Category Archives: Historic Buildings

Corn Hill Cottages in Truro Near Provincetown Book Action

What a great view at sunset, high atop Corn Hill in Truro, you can look down on Cape Cod Bay and the Pamet River.  The site of Corn Hill is famous, because this is the location where a search party from The Mayflower while docked in Provincetown Harbor found the Indian’s winter stash of corn (November 15, 1620). There is a monument marker that tells the story at the base of the hill and at the top of the hill, are what were once the original  Corn Hill Cottages as shown in this postcard, built in 1900.  Originally there were two rows of cottages, but a fire in 1937  destroyed the lower row of cottages and they were never rebuilt. A great deal of modernization as taken place to the entire area with the addition of luxury homes that populate the once rustic area, but look closely if you take a walk in the area and you can get a glimpse of the older architecture.

Not too far from Provincetown, Corn Hill Beach and the Pamet are near some of the action takes place in the sequel to the murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook.  Haven’t read the first book yet?  Autographed copies are available at the Provincetown Book Shop on Commercial Street and are also available online in trade paperback and as an ebook.  Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

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Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Provincetown or Truro; Bayside Cottages Popular Retreat

The postcard was posted in 1939 as the country was recovering from The Great Depression two years before the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United State’s entry into World War II. Cape Cod was a popular getaway spot and the bevy of cottages that dotted the edge of Route 6A in North Truro as one approaches the east end of Provincetown are evidence of that fact. Many were built during the first decades of the 20th century and gradually they are becoming condominium.

In the sequel murder mystery to Remaining in Provincetown, some of the summer visitors are staying in cottages in Truro.  Is that where a crime takes place? You’ll have to read the book to find out,  when it is released. While you are waiting, if you haven’t read the first book, now is the time to  pick up a copy of Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook.

Pilgrim Cottages

Pilgrim Cottages

. Autographed copies are available at the Provincetown Bookshop on Commercial Street or buy a copy in trade paperback or ebook online.  Like our page on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Truro landmarks Town Hall and Church Attract Provincetown Tourists

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At one time, there were so many downed vessels off the coast near the town we now know as Truro, it was known as Dangerfield.  The name Truro was borrowed from a Cornish town that looks similar– the rolling hills and small village.  There is plenty of danger taking place in the sequel to the popular mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook.  Set in Truro during the summer, the landmarks of Truro figure prominently in the story line.  Haven’t read Remaining in Provincetown yet? Autographed copies are available at The Provincetown Book Shop and online in trade paperback and as an ebook.  Like our facebook page.

The antique postcard shown in this blog post, shows Truro Town Hall and  Federated Church on Storm Hill in Truro.  The cemetery has tombstones dating back to the 1700s. A color lithograph print, the card was published when it only cost one penny to mail a postcard in the United States.

Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Reading some books about Provincetown will get you in the mood for your visit.

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

Truro Pamet River Inspires Second “Remaining in Provincetown” Mystery Series

Antique Postcard , color lithographic print, mailed with a two cent stamp.

Antique Postcard , color lithographic print, mailed with a two cent stamp.

At the time this postcard was printed and mailed, there was still a train that traveled the length of Cape Cod, all the way to Provincetown.  While Provincetown quickly became a bustling and densely populated settlement, Truro has remained primarily rural.  One of its fine features are the expansive sand dunes, marshes, and the Pamet River, shown in the above postcard.

As the sequel to the mystery novel, “Remaining in Provincetown” opens, Len Milbury is going for a run from the Truro Town Center Post Office to Ballston Beach on the road that runs parallel to The Pamet River.  In his backpack he carries a letter.  Is it a clue?

While the book’s title has not been finalized,  there is another book that follows “Remaining in Provincetown”.  In it you”ll get a chance to read more about the the lives and adventures of Frank Chambers and Roz Silva. But maybe you haven’t read the first book yet in which case, please do.  A new batch of autographed copies are about to arrive at The Provincetown Bookstore at 246 Commercial Street. And if you aren’t going to be in Provincetown, then you can always order the book online as a trade paperback or ebook. 

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

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Like us on Facebook where we have a fan page and keep the conversation going.

Truro Highlands on Cape Cod an Idyllic Setting to Solve a Provincetown Mystery

Cape Cod Cottage in the Truro Highlands near Highland Light in North Truro.

Cape Cod Cottage in the Truro Highlands near Highland Light in North Truro.

This beautiful hand colored postcard features a typical shingled Cape Cod cottage from the 19th century complete with out buildings and garden.   There are still many lovely old homes to admire driving along Highland Road towards Highland Lighthouse in North Truro. The flowers tell you it must be summertime and that is the time of year for the sequel to the popular mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S. N. Cook scheduled to be released in 2015.  If you haven’t read Remaining in Provincetown yet, buy your copy (available in trade paperback or as an ebook)  online  or at your favorite bookstore. Autographed copies are available at the Provincetown Bookstore. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Sailors and Music in Provincetown Cape Cod

Band ConcertBand Concert at Town Hall is the title of this postcard from the first decade of the 20th century. The Provincetown Monument looms in the background and the corner of Commercial Street is filled with sailors and officers in their dress whites along with tourists and residents waiting for the music to begin. The streets look as crowded over 100 years ago as they do today during the summer season.  Want to read a book with Proviincetown as its setting? It doesn’t take place 110 years ago. It takes place in the early 1990s. A murder mystery entitled Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook is available at your favorite local bookstores and online. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Unique Provincetown on the Tip of Cape Cod

Provincetown on the tip of the Cape has well been called the most unique town in the country for certainly there is just one Provincetown and nothing like it anywhere else. It is the oldest town on the Cape and has always been the center of a great fishing industry. Its street are more winding lands making the town the Mecca for hundreds of artists.                                                                             

179 Commercial Street Provincetown, Cape Cod

179 Commercial Street
Provincetown, Cape Cod

The above text comes directly from the above Post Card published in about 1940 from the look of the cars in the picture, by E.D. West in West Yarmouth, Cape Cod and is called an ” CT-Art Colortone”. Recognize the corner? The illustration shows the town at an earlier time when newspapers, magazines, and telegrams were the main forms of communication along with the old rotary dial telephone. This was back when you needed to pick up the phone and ask the local operator to connect you to the four digit town number you were trying to reach and there were “party lines” shared by multiple households trying to economize.  The murder mystery Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook is set in more recent history– approximately 1990– but the town continues to change. Pick up a copy of the book at your favorite local bookstore or order it online. Like us on facebook and keep the conversation going.

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

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At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

At bookstores that include the Provincetown Bookshop.

Downtown Provincetown Freeman Street History

Glimpse of Freeman Street Provincetown, Cape Cod

Glimpse of Freeman Street
Provincetown, Cape Cod

During the busy summer months its easy to miss all the lovely side streets in Provincetown which join the main two thoroughfares–Bradford Street and Commercial Street. The above postcard, a color lithographic print from the late 19th century is entitled “Glimpse of Freeman Street”. What you don’t see is the building , donated by Nathan Freeman in 1873, which once served as the Provincetown Public Library. The Freeman Street library opened to the public in June of 1874.  In the mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook, set in approximately 1990, the library is at that location on the corner of Freeman and Commercial Streets. Today the library resides in what was once the Center Methodist Episcopal Church built in 1860.  During the time period in which Remaining in Provincetown takes place, the building (once the Chrysler Art Museum) is still the Provincetown Heritage Museum. In 2005 it became the Provincetown Public LIbrary. Want to read a story that takes place in Provincetown a few decades ago? Remaining in Provincetown is available online and at your favorite bookstores. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.

Remaining in Provincetown By S.N.Cook. Truro Works. 306 pages $12.95 Trade Paperback

Remaining in Provincetown
By S.N.Cook.
Truro Works. 306 pages
$12.95 Trade Paperback

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Like our facebook fan page and you may be selected to receive a FREE advance cppy!

Vacationing in Provincetown Cape Cod in 1911

Old colonial house by the sea in Provincetown, Cape Cod circa 1911

Old colonial house by the sea in Provincetown, Cape Cod circa 1911

A beautiful seaside setting in Provincetown, on the tip of Cape Cod, is depicted in this antique postcard. Labeled “Old Colonial House” I’m not certain where this is except to guess it looks to be on the West End of town, which is the older portion of Provincetown. The postcard was mailed in 1911 from Mary to Millie and here is what is says:

The wheel on the boat broke down and we were two hours late so missed the train and had to stay in Provincetown over Sunday. Stayed at the Gifford House and had a dandy time. It is just lovely here and the daisies and roses are so pretty. We went for a long walk this morning. We’ve had plenty of showers today but hope it is pleasant tomorrow.  Love from South Wellfeet.

So evidently Mary took the Boston Ferry Boat to Provincetown as the quickest way to get to South Wellfleet. At the time she was traveling, the train still carried passengers up and down Cape Cod. Her firiend, who she was writing to lived in Wollaston, Massachusetts.  People sometimes arrive  to places quite by accident and end up staying there, like some of the characters in the new murder mystery novel Remaining in Provincetown by S.N. Cook. Want to learn more?  Read the book now available online in trade paperback and  on kindle. Like us on Facebook and continue the conversation.

The Provincetown approach to wooing shoppers

purchased in 1940 This antique postcard shows the Town Crier Gift Shop.

purchased in 1940
This antique postcard shows the Town Crier Gift Shop.

Provincetown, Massachusetts has always been a mecca for shopping. It’s one of the busiest towns on the Outer Cape.  This postcard shows 265 Commercial Street, when it was the Town Crier Gift Shop. Prior to that time, this location was the home of the Advocate Gift and Souvenir Shop according to John Wright Hardy the author of Provincetown Vol. I. The gentleman in the pilgrim outfit standing outside the shop, which boasts itself as being the largest gift shop on Cape Cod, was not the official Town Crier for the town of Provincetown but was hired by the store to attract business. His name was Charles Walton. To learn more about Town Criers in Provincetown read some of our previous postings. To be entertained by a Provincetown mystery story read Remaining in Provincetown , available at bookstores and online in trade paperback and as an ebook. Like us on Facebook and keep the conversation going.