welcome!

Quilt in town hall
Quilt hanging in Eastham Town Hall
Check Eastham, in southeastern Massachusetts, was settled by the Pilgrims in 1644, incorporated as "Nausett" in 1646, and was ultimately named Eastham in 1651. It is a town of about 5000 year-round residents (2010), with a population swelling to over 20,000 during the summer months. With its beautiful bayside and ocean beaches, miles of bicycle and walking trails, a historic schoolhouse, and the Cape's oldest wind-driven windmill, Eastham is the ideal place for the fisherman, beach-goer, birder, photographer, bicyclist, and vacationer!

Included within the boundaries of Eastham is the Salt Pond Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor's Center. With its many programs, tours, and museum, it is usually one of the first stops for visitors to the Cape. The ocean beaches in Eastham, Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach, as well as the land bordering them, were incorporated into the Cape Cod National Seashore, under the auspices of the National Park Service, on August 7, 1961. The National Park Service also is the caretaker and runs tours through the Penniman House, a partially restored whaling captain's house built in 1868, and the Three Sisters Lighthouses, a set of three small wooden lighthouses which functioned as a trio when they were active.

Need something to read? Want a video? Need to look something up, surf the Net, or just want to browse? Try a visit to the Eastham Public Library which was established in 1878 by a Town Meeting vote to appropriate $175 for a library. Today you will find over 40,000 items in a collection that includes books, DVDs and videotapes, CDs, books on tape, Internet access, and a homework center for students. Search the card catalog from home from the CLAMS site. Check here for the library's current hours of operation.

Things to see in Eastham

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The Penniman House is located approximately 1.4 miles past the Orleans rotary on Route 6 eastbound as you head towards Provincetown. Follow the signs for Fort Hill which will be on your right. The Penniman House will be on your right.
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The Eastham Information Booth is open seasonally and is located approximately 1.5 miles past the Orleans rotary on Route 6 eastbound. It will be on your right.
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The Eastham Windmill was built about 1688 and moved to Eastham in 1793. It is located approximately 2.4 miles past the Orleans rotary on Route 6 eastbound as you head towards Provincetown. At the first traffic light, it will be on your left.
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The Eastham Public Library is found by turning left at the Eastham Windmill (as you're coming from Orleans) onto Samoset Road. The Library is located about 1/2 mile down on your right.
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The Salt Pond Cape Cod National Seashore Visitor's Center is located 2.8 miles past the Orleans rotary on Route 6 eastbound as you head towards Provincetown. At the second traffic light, it will be on your right.
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The Eastham Schoolhouse Museum, the home of the Eastham Historical Society, was built in 1869 and served the town until 1936. It is located directly across the street from the entrance to the Visitor's Center at the corner of Nauset and Schoolhouse Roads.
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Coast Guard Beach may be found by turning right at the second traffic light (2.8 miles east on Route 6 from Orleans rotary at Visitor's Center) and following Nauset Road (turns into Doane Road) for approximately 2 miles. Coast Guard Beach will be on your right. During the summer months, you will need to take a shuttle from the National Park Service parking lot on Nauset Road to get to the beach or ride your bike from the Visitor's Center.
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Nauset Light Beach may be found by bearing left at the entrance to Coast Guard Beach, continuing along Ocean View Drive for one mile, and arriving at Nauset Light Beach on your right. The history of the Nauset Beach Light Station may be found here. Nauset Light has recently been moved back from the edge of the cliff! Read all about it at the Nauset Light Preservation Society site!
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The Three Sisters Lighthouses may be located by turning left onto Cable Road when reaching Nauset Light Beach. The three lighthouses will be found in a wooded area 1/2 mile down the road on your right. More information about the Three Sisters Lighthouses may be found on this NPS page.
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Location map for the sites

Historic photos of olde Eastham

Below you will find a small sample of various historical photographs of Eastham. Thanks to Noel Beyle who graciously contributed the photographs and postcards from his extensive collection and gave his permission for them to be used here!
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The Chapel in the Pines and the Eastham Library, Samoset Road, circa 1907.
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The Eastham Railroad Depot served Eastham from the 1880's until 1940 when it was closed and then dismantled. It was located where the current Rail Trail crosses Samoset Road. If you look carefully in the woods on the right-hand side of the road, you can still see the old foundation of the water tower.
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Eastham's one room "Central Grammar School" around the turn of the century, before the North and South Eastham elementary schools were added as wings on either side. Located across from the National Seashore Visitors Center entrance, it is now the home of the Eastham Historical Society.

Cape Cod Photographs

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Other Eastham and Cape Cod Information Sources

Eastham Organizations
Town, State, and Government Sites
Weather and Tides
Transportation Schedules
Information Guides for Eastham and Cape Cod
Created 01/01/1996
Last updated 11/22/2021