Looking across Shawme Pond to the Christopher Wren Church
Come visit Sandwich, Massachusetts and enjoy a stroll through one of America’s oldest town centers. The first thing that you’ll notice is the prominence of Shawme Pond. When Sandwich was founded in 1637, local industry relied on hydro power.
I took this picture, sitting on a park bench in back of the Town Hall and Sandwich Grist Mill (which are to my left and shown below) looking across Shawme Pond at the Christopher Wren Church. If you’re an Elvis fan, that steeple might look familiar to you. It was featured on the cover of the album How Great Thou Art, which was released in 1967 and won a Grammy. The Christopher Wren Church, while inspired by the architectural style of famed British architect Christopher Wren, was not designed by him. But it’s a beautiful church nonetheless. It’s a very pleasant to spend time walking around Sandwich and watching the people feed the ducks (which we aren’t supposed to do!)
The back of the Sandwich Town Hall to the left and the Sandwich Grist Mill to the right.
These photos were taken in February, well because it’s easier to show you the buildings without the foliage and the people. Not that Sandwich, ever gets overcrowded. Even on a Saturday in August, the height of the Cape Cod tourist season, you’ can enjoy a quiet day, watching paddlers in the pond (it might be me!) or paddling yourself. The larger building to the left is the Back of the Sandwich Town Hall and the smaller structure to the right is the Sandwich Grist Mill. Get up and walk a bit and you’ll see the front of the Town Hall and the Sandwich Glass Museum. Not surprisingly the glass museum contains the largest collection of Sandwich Glass in the world, which was really made in Sandwich at the Sandwich Glass Factory. You can also see a glass blowing exhibition. Legend has it that the factory owner, Deming Jarves, located in Sandwich because of our extra-special beach sand. But that is wrong. Jarves wanted to be near the newly constructed Cape Cod Canal – to easily transport Sandwich Glass all over the world!
The Sandwich Town Hall seen from the Sandwich, Glass Museum
Here’s a geat shot of the Town Hall and Town Hall Square. Yes the Sandwich Town Hall is a bit tilted. It’s just the way that it’s settling. But it’s a working Town Hall and many of our town departments have their offices there. You’ll notice that its a nice shade of grey and white. What a controversey that was! For decades it had been all white. The decision to paint it a bit grey was the stuff of legendary historical debate.
But all this to do makes Sandwich a very special blend of history and today. This isn’t just a museum, but a functioning town, where we actually conduct business, govern, and enjoy ourselves. To the left of the Town Hall is the famed water fountain fed by artesian wells in Shawme Pond. People come from all over to get gallons and gallons of water from it. I just enjoy a cool drink on a hot day after a long walk. On the practical side, across the street from the water fountain, there are public restrooms that are open during the summer.
Walk up the street a little bit, with the town on your right and you’ll see the front of the Grist Mill. It is open to the public in the summer and you can actually see corn meal ground – and buy some to take home.
Thorton W. Burgess Museum
Just past the Grist Mill is the Thornton Burgess Museum. Burgess was born in Sandwich, no not in that house. But if you continue walking up the hill and take your fist left onto School Street. You can walk down School Street and find his birthplace. Many of the people who live in older or historic homes have started to put these oval plaques on them that give the date of construction and the builder – or in this case the birthdate of a famous resident. I have to admit that I didn’t know that that house was the Burgess birthplace until I saw the plaque while walking by a few weeks ago. But this is a private residence, not a museum, so there’s nothing to see on the inside. All of Thornton Burgess history and memorabilia is at the Thornton Bugresss Museum. There are some benches out on the grounds of the museum, it’s very enjoyable to sit there and enjoy the view of Shawme Pond and cemetary point. You can also see the Hoxie House on a hill overlooking the pond.
Hoxie House, The Oldest House on Cape Cod, Sandwich MA
If you love to paddle this is is a wonderful spot. You can park at the Hoxie House and put your canoe or kayak in on the beach below. You will have to be able to carry them down a fairly steep hill – and back up again. Or you can put your canoe in at an overlook between the Thornton Burgess Museum and Grist Mill. But you can’t park there, and traffic can be quite busy – so you have to be organized and get the canoe or kayak off the car quite quickly. But once in the water, keep your eyes open for the pair of swans who really rule the roost. There’s also a very large snapping turtle on the bottom of the pond. The land on the far side of the pond has been purchased by the Town, so this wonderful view will never be built upon and the wildlife that depend upon it for home can fee secure. As you paddle look to shore and you’ll be amazed at the turtles, birds and beavers you’ll see here. It’s remarkable to have this water feature in our downtown. That we had the foresight and financial will to preserve it makes me proud of my community.
If all of this walking and browsing, perhaps paddling, works up a thirst or appetite, you’ve some some wonderful nearby dining options. Right across the street from the Burgess Museum, you’ll find the Dunbar Tea House. Walk around the Christopher Wren Church and you’ll see the world-famous Dan’l Webster Inn and the Brown Just gourmet shop and cafe.
