-
Title
-
The Rise of Falmouth's Tourist Economy
-
Description
-
January 7, 1871 marks the incorporation of the Falmouth Heights Land and Wharf Company, a group of developers responsible for the creation of Falmouth Heights, an area of the town envisioned as an ideal location for a summer resort. Coastal real estate in Falmouth during settlement was not highly valued as it was seen as unfit for development. These men, most of whom were from Western Massachusetts, purchased the land from a salt works company and would split it into several lots in a city-like layout that was unusual for the mostly rural setting and would sell the land to developers who would construct rental properties and hotels, mimicking the success of the earlier development projects on Martha's Vineyard. The connection of Woods Hole to the Old Colony Railroad the year after helped immensely to draw tourism to the area. This event marks a shift in Falmouth towards tourism and away from its mostly maritime economy which had been tied to the declining whaling and salt-making industries. This represented a major boon for the town and would lead to a dramatic increase in population in the subsequent decades, but would ultimately lead to a myriad of environmental problems including straining of the wastewater system in the future.
-
Date
-
January 7, 1871 – 1960
-
Location - Physical Location
-
263 Grand Avenue, Falmouth, MA 02540
-
Name
-
Dennis Moraga
-
cites
-
https://woodsholemuseum.org/oldpages/sprtsl/v6n1-SummerRes.pdf
