White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
White Horse Beach is a village of Plymouth, Massachusetts
, United States
. It consists of 560 feet of public beach in the White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
section of Plymouth and is located on Cape Cod Bay
, south of Priscilla Beach
. Much of the southern end of the beach, which is also known as Taylor Avenue Beach, south of the outflow of Bartlett Pond
, either has cottages on it or has a fenced off conservation area to protect the dunes and fragile plant life.
At the north end of the beach is a rock sticking out of the water with an American flag painted on. This act of patriotism was performed to cover a Nazi swastika
painted on the rock, so it is said by locals. In the summer of 1941 the local teenagers painted the first flag; but these patriots all joined the armed forces after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941. The harsh winter storms washed the flag thin so the swastika showed through. The next Fourth of July the tradition of re-painting the flag was born. Ed Fitzgerald, a White Horse resident, was part of that group. When Ed was of age he also joined the military service and left the tradition to his cousins, the Bradley boys of Priscilla Beach. For years they maintained the flag each Fourth of July until 1985 when family home was sold.
There is a small business district just beyond the north end of the beach. It has a general store
and a Post Office
. Its ZIP code
is 02381. Residents and businesses in this village that are non-Post Office box
holders use Plymouth's ZIP code of 02360.
Further inland are St. Catherine's Church (which has now been closed permanently) and White Horse Cemetery, which dates back to the early 18th century. The Post Office was built in the former White Horse Bowling Alley [candle pin] that included Pool Tables, and pin ball machines. Pin setting was done manually by "Pin Spotters" who had to move fast to keep up with the Bowlers. Two hotels were located on White Horse Beach, the Mayflower and the White Horse Hotel. The Mayflower has since burned and the area developed into Condos. White Horse Hotel was torn down in the sixties to make way for a Parking Lot.
, a professional center for drama education and performance. It is also the location of Bartlett Pond (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
which is a shallow eutrophic pond located behind White Horse Beach. This pond is fed by Beaver Dam Brook and its outlet flows into Cape Cod Bay
. White Horse was known as part of the "Irish Riviera" due to the large population of Dorchester, Somerville and South Boston Irish who would vacation there in the 40's, 50's an 60's. It was the typical Summer Colony that you would find on the South Shore and Cape Cod. Many cottages still stand to this day. Some have been destroyed by storms and some renovated to Beach McMansions.
White Horse Beach is also widely known for its Independence Day
celebrations, which occur on July 3rd. This early celebration of Independence Day extends back to the 1800s, when residents burned scrap and driftwood
on the beach. Tradition would dictate that these bonfires be extinguished by the rising tide. Depending on the phase of the moon, festivities would go late into the evening. In recent years, the town Fire Department has begun to request permits for bonfires (non-permitted bonfires are sometimes removed by the Fire Department). Historically town officials have requested that these fires be extinguished at midnight. Also in recent years, the celebrations have experienced a "crackdown by Police and Fire Departments" to deter the historically massive bonfire
s and fireworks
. To date "NO Public Parking or Restroom Facilities" are provided on location for this event. It is argued that this is done to deter lower income non-residents from attending.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It consists of 560 feet of public beach in the White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
White Horse Beach, Massachusetts
White Horse Beach is a village of Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. It consists of 560 feet of public beach in the White Horse Beach, Massachusetts section of Plymouth and is located on Cape Cod Bay, south of Priscilla Beach...
section of Plymouth and is located on Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south and east, and Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to the west....
, south of Priscilla Beach
Priscilla Beach, Massachusetts
Priscilla Beach is a village of Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. It consists of a private beach on Cape Cod Bay in the Manomet section of Plymouth, located between Pilgrim Station and White Horse Beach. The Priscilla Beach Association was formed on July 17, 1937, to promote and foster the...
. Much of the southern end of the beach, which is also known as Taylor Avenue Beach, south of the outflow of Bartlett Pond
Bartlett Pond (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
Bartlett Pond is a pond in the Manomet section of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The inflow of the pond is Beaver Dam Brook, and the outflow is an unnamed river that empties into Cape Cod Bay. White Horse Beach nearly surrounds the pond, lying to the southwest, west and north. Manomet Heights lies on...
, either has cottages on it or has a fenced off conservation area to protect the dunes and fragile plant life.
At the north end of the beach is a rock sticking out of the water with an American flag painted on. This act of patriotism was performed to cover a Nazi swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
painted on the rock, so it is said by locals. In the summer of 1941 the local teenagers painted the first flag; but these patriots all joined the armed forces after Pearl Harbor was bombed in December 1941. The harsh winter storms washed the flag thin so the swastika showed through. The next Fourth of July the tradition of re-painting the flag was born. Ed Fitzgerald, a White Horse resident, was part of that group. When Ed was of age he also joined the military service and left the tradition to his cousins, the Bradley boys of Priscilla Beach. For years they maintained the flag each Fourth of July until 1985 when family home was sold.
There is a small business district just beyond the north end of the beach. It has a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
and a Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. Its ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 02381. Residents and businesses in this village that are non-Post Office box
Post Office box
A post-office box or Post Office box is a uniquely addressable lockable box located on the premises of a post office station....
holders use Plymouth's ZIP code of 02360.
Further inland are St. Catherine's Church (which has now been closed permanently) and White Horse Cemetery, which dates back to the early 18th century. The Post Office was built in the former White Horse Bowling Alley [candle pin] that included Pool Tables, and pin ball machines. Pin setting was done manually by "Pin Spotters" who had to move fast to keep up with the Bowlers. Two hotels were located on White Horse Beach, the Mayflower and the White Horse Hotel. The Mayflower has since burned and the area developed into Condos. White Horse Hotel was torn down in the sixties to make way for a Parking Lot.
Activities and Recreation
White Horse Beach, Massachusetts is home to the Priscilla Beach TheatrePriscilla Beach Theatre
Priscilla Beach Theatre , located in the Manomet section of Plymouth at Priscilla Beach, was one of the original "barn" theatres in America. It was founded in 1937 by Dr. Franklin Trask. His wife, Agnes, became PBT's first artistic director...
, a professional center for drama education and performance. It is also the location of Bartlett Pond (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
Bartlett Pond (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
Bartlett Pond is a pond in the Manomet section of Plymouth, Massachusetts. The inflow of the pond is Beaver Dam Brook, and the outflow is an unnamed river that empties into Cape Cod Bay. White Horse Beach nearly surrounds the pond, lying to the southwest, west and north. Manomet Heights lies on...
which is a shallow eutrophic pond located behind White Horse Beach. This pond is fed by Beaver Dam Brook and its outlet flows into Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south and east, and Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to the west....
. White Horse was known as part of the "Irish Riviera" due to the large population of Dorchester, Somerville and South Boston Irish who would vacation there in the 40's, 50's an 60's. It was the typical Summer Colony that you would find on the South Shore and Cape Cod. Many cottages still stand to this day. Some have been destroyed by storms and some renovated to Beach McMansions.
White Horse Beach is also widely known for its Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebrations, which occur on July 3rd. This early celebration of Independence Day extends back to the 1800s, when residents burned scrap and driftwood
Driftwood
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides, waves or man. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack....
on the beach. Tradition would dictate that these bonfires be extinguished by the rising tide. Depending on the phase of the moon, festivities would go late into the evening. In recent years, the town Fire Department has begun to request permits for bonfires (non-permitted bonfires are sometimes removed by the Fire Department). Historically town officials have requested that these fires be extinguished at midnight. Also in recent years, the celebrations have experienced a "crackdown by Police and Fire Departments" to deter the historically massive bonfire
Bonfire
A bonfire is a controlled outdoor fire used for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Celebratory bonfires are typically designed to burn quickly and may be very large...
s and fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. To date "NO Public Parking or Restroom Facilities" are provided on location for this event. It is argued that this is done to deter lower income non-residents from attending.
See also
- Neighborhoods in Plymouth, MassachusettsNeighborhoods in Plymouth, MassachusettsThere are several neighborhoods in Plymouth, Massachusetts. With a total area of 134.0 mi² , Plymouth is the largest municipality in Massachusetts by area. In addition, with a population of 51,701 at the 2000 census and an estimated population of 57,901 in 2007, Plymouth is the second-largest town...
- Priscilla BeachPriscilla Beach, MassachusettsPriscilla Beach is a village of Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. It consists of a private beach on Cape Cod Bay in the Manomet section of Plymouth, located between Pilgrim Station and White Horse Beach. The Priscilla Beach Association was formed on July 17, 1937, to promote and foster the...
- White Horse BeachWhite Horse Beach, MassachusettsWhite Horse Beach is a village of Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. It consists of 560 feet of public beach in the White Horse Beach, Massachusetts section of Plymouth and is located on Cape Cod Bay, south of Priscilla Beach...
Landmarks
White Horse Beach landmarks include:- Coast Guard Station, a former United States Coast GuardUnited States Coast GuardThe United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
station which although no longer there has a stone memorial to deceased surfmen - White Horse General Store
- Flag Rock