Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-09-06
THE COTTAGE CITY.
The Charming Sea .sido aity on Nartha's
Vinovard.

Special Correspondence Of the STATE JOuRNAL. |
OAK BLUFFS, MARTHA's VINEYARD,
MASS, August 2Gih, lS73,-As you of the |
Diamond State seem to be somewhat adj |
dicted to camp meetings Of late, II may |
be interesting To your readers to know |
what some intersections are dong. The |
camp meeting annually held ON Martha's |
Vineyard, lis one Of tho largest and Oldest !
established in the country.
The Island Itself, as a glance at the
map viii show, is far out IL the Atlantis
Ocean, just south Of Cape Cod, and re-
moved from the Influences of the northern
current Of cold water that iiOws along the
New England coaet and which is turned
OF in an eustcrly direction just north OF
Tape Cod. 1t is 80 miles from New Bed
ford, and reached by halfa dozeu steamers
dav. The Island Is some % miles long
and or 0 the greatest width. 1t is an
old settled place and has one village,
Edgartuwn, which attained considerable
Importance rs whaling port, but has
declined with the decline in whale fish
iug, until now when il is noted chiefly as
a place Of summer residence, where may
be found good hlue fishing, Il fair sprnk-
/ ling of the good old orthodox Christians
of our grandfa.her's time, and surplus
! beyond the wants Of the place, of some
| ifiy or seventy-ilve of handsome young
| ladies. These natural advantages make
it a favorite place for summer visiting.
But il is of the new part of the Island
that desire TO write-the camp meeting
and oak Bluif, the cottege city OF
America.
In lS35, 1--we or six members of the NJ.
+. Chnrch IN Edgartown commenced the
first meeting, n portion OF them cleared
away the brush while others did the
cooking. The meeting was entirely in
the open air and at night they slept on
bundles OF rye straw, in tents divided by
cloth curtain through the middle. The
meetings continued to grow in favor
until 1874 when the lease of the properly
expired and the seats and lumber were
sold at auction.
In lsi6a new lease was secured and
the camp rr-rstahish"d. II continued to
prosper with an increasing attendance,
rrcaier addition 20 the church and i'm
. urOyement in accommodation. In lS69
guests and tourists visited the Island In
greater numbers than ever, cottages were
built ut an unprecedented date. In the
: camp aud on the Bluffs adjoining over
one hundred cottages were erected,
among the first were those Of Cover
. nor Sprague, of Rhode Island ,anl several
prominent merchants OF Boston. Among
the visitors of note this year were Gov.
Clafln, Ben Butler, Vice President Henry
Wilson, Oakes Amcs and many others.
The great advantages OF the place as
q suMmer srashOre resort had by this
; time impressed itself on the mind of many
] visitors and some of the more sagacious
+ Of the inhabitants Of Edgartown. The
A result was that Messr-. Bradley .Capt.s. L.
Il Norton and Capt. Collins, OF Edgartown
. joel liilis,of Newton, Mass, Henry Stan
g, ley, of New Britain, Conn, and anothcl
Il ORGANIZED an association, purchased som,
70 1860 acres of high laud lying between thu
y c..Hp GROUND and the ocean and laid on
a civ with with winding avenues ant
% .pni r. parks after lh" style Of q city park
A. rar = o,vth ui the place has been aston
p snmt. Tue lots were originally sold at
hundred dollars each, now some or then
treWoith from ShuO to t2iOO. A city uicOt
tages has sprung up within the limits o
20 hat is known as Oak Blulis there ar
lt 100 buildings; of these 40 arc stores
c hotels, &c, and the remaining 314 cot
IN tages form the "cotlage city q
Amcrica."
The cottages arc of all sizes and styles
They are generally speaking, one and.a
G. half stories high, Il by q feet, on lots 8
A hv IS, contain about eight rooms ; hav
* large glass fronts, capable of being throw
y, entirely open, with ample balconies
" some aie built like the Swiss cottages il
I, the Appcnines, Others resemble Chines'
M Parodas, some again are miniature cas-
re- Ties with towers and turrcts and look a
ID If they had been imported from Rhine
ar land, while others remind one Of qnHln
looking mansions on the kitlto in Venice
-. ll.h nnI
Nd ltane or the more SNOWY American cdlhct
~ occasionally intcrvcnes to vary th
y. beauty of the scene, and combined
I'd rora an array certainly unequalled
t.. America and probably not exeelled o
,d the continent of Europe. The ilnes
ut cottages cost $4,000 TO $4,000, tn
C choauest Sl5O0. The walls are singl
MS thickness Of hoard finished without pla'
.ir Ter. while ia some the frrscO painter IN
Is had unusual facilities for the display
ed ui- art.
he The Oak Bluff Association has expende
=" sl5U.OuO in constructing a plank wall
hy fifteen feet wide, some thrce-tUurths OF
MI uil- slnug the Blutls by the shore, with
pf continuous scat On. one side, and lighle
ri- hy lamps, and in laying ont eoncre
~ flsphutum) walks and drycsiwthn u
he limits Of their grounds. The town hi
cc also spent about about SS9, 900 In makr
- a fine gravel drive along the beach
Edeartown, distant SIX miles.
The Company has also huilt fiji
hotel. situated directly on the shore WI
,r- nm lnohstructed view of the ocean.
'g. Inns accommodation for 300 guests IL
lirhtcd hy gas, and has "a hrond piaz
rs rvtendrnr entirely around it, where
M cool. delightful breeze can he found
tho hottest day. It has been open ty
ih. seasons. aud is kept by Me srs. Bullu
,lt and Brownell. OF the Parker House, NJ
w. B,dfrI. and tnis year has been under 1
n' immediate charge of that prince amol
as ,-nnI fellows, Holder VI. Bruwurl.
,.u can he SAID without lisporaeencut
,r any. ts,t the huuse is superior in lo'
gus ltttu, furniture and cuisnc To any ;
ser shore bou brtween Portland and n,
ar. York. Abundance of water of sl gu
M, tn,itv Is obtained by driving tubn
,re we'll nj an average depth of twelve ie
to Among Other attractions is trotti
vus rark. and it is contemplated tn build
m, oprra house with capacity TO seat a th'
ish saud persons.
tv The climate is So pleasant for inval
3 - that DR.. II. A. Tucker. OF Rruoklyhi
-id- v. proposes 10 baud M invalid nor
of II. intends that tine inmates shall live
nature aud hygipnc, and his plan OF G.
r,r construction is similar to that OF
.ho steamboat saloon The proposed bu
ulV u,r will ne three-s tories high, the rou
thr ntrninn on to balconies within and vi
,s.d ,,it. IL, ON steamers. Ii viii be, in Il
ger . huilnw square, aud while the lu'
rcl. Hnnr will he Il ed iur dining and recepi
.drn ronlns. the upper floors will he so G
l.V .trurted thai perfect quiet will be ihsu
few the invalid occupants throughout
sim. whole honse. Tue building Will rrsem
=. To a pocoln in The distance, and IL is c
asc- mated will cost 100000
ard The growth OF Oak Bluff has beer
"a So great as to partially surround the OF
Eet nal camp ground OF the Methodist Al
citation TIE camp ground proper c'
prsr= about 40 acres. IL Is lhld out
Wnting avenues but much smaller
on size aud with smaller building lots
ia Oak Bnils. The cottages in the ca
t" vround are smaller and less eXpens
'uvl' some of them nrr merely frames cov'
IN with canvass. The land hrlongs to
''"',; Methodist Association and is me
VIZ rented to the occupants at the ye
sum Of 81 for ground rent
i'',' The great popularity Of TINS place
w aroueed all tho surrounding lotal
l'' that seem desirable 10 be plotted
.II'i li'lh mapy of them are fast filling up
.,' n'u cottages. cannot give You a better
@,," ,., Of this rapid growth than by sth
my what has been done by the Oak
I,aud Company. Less tran six yenrs
Il sr they paid $1,000 tor their land, "
es re- seemed q large price AZ that t'lhe'
lie. stockholders have paid in no more me