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The Arcade is an historic building at 31 Circuit Avenue in
Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Oak Bluffs is a New England town, town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States census. It is one of the island's ...
. 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 Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1994.


History

Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts Oak Bluffs is a New England town, town located on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,341 at the 2020 United States census. It is one of the island's ...
, 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 U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...
, was originally settled as part of
Edgartown Edgartown is a town on the island of Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States, for which it is the county seat. The town's population was 5,168 at the 2020 census. It was once a major whaling port, with historic houses ...
in the 17th century. In 1835 the
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
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 ...
(now a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...
) 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.


See also

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Dukes County, Massachusetts __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Dukes County, Massachusetts. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Dukes County, ...


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