motor Lodge. Despite being located within a local historic district, this 150-year-old building was sadly demolished this week.

[Photographs: MACRIS, BRN.1493]

Have you visited the Edward Gorey House?

The Edward Gorey House is dedicated to celebrating and preserving the life and works of Edward Gorey, an acclaimed American author, illustrator, playwright, and set and costume designer. In 1979, Gorey purchased a historic 200-year-old sea captain’s house located in Yarmouth Port. Following his death in 2000, the house was transformed into a museum that honors his creative legacy and his commitment to animal welfare. It's a truly unique experience.

A Cape Cod Times photographer remembers covering the 1999 Kennedy plane crash A look back at covering the July 16, 1999 crash of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane off Martha's Vineyard, by Times photographer Steve Heaslip.