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Many of the homes along Commercial Street in Provincetown have wonderful lush gardens, full of color and life. This one belongs to architect Brad Walker, design principal at Ruhl Walker Architects in Boston. I actually haven’t even stopped by to see it yet, but he sent me these pictures.
The best things in life are free. Well, not really, but aren’t these sweet?
If you’re planning on visiting the Outer Cape this summer, there’s a new gallery you should definitely check out – Farm. Co-owned by hip NYC graphic designer Susie Nielsen, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I popped in the other day, Farm brings cutting edge paintings, drawings, and installations to the Wellfleet art scene. The space is charming too. (And, yes, there was a glimpse of sunshine here.)
Walk around back for the view.
I don’t know much about Martha’s Vineyard. I went for the first time last year, to see a house for a Globe magazine piece. I had a few hours to walk around Edgartown (got a cute Michael Stars ombré dress), so it was fun. Not long after, I went back for story for Cape Cod & Islands Home. This time it was in and out – I think I was on the island all of two hours. I ferried over again yesterday, for another piece for them. Again, a quickie, but I had two hours to kill in Oak Bluffs before my return crossing. After grabbing a sandwich and assessing the shops as tourist trap junk, I decided to wander. I happened upon this sign: The Martha’s Vineyard Campmeeting Association. Hmm. Looked like a little village; the houses were charming, all gingerbread cottages painted pretty colors, huddled together like, well, camp cabins. I took a ton of pictures (unfortunately it wasn’t sunny, so the colors don’t shine), and when I got home did some brief research.
According to the Martha’s Vineyard Campmeeting Association website, the enclave contains “the most perfectly preserved collection of Carpenter Gothic style architecture in the world.” How they came about is really quite interesting. The association is a non-profit religious organization that was established in 1835.
According to the MMVCA, from the first campmeeting in 1835 until 1859, ministers preached from a makeshift stand. In 1869, a huge tent was raised over Wesleyan Grove (a common area) to protect the congregation from the heat and rain. In 1879, the iron Tabernacle was built in Wesleyan Grove, which was restored and upgraded in 1999 by the architecture firm Durkee Brown.
Photo courtesy of Durkee Brown Architects
Thousands attended the services. They were housed in large tents knows as “society tents.” Conditions were cramped, with men and women sleeping dormitory-style on opposite sides of a central canvas divider. Over time, families began leasing small lots on which to pitch their own individual tents. In the 1860s and 1870s, the family tents were rapidly replaced with permanent wooden cottages. At one time there were about 500 cottages; today there are just over 300.
The cottages are privately owned; many have been passed down through generations. Some are pristine, others are a bit ramshackle, but all are adorable. There are usually some available for rent – see the current listings here. The Tabernacle hosts all sorts of events, and interdenominational worship services are held there on summer Sunday mornings.
Here are my photos of the cottages:
Last Saturday night my husband and I got a sitter and ventured out to a party at a friend’s in the South End. Having left the house in a hurry (why stick around when you’ve hired a sitter?) we found ourselves across town way too early. So we wandered about, and ran into friends in front of a community garden near Braddock Park (not sure of its name). They were with their nine year old daughter, Claire, who, at her mom’s urging, showed me “the vine.” Turns out Claire is the youngest member of the South End Knitters.
Having just Googled “South End Knitters,” I’ve now learned that this isn’t the first time the group has adorned mundane objects in the city. It seems, in addition to scarves, booties, and the like, soft graffiti is their thing. According to this article in the Boston Globe from January of this year, the South End knitters dressed a lamppost outside the Flour Bakery on Washington Street, where they often meet. The article goes on to expalin that their public fiber art was inspired by Knitta Please, a group of “guerilla knitters” that was founded in Houston by Magda Sayeg in 200.
Here are some more shots of the garland and the garden. I was armed only with my iphone, but the shots aren’t too bad. Happy weekend!
