The Arcade is an historic building at 31 Circuit Avenue in

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Oak Bluffs is a town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States Census. It is one of the island's principal points of arrival for summer tourists ...

. Built in the early 1870s, it is one of the best preserved buildings on Circuit Ave, and is further locally significant as housing the offices of the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company, which was responsible for much of the early development of the town of Oak Bluffs. The property was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1994.

History

, located on the northeastern part of the island of

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...

, was originally settled as part of

Edgartown Edgartown is a tourist destination on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States, for which it is the county seat. It was once a major whaling port, with historic houses that have been carefully preserved. Tod ...

in the 17th century. In 1835 the

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

camp known as

Wesleyan Grove Wesleyan Grove is a National Historic Landmark District in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts on the island of Martha's Vineyard. Named after John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. Also known as the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association (MV ...

(now a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

) was established in the area. Development of the area as a summer resort became more formally organized with the establishment of the Oak Bluffs Land and Wharf Company in 1866. The company developed what was then one of the earliest planned communities, guiding the community's growth over the following years. In about 1871 the company constructed what is known as The Arcade. The building, designed by the locally prominent architect Samuel Pratt, is a three-story wood frame construction, originally with gingerbread-decorated balconies in front and back. The lower two floors are both the full width of the building, although the first floor is punctured by a passage connecting Circuit Ave. to Wesleyan Grove. The third floor is significantly smaller than the lower floors. The building has historically served a variety of purposes. At one time it housed the Oak Bluffs post office, and in 1886 it is known to have housed the town's public library. It now occupies a place in the heart of the Oak Bluffs commercial and retail district on Circuit Avenue.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arcade Office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Dukes County, Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts

History

See also

References