Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-17
IL TIE SEASLDE.
CLIFF CorrAGE, NANErAsHEMEr, MASS,
Ammmal | 1871

CLIFF CorrAGE NANErAsHEMET, MASS y
August / I, 1883.
Ediio,S P6oRir; Dear Sirs, I have been
q constant reader OF The pHHNfx for over
twenty years, and have no recollection Of
having seen anything in IL about this place,
and presume a few words concerning il will
be Of interest to many Of your readers Nan.
epashemet, which is the polite name for
Marblehead Neck is n strip OF land and rocks
about one mile long and "a half-me wido
running out from and nearly parallel TO the
village Of Marblehead and connected with
the main land by a dyke The land is high
and presents many beautiful sites for dwell
ings, which have been taken up in a large
measure. The coast is mostly rock bound
with numerous little coves and here and
there little stretch of pebbly beach. The
rocks arc sharp, jagged and rough, aud in
some places rise boldly and perpendicularly
out of the water to the height Of forty feet
Against these, when the sea is running high,
the waves dash in awful and sublime fury,
throwing the spray thirty feet high. On the
eastern side, near Castle Rock il a ohasm in
the rocks called the Churn. When the wind
blows hard from the east the waters rush
into this chasm, and, striking against the
rock at the end, are caused to spout into the
air to great hight. Visitors never tire Of
going to this spot.
1t is but few years since the first summer
residence was put up here and now there are
about hundred of them, many of them be-
ing large and substantial with only a few
cheap ones There are large new hotel the
Nancpashemet, several boarding houses, sew
eral livery stables, store, Market post Of
flee, public telephone, and union chapel.
Thore is also lighthouse at the extreme
northwestern part of the Neck The Eastern
yacht club Of Boston have one Of tue finest
club houses in New England here. The club
make this their headquarters in summer.
Last week, az you remember, the New York
yacht club were hero and had a race from
this place. There were over fifty fine yachts
in the harbor at one time. The harbor here
is said to be one of the safest on the New
England coast. 1t is a fine place to row or
sail in. The water on the Neck is excellent.
The climate since we have been here has
been everything that could be desired the
air is iuyigoratng, the views are beautiful,
the people who come here just the kind one
likes to meet with, and as place to rest il
can't be beaten.
The village OF Marblehead Is a queer old
place. It is one Of the oldest places in New
England, having been settled in 1929 For
merly it was engaged extensively in the fish
cry business, at one time nearly a hundred
vessels engaged in that business being owned
in Marblehead. At the present time the chief
industry is the manufacture of children's
boots and shoes. The streets are very mar
row and crooked, with very poor or no side.
walks, and seem to have been laid out by
chance. Nearly all the buildings are wooden,
severely plain and unpretenticus. and look
as though they had all been shaken up to
gether and dropped down where they were
suffered to remain. Very many Of them are
destitute Of paint aud present striking con-
trast to the Gaily painted cottages on the
Neck. Although Marblehead is so uninviting
to look at, it contains many places of great
historical interest, and stranger can spend
day there very proftably.
We were fortunate enough to get into an
excellent place. Many Of the people here
are from Keene and Nashua, N. H., but most
Of them are from Boston and vicinity. We
have numbered with our party n Congrega
tionRl minister from Vermont He seems to
/ have thrown of for the time his ministerial
dignity, and engages with the rest Of us in
the various methods adopted for amusement.
/ He is, in fact, the life of the whole party.
/ To day we had party of eleven, mostly la
/ dies who went out for sail with the minis
ter as captain. IL be can preach AZ well
/ he can manage boat he might do for the
good people Of Brattleboro. II any Of your
readers are intending to go to the sea shore,
and are undecided as to where to CO. let me
urge them to come here. Sure am / that il
they will they will be more than satisfied.
Yours truly, JEW