Did You Know
that the Buttermilk
Bay area of
Buzzards Bay was once the playland
of one of our country's very first movie stars and theatrical giants Joseph
Jefferson? Joe Jefferson, a pioneer of early cinema and star of silent films,
built his summer mansion "Crow's Nest" along
Buttermilk
Bay.
The mansion which housed an extensive art collection burned to the ground in
1893. Undaunted Joseph Jefferson rebuilt on the bluff by what is now Electric Avenue Beach
overlooking the Cohasset Narrows Bridge which links Buzzards Bay and
Wareham,
MA.
That second home became a beloved inn
first known as the Joseph Jefferson Inn and later known as the Inn at
Buttermilk
Bay. It endured into the 1990's when
ultimately it burned to the ground as well.
Not unlike famous actors of today, Joseph
Jefferson was well known for his close friendship with then sitting President Grover Cleveland who made his
home roughly a mile across Cohasset Narrows and the Monument River in Gray
Gables area of Bourne.
Cleveland's
House became known as the nation's first Summer White House. The two men hunted and fished extensively on
the Upper Cape.
Joseph Jefferson's most famous role
was his portrayal Rip Van Winkle in the theatrical and silent film productions
of Washington Irving's best
known short story Rip
Van Winkle. He debuted his role as Rip in 1865 and nearly 150 years after
as you visit the area you will notice signs of Jefferson's impact on Buzzards Bay as you drive
down Crow's Nest Drive, Rip Van Winkle, Nick Vedder, Van Bummel, Gardenier,
Electric, Wolf and Jefferson Shores Roads. One neighborhood platted as "Rip Van
Winkle Land" in 1925 was developed at the edge of the Joseph Jefferson Inn site
in 1925.
Today Rip Van Winkle Land is a tucked away secret beachside gem of a
neighborhood. Attractive understated homes enjoy peace and quiet yet are
situated by the sandy warm water beach and just a minute's stroll to
Buzzards Bay
Village,
the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the Cape Cod Canal
and the Cape Cod Railroad. Just a 2
minute hop onto I-495 makes this neighborhood a perfect find for vacationer and
year rounder alike.
Characters
- Rip Van Winkle - a
henpecked husband who loathes profitable labor.
- Dame Van Winkle - Rip
Van Winkle's cantankerous wife.
- Rip - Rip Van Winkle's
son.
- Judith Gardenier - Rip
Van Winkle's daughter.
- Derrick Van Bummel -
the local schoolmaster and later a member of Congress.
- Nicholas Vedder -
landlord of the local inn.
- Mr. Doolittle - a
hotel owner.
- Wolf - Rip's faithful
dog
- The Ghosts of Henry Hudson
and his crew - Ghosts that share purple magic liquor with van Winkle
Tags:
Buzzards Bay , Buttermilk Bay , Electric Avenue Beach , Joseph Jefferson , Jefferson Shores , Upper Cape
Nancy S. Angus
