[ 38 ] The Chapel of St. James the Fisherman

In the 1950s, Wellfleet Episcopalians, under leadership of Rev. James Pike, Episcopal Bishop of California, began meeting for worship services in private homes. Later, during the summer months they met in the Congregational Church. Construction of the Chapel of St. James the Fisherman, designed as a church in the round by architect Olav Hammarstrom, began in 1956 on land donated by Mr. & Mrs. Carey Melville and Mrs. Melville Arnold. The Chapel was dedicated in September, 1957, by the Rt. Rev. A. Phelps Stokes Jr.

[ 39 ] Pond Hill School

Look for Mile Marker #100 on Route 6 just
south of Pleasant Point/Paine Hollow Road

Members of the Ladies Social Union in this 1890s photograph were: “Mrs. Eva W. Smith, Mrs. Arthur Newcomb, Mrs. Otis Paine, Mrs. Winslow Paine, Mrs. Frank Crowell, Mrs. Solomon Atwood, and standing on the right, Miss Nettie Paine.”

Pond Hill School was built in 1857 as one of Wellfleet’s eleven schoolhouses.  In 1889, the by then abandoned building was purchased by women of The Ladies Social Union for a meeting hall. In 1912, with cooperation of Trustees of the Wellfleet Public Library, they opened a library on the second floor. Since 1944, when the Ladies Social Union merged with a newly organized South Wellfleet Neighborhood Association, this interesting and well preserved building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has been a popular Community Center. A Memorial List honors South Wellfleet World War II veterans.

[ 40 ] South Wellfleet Cemetery and Site of Second Congregational Church

Turn east off Route 6 onto Cemetery Road
just north of South Wellfleet Fire Station

Photo circa 1840

In 1833 when this Church was organized and the Cemetery laid out, South Wellfleet was the center of a prosperous community of fishermen and whalers whose ships docked at wharves along Blackfish Creek. Decline of the whaling industry following discovery of crude oil in Pennsylvania, the silting-in of parts of Blackfish Creek, and later the collapse of the mackerel fishery, forced people to look for opportunities elsewhere. The church building was moved to Wellfleet Center by the DAR and later became the Town Hall. One fenced area is dedicated to the memory of “Unknown Sailors.”

[ 41 ] MIA Memorial Park

Heading west from Route 6 at the Pleasant Point/Paine Hollow sign, or at Way 112, go to Paine Hollow Road, following it to “Dead End” sign where you should turn left on Pond Avenue, continuing toward Blackfish Creek until you see Spruce Street/ Wigwam Street. A short distance along Spruce Street you will see this sign marking the beginning of the trail leading to the Memorial Park. You will have traveled about eight-tenths of a mile from Route 6.

The Howard family set aside this lovely pine grove on the shore of Blackfish Creek and dedicated it to the memory of Robert W. Howard. Army Sgt. Howard had been a Prisoner of War in Korea in 1951, and was later reported to have “died of malnutrition on a forced march”. At the dedication in 1983, presided over by Board of Selectmen Chair, Florence Schmidt, Robert’s father, Alvah Howard, and other relatives, friends and members of the American Legion gathered to honor “All American Service Men and Women Missing in Action”.

At the time this was the only memorial to Missing-in-Action service personnel in Massachusetts.

[ 42 ] South Wellfleet Fire Station

On east side of Route 6 between South Wellfleet Cemetery and entrance to Marconi site

This plaque, inside the South Wellfleet Fire Sub-Station, is dedicated to those who donated their labor in construction of the Fire Station, built in 1977.

[ 43 ] Methodist-Episcopal Church Site

In woods about forty-five feet north of
South Wellfleet Fire Sub-Station

In the first half of the nineteenth century the American Methodist Church was known as the Methodist-Episcopal Church. During that time local Methodists built a small church on this site to serve South Wellfleet. In 1938 the three branches of Methodism re-united. This site may also have been the location of Methodist Camp Meetings.

[ 44 ] Wireless Station Road Post

About one half mile from Route 6 on
right off Lecount Hollow Road

This three foot granite post marks the road used by Mr. Charlie Paine on his horse “Diamond”, when he carried King Edward VII’s Transatlantic Wireless Telegram message from the Marconi station to the teletype office in Wellfleet to be forwarded to President Theodore Roosevelt.