Woods Hole Historical Museum Historic Structures Report
Location: 579 Woods Hole Road
Applicant: Woods Hole Historical Museum
Allocation: $65,000
Year/Article: April 2022, A32
In April 2022, Town Meeting approved the request of $65,000 made by the Woods Hole Historical Museum (WHHM) to develop a Historic Structures Report (HSR) for the buildings on its campus including the 1804 Bradley House, the 1877 Swift Barn that houses the Small Boat Museum, and the 1893 Yale Workshop. HSR’s document physical and cultural history as well as existing conditions and are important for guiding the preservation of historic buildings. The report will include an exterior and interior conditions assessment and a prioritized list of recommendations with costs for upgrades to support WHHM’s strategic plan to enhance its ability to collect, preserve, and make accessible collections that tell the story of the people and history of Woods Hole. The proposed treatment and maintenance plans will incorporate compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.
The Woods Hole Historical Museum is located within the Woods Hole Historic District that is listed on the State Register of Historic Places. The WHHM began as the Woods Hole Historical Collection in 1973 as a sub-committee of the Woods Hole Library. In 1976, it moved next door into its own building, the Bradley House. By 1996, the Yale Workshop and the Swift Barn were moved to the site and the organization name was changed to the Woods Hole Historical Museum. The Woods Hole Historical Collection continues as the Museum archives and publishing shop. The 19th century buildings on the WHHM campus contribute to the cultural history of Woods Hole and provide a centralized repository for archives and objects related to Woods Hole’s history. The WHHM is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and celebration of the area’s unique and colorful past and present, beginning with its farming and fishing roots and wending through centuries of adventurous maritime enterprise, world-renowned scientific exploration and achievement, and the parallel history of summertime recreation that has transformed Cape Cod. This history is brought to life throughout the year with a roster of exhibits, talks, multimedia presentations, special publications, archival resources as well as with the hands-on living history of wooden boat-building and restoration programs.
Get more Woods Hole History at the Woods Hole Museum.