‘Mid-century –The Outer Cape Comes of Age’

OPEN HOUSE & RECEPTION – FRIDAY, JULY 13TH 4-6 PM – FREE ADMISSION, REFRESHMENTS

The midcentury 1955-1965 was a vibrant, lively era, when visitors arrived by train, car and boat to enjoy the beaches and vacation life on the Outer Cape. The Highland House Hotel known as “The Queen of the Highlands” was a summer gathering place for tourists and locals alike. “The Groaning Board”, pictured here,was a popular fixture at the Highland House during the 50s and 60s.

“Mid-Century: The Outer Cape Comes of Age” explores the 1950s and ‘60s on the Outer Cape, a period of major growth and modernity. Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown saw major bursts of business, construction, and tourism during this period. Motels, restaurants, and souvenir shops sprang up as the population surged and tourism spiked. New businesses, such as Jobi Pottery in Truro, opened and thrived.

Route 6 was extended to Provincetown in 1955, making it easier to get to the Outer Cape. Six years later, JFK established the National Seashore, preserving 40 miles of seashore and more than 43,000 acres of dunes, beaches, forests, and meadows. The untamed beauty of the area attracted artists, writers, and architects. Some of the most innovative architects developed a new kind of cottage: the mid-century modern home—simple, open, and integrated with its environment.

At the same time that the Outer Cape was growing, the Cold War dominated the national landscape. The North Truro Air Force Station opened in response to the tensions between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. While the 762^ndRadar Squadron monitored potential threats, a community of 500 people made this their home for many years.

The exhibit looks at the convergence of all of these factors through a variety of images and objects that capture the story of the Outer Cape’s coming of age. The exhibit opens on July 2nd 2018 and runs through September 30th.

The Cobb Archive houses maps, charts, books, photographs, family memorabilia, and other historical documents. This 1912 building was designed in the Arts and Craft style and originally served as the town’s first public library. Located in Truro Center, the Cobb Archive is accessible to the public for research.
Open by appointment, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 AM-12 PM
13 Truro Center Road
508-349-0200
To schedule an appointment, send an email to [email protected].

A joint project of the Truro Historical Commission and the Truro Historical Society, this guidebook was created to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower in Cape Cod Bay in 1620 and is an update of the 1984 guide that celebrated the 275th anniversary of the founding of Truro.

Click here to download the guidebook: Historic Truro Tours

This program was supported in part by a grant from the Truro Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. Funding for printing was also provided by the Truro Chamber of Commerce, Truro Part-Time Resident Taxpayers’ Association, and Truro Vineyards of Cape Cod. Chuck Steinman, Editor and Graphic Design, Truro Historical Commission.

Our Support for Racial Justice

The Truro Historical Society (THS) supports the peaceful Black Lives Matter movement for racial justice that is taking place in the United States and around the world. “Liberty and justice for all” means justice for Black and Indigenous populations, and for all people of color.

Museums and archives are not neutral spaces. Because we interpret history, we have the responsibility of presenting the past as fully and accurately as possible, including painful and uncomfortable aspects. The past feeds into the present, and when a community actively engages with its past, it can use its understanding to make a better society.

Truro was founded on land that had been inhabited by Native People for thousands of years, but these people were displaced by English settlers. There were enslaved people and indentured laborers enduring near-slavery conditions in Truro. In 1754, the town’s first minister, Reverend John Avery, bequeathed to his children three African-American enslaved men and “my Indian Girl Sarah.”

After reflecting on the “settler privilege” that most of us enjoy, the THS decided in late 2019 to mark the 400^thanniversary of the Pilgrims’ arrival with a decolonial exhibition celebrating Truro’s first inhabitants, the Wampanoag Nation, from its origins to today. During the postponement caused by the coronavirus, the THS will continue to consult with Indigenous scholars and community members. We will increase our commitment to diversity and inclusion. As a token of our commitment, the THS wishes to share the Land Acknowledgment we have prepared in consultation with members of the Wampanoag Nation. This statement will stand at the entrance to the Highland House Museum’s permanent exhibition about the Paomet and the Wampanoag peoples.

Land Acknowledgment

The Highland House Museum stands on the traditional homeland of the Paomet Tribe, members of the Wampanoag Nation, who have inhabited Cape Cod for more than 12,000 years and who knew this part of Truro as Tashmuit. The Truro Historical Society acknowledges the displacement, suffering, and forced assimilation of the Wampanoag and other Native Peoples caused by European contact and colonization. We honor the struggles of the Wampanoag, People of the First Light, and support their resilience, and we ask museum visitors to reflect on our shared responsibility to maintain social justice.

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