Woods Hole is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...
in the town of
Falmouth in
Barnstable County,
, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of
Cape Cod
Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mon ...
, near
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 th ...
and the
Elizabeth Islands
The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard, from which they are ...
. The population was 781 at the
2010 census.
It is the site of several
marine science institutions, including
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, i ...
, the
Marine Biological Laboratory
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) is an international center for research and education in biological and environmental science. Founded in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, in 1888, the MBL is a private, nonprofit institution that was independent ...
, the
Woodwell Climate Research Center,
NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (which started the Woods Hole scientific community in 1871), the
Woods Hole Science Aquarium, a
USGS
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
coastal and marine geology center, and the home campus of the
Sea Education Association. And the headquarter of the Climate Foundation.
It is also the site of
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
Sector Southeastern New England (formerly USCG Group Woods Hole), the
Nobska Light lighthouse, and the terminus of the
Steamship Authority
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority, doing business as The Steamship Authority (''SSA''), is the statutory regulatory body for all ferry operations between mainland Massachusetts and The Islands (Massachusetts), the ...
ferry route between Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard.
History
Historically, Woods Hole included one of the few good harbors (along with
Hyannis) on the southern side of Cape Cod (i.e. Great Harbor, contained by Penzance Point). The community became a center for whaling, shipping, and fishing, prior to its dominance today by tourism and marine research. At the end of the nineteenth century, Woods Hole was the home of the Pacific Guano Company, which produced
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
from
guano
Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of Seabird, seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant ...
imported from islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of South Carolina. After the firm went bankrupt in 1889, Long Neck–the peninsula on which their factory was located–was renamed Penzance Point and was developed with
shingle-style summer homes for bankers and lawyers from New York and Boston. Notable property owners on Penzance Point at the beginning of the twentieth century included
Seward Prosser of New York's Bankers Trust Company; Francis Bartow, a partner in
J. P. Morgan and Company
J.P. Morgan & Co. is a Commercial banking, commercial and investment banking institution founded by J. P. Morgan in 1871. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the company is now a subsidiary of JPMorgan Chase, one of the largest bankin ...
; Joseph Lee, a partner in
Lee, Higginson & Co.; and Franklin A. Park, an executive of
Singer Sewing Machine. Other notable businessmen established homes on Gansett Point, Nobska Point, and at Quissett Harbor, further from the village center.
Irving Langmuir, the famous Scientist, also lived in Woods Hole and died there on August 16, 1957. Before 1898, th
Woods Hole Yacht Clubwas formed. In 1899, th
Woods Hole Golf coursewas started. Around 1919, it was expanded to 18 holes. In 1976
The Woods Hole Foundationwas created.
Geography
Woods Hole is located at the southwest tip of the town of Falmouth (and of Cape Cod) at (41.526730, -70.663184).
The term "Woods Hole" refers to a
strait named
Woods Hole, which separates Cape Cod from the
Elizabeth Islands
The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard, from which they are ...
(specifically,
Uncatena Island and
Nonamesset Island
Nonamesset Island is the most easterly of the Elizabeth Islands of Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The island has a land area of 1.398 km² (0.54 sq mi or 345.5 acres) and was uninhabited as of the 2000 census. The island is par ...
) and which boats, yachts, and small ferries can use to travel between
Vineyard Sound
Vineyard Sound is the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean which separates the Elizabeth Islands and the southwestern part of Cape Cod from the island of Martha's Vineyard, located offshore from the state of Massachusetts in the United States. To the we ...
and
Buzzards Bay. The strait is known for its extremel
strong current approaching four
knots. It is one of four straits allowing maritime passage between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound; the others are
Canapitsit Channel,
Quick's Hole and
Robinson's Hole. Published yearly is th
''Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book'' which has a detailed reference section showing the complex pattern of tides and currents. Ferries operated by
The Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority run regularly between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. The present Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority was formed from the New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamboat Company, which in turn was a consolidation of earlier companies dating to the early 19th century, just before the railroad arrived.
Much of Woods Hole centers around the enclosed harbor of Eel Pond. Th
Eel Pond Bridge a
bascule drawbridge
A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable ...
at the mouth of the harbor, allows boats to enter and exit the harbor according to a fixed schedule posted on the side of the bridge.
Nobska Light, a
lighthouse at
Nobska Point, is operated by the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
, and the accompanying house is the home of the commander of the Coast Guard base at Little Harbor.
The local landmark The Knob is a rocky outcropping that overlooks Buzzards Bay and Quisset Harbor. It is a part of the privately owned Salt Pond bird sanctuaries.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, the Woods Hole CDP has a total area of . of it is land, and of it (45.24%) is water.
Climate
Falmouth Road Race
The annual
Falmouth Road Race
The Falmouth Road Race is an annual road race on Cape Cod from Woods Hole, a village in the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts, to Falmouth Heights.
The race organizer is Falmouth Road Race, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that puts on the race e ...
brings thousands of runners to Woods Hole in August each year. The route of the race starts outside the front door of the Captain Kidd tavern and follows the shore of Vineyard Sound through Falmouth to Shipwrecked (historically, the British Beer Company, which closed due to COVID-19), another tavern, in Falmouth Heights.
Education
The
Woods Hole School
The Woods Hole School is a historic school building at 24 School Street in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States within the town of Falmouth, Massachusetts. The school was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is a tw ...
is the home of the Children's School of Science. Founded in 1913, this institution (locally known as "CSS" and "Science School") provides science classes for students between 8 and 15 years old that focus on scientific investigation by observation. Students regularly visit ecosystems around the village to study the organisms in their natural environments, such as the
Sippewissett Salt Marsh The Sippewissett microbial mat is a microbial mat in the Sippewissett Salt Marsh located along the lower eastern Buzzards Bay shoreline of Cape Cod, about 5 miles north of Woods Hole and 1 mile southwest of West Falmouth, Massachusetts, in the Unite ...
. The Children's School of Science draws upon the talent brought to the village by the research institutions but also educates the children of both scientists and locals.
Some mention of the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI, acronym pronounced ) is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of marine science and engineering.
Established in 1930 in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, i ...
is made in the 1975 blockbuster film ''
Jaws'' as having been the center of research for the fictional character Matt Hooper. Hooper is described as a
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies sp ...
, focusing on the study of sharks. Coincidentally, a
great white shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large Lamniformes, mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major ocean ...
was spotted some years later near Woods Hole in September 2004.
Woods Hole is part of the Falmouth public school district, served by Mullen-Hall Elementary, Morse Pond Middle School,
Lawrence Junior High School
Falmouth ( ) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority fer ...
, and
Falmouth High School.
Woods Hole students also often attend
Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School,
Sturgis Charter Public School, and
Falmouth Academy
Falmouth Academy is a non-profit, coed, independent, private college-preparatory day school serving students from grades 7–12. It is located in Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.
History
Falmouth Academy was founded in 1977 as a small ...
.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 925 people, 459 households, and 212 families residing in the CDP. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 165.3/km (427.9/mi). There were 942 housing units at an average density of 168.4/km (435.8/mi). The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.70%
White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 1.62%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.54%
Native American, 1.84%
Asian, 0.22% from
other races, and 1.08% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.
There were 459 households, out of which 14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.58.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there are 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $47,604, and the median income for a family was $57,969. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $31,875 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $30,752. None of the families and 5.3% of the population were living below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including no under 18 and 6.4% of those over 64.
See also
*
Woods Hole Conference The Woods Hole Conference was held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts as a response to the Soviet Union's launch of the Sputnik series of satellites, in 1959 to identify the problems of science education and to recommend solutions. Woods Hole was held b ...
*''
Jane's Island
''Jane's Island'' is a children's novel by Marjorie Hill Allee. The novel, illustrated by Maitland de Gorgoza, was first published in 1931 and was a Newbery Medal, Newbery Honor recipient in 1932. The book "describes the unspoiled beauty of Woods ...
'', a 1931 Newbery Honor novel by
Marjorie Hill Allee
Marjorie Hill Allee (June 2, 1890 in Carthage, Indiana – April 30, 1945 in Chicago) was an American author.
Early life
She was born in Carthage, Indiana to William B. Hill and Anna Elliott Hill and grew up on a farm in a Quaker community. Afte ...
set in Woods Hole
*
Statue of Rachel Carson
References
External links
W.H. Community Association - History, Resources, CalendarWoods Hole Business AssociationWoods Hole Public LibraryWoods Hole Historical MuseumWoods Hole InnChildren's School of Science1887 Bird's Eye View of Woods HoleWoods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionMarine Biological LaboratoryNOAA Northeast Fisheries Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey Coastal and Marine Science Center
{{Authority control
Census-designated places in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Census-designated places in Massachusetts
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Populated coastal places in Massachusetts