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Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
Postcards from Falmouth Oral History Transcript
Recorded: July 30, 2021
Oral Historian: Robert Blomberg
Interviewer: Troy Clarkson
Topic: Woods Hole Public Library, Woods Hole Historical Museum
Note: The right column references postcards by identifiers searchable in the Digital
Commonwealth online collection.
00:00
[Music]
00:45
so Rob welcome thank you for
00:47
participating in
00:48
this important project and
00:50
today we will be discussing a postcard
00:53
that's been given to you and this one is
00:56
of the Woods Hole Library which has a
#woodshole
#woodsholepubliclibrary
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0587
through 0590
00:57
rich history here in Falmouth so thank
01:00
you for being willing to chat about it
01:01
and just tell us about the postcard and
01:04
your connection to it so uh the Woods
01:06
Hole Library is a
01:08
very important connection to me I think
01:10
probably the first time I was ever there
01:11
I was maybe two or two and a half years
01:13
old
01:14
I didn't grow up in Woods Hole I grew up
1
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
01:17
in Connecticut but my parents
01:18
grandparents both grew up here and
01:21
certainly the time you know every time I
01:23
would come down when the library would
01:24
be open it was a wonderful place to go
01:26
to grab books a very very comfortable
01:28
area and then in the years to come I
01:30
wouldn't didn't realize how involved I
01:32
would be in the library right now I’m
01:34
currently the the Vice President of the
01:36
uh of the Board of the library itself
01:39
and heavily involved with many of the
01:40
activities
01:42
today what I’d like to do if I could is
01:45
go through some of the history of the
01:46
library itself uh it's certainly one of
01:48
the key meeting places anywhere in Woods
01:50
Hole and certainly it's considered to be
01:52
one of the friendliest places in Woods
01:54
Hole in fact a writer from the Reader's
01:56
Digest in 1961 on the way to the
01:57
Vineyard found that he had missed the
01:59
book the boat with his family and family
02:01
he had himself his wife and three three
02:03
children and wandered around and ended
02:06
up going the library and spent over two
02:08
hours there and he
2
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
02:09
had the comment afterwards this is by
02:11
far and away the friendliest place in
02:12
this little town I think it's still like
02:14
that today
02:17
so what a great story indicative of the
02:19
the value I always say that the public
02:22
library or any library
02:25
is
02:26
the heart and soul of a community and so
02:29
the Woods Hole Library is part of the
02:30
heart and soul of that village which is
02:32
critical to the character of our our
02:35
community you mentioned before we went
02:36
on camera that it's been actually um
02:39
since it was founded in February of 1873
02:42
been in four different locations so talk
02:44
to us about the journey of the library
02:46
and how it it wound up where it is today
02:49
great I so yes the library started in
02:51
February of 1873 initially was called
02:54
the Woods Hole Social Library not the
02:56
Woods Hole Public Library but rather the
02:58
Woods Hole Social Library and it started up
03:01
really a gathering of the Woods Hole
03:02
residents
03:03
one of the real key founders was this of
03:06
this was a man named Asa Shiverick and he
3
#1873
#asashiverick #shiverick
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
03:08
was the superintendent of the Pacific
#pacificguanocompany
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0564
03:10
Guano Factory a lot of people I don't
03:12
think are aware that there's a large
03:14
guano factory in Penzance Point and he
03:16
was the founder and initially was
03:19
involved with
03:21
involving the community they ended up
03:23
issuing 89 shares for the original
03:26
Woods Hole Social Library at two dollars
apiece
03:28
and what did they do with that oh
03:31
they end up buying books with their
03:32
funds they donated a lot of their own
03:34
books as well and the first library
03:36
actually met in the base of Asa
03:38
Shiverick’s house which is right in the
03:40
corner of Water Street and School Street
#penzancepoint
#waterstreet
#schoolstreet
Gunning_WoodsHole_Sts_0801
through 811 &
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03:43
and back then was called Main Street
03:44
hadn't been changed to Water Street at
03:46
that point uh he was Mr. Shiverick was
03:49
was very nice about it he donated some
03:51
of the oil lamps there and the heat that
03:54
lasted there and members were expected
4
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
03:56
to pay a dollar per year to check out
03:59
books and non-members five cents so a
04:01
little bit different than there is today
04:03
so that was the first location um they
04:05
were there for about five years and they
04:07
moved down to what was then called
04:09
Liberty Hall which is now known as
04:10
Community Hall right beyond the
04:12
drawbridge itself it was built because
04:15
things were really getting you know the
04:16
library was starting to grow
04:18
and they were there for about 17 years
04:20
they shared the basement with other
04:22
things such as a barber shop and a
04:23
tailor
04:24
they weren't open every every day though
04:26
primarily they were open Wednesdays and
04:28
Saturdays and became so popular that
04:31
people would wait in line outside just
04:32
to come in they're open for really two
04:34
to three hours every day at that point
04:36
um
04:37
third location actually moved again
04:40
right across the drawbridge uh this
04:42
would have been diagonally across from
04:44
where the bridge tenders are right now
04:46
it was a
#woodsholecommunityhall
5
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
04:47
house called the Swift House and what
#swifthouse
#swift
04:49
they did there they were there sort of a
04:51
short period of time
04:52
because the rent was a hundred dollars a
04:54
year which they felt was too expensive
04:56
for those you're not familiar this would
04:58
be right next to where the Redfield
04:59
Building is now and
05:00
later on this building became a
05:02
drugstore called Daley’s Drugstore which
05:04
I remember as a young boy the old soda
05:06
fountain that was there was absolutely
05:08
great you could have a milkshake or an
05:10
ice cream and you could watch the boats
05:11
go right through the open channel
05:14
so after a very short time there they
05:16
then moved up to what's now Little
05:18
Harbor Road but back then was called
05:20
Government Street
Hunt_WoodsHole_Har_583 &
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through 872
05:22
it was Fish's Grocery Store and they
#fishsgrocerystore
05:24
lived they were there rent-free had
05:26
about 2000 books at that point and they
05:29
stayed there until 1910. by the time
05:31
1910 came around the Fish building was
05:34
sold and the decision was made that you
#daleysdrugstore
#littleharborroad
#1910
6
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
05:36
know there's enough people in Woods Hole
05:38
between the year-round residents and the
05:40
summer residents
05:42
let's buy a lot and the lot where the
05:44
library is currently located was bought
05:46
at that point but the problem was all
05:48
the money they supplied for the lot they
05:50
really couldn't put anything other than
05:52
buying the land itself so they waited
05:55
about three years
05:56
they were able to raise money
05:58
they ended up having the books and a
06:00
room that was vacant in what was then
06:02
the Woods Hole School on School Street
#woodsholeschool
06:04
and by 1913 they'd raised enough money
#1913
06:07
pop year-round population was about 500
06:11
summer population’s about 1500 and enough
06:13
people agreed to donate money and funds
06:17
to build the library itself so by then
06:20
five thousand dollars was raised they
06:22
built the building uh opened in 1913
06:26
and the fieldstone that's on the outer
06:28
part of the library itself is fieldstone
06:30
that came from Woods Hole and Quisset
06:32
so the library itself as we know it
06:34
today really goes back to 1913 but we
06:37
had the land as of 1910.
7
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
06:40
and and so over a hundred years
06:42
the Woods Hole Library in that current
06:44
location has been
06:46
as people enter the village one of the
06:49
uh architectural features and uh
06:52
really one of the highlights of the
06:54
entry into the village but it's so much
06:56
more than that more than an
06:58
architectural feature of the village as
07:00
I mentioned a few minutes ago it's
07:01
really part of the heart and soul of the
07:03
village and to this day welcomes
07:06
residents and visitors
07:07
community groups
07:09
and despite how technology has changed
07:12
our lives
07:13
libraries are still a very important
07:15
part of the community so talk to us a
07:17
little bit about what
07:19
the Woods Hole Library means to the
07:20
village and the town today
07:22
so you know I think as you look at the
07:24
village it's a very good point I think
07:26
as you look at the library itself
07:29
we have a wonderful staff there who
07:30
obviously is coordinating the you know
07:33
the magazines the books the circular but
8
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
07:36
it's a lot of the events that take place
07:38
as well
07:39
we have many annual events that occur
07:41
the the plant sale is very popular we
07:44
have the accessories sale which is
07:45
actually is coming up in early August
07:49
one of the interesting things is Super
07:51
Bowl Sunday for a lot of people means
07:52
football and recently the Patriots well
07:55
if you're in Woods Hole
07:57
it means the fabric sale the fabric sale
07:59
is a very popular event that's occurred
08:02
so those are things that are sort of
08:03
recurring events but in addition
08:05
we have lectures
08:07
we have a lot of musical performances
08:09
that take place there there are book
08:11
groups that have met there
08:13
many children's groups come in there's
08:16
currently a camp the Children's School
08:18
of Science is in they they tend to stop
08:20
by
08:22
MBL has a camp that comes in
#childrensschoolofscience
Marine Biological Laboratories
#mbl
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through 555
9
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
08:24
children have been a huge part of of the
08:26
Woods Hole Library as I mentioned you
08:28
know my first time was probably when I
08:30
was two two and a half
08:32
and one of the later additions that they
08:35
made back in the 1950s uh had a whole
08:38
children's wing put in there as well and
08:41
I think it's because of the welcoming
08:42
nature of the staff
08:44
the great volunteers
08:46
last year was was a very difficult year
08:48
with a pandemic and yet the library
08:51
itself was only closed for about two
08:53
months the decision was made to have
08:55
people place orders
08:56
they opened up the courtyard itself so
08:59
anyone that wanted a book or magazine or
09:01
periodical could go in and they could
09:03
check things out at that point
09:06
gradually as things improved a little
09:08
bit we allowed limited access in
09:10
and people needed books they needed the
09:13
magazines and the staff worked extremely
09:16
hard last year Margaret McCormick was
09:17
the director and her staff were
09:19
wonderful very creative in allowing this
09:22
and I think
#pandemic
10
#margaretmccormick
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
09:23
with so many things being closed in the
09:24
town of Falmouth in the village Woods
09:26
Hole last year
09:27
other than about a two-month period the
09:29
library remained open and was a very
09:31
very important part of the community and
09:34
provided a lot of necessary things that
09:36
needed to take place
09:38
excellent so
09:40
it continued as it has
09:43
since 1873 to be an important part of of
09:46
the community right what else would you
09:48
like to share about either the history
09:50
or the
09:51
the uh the ongoing presence of the Woods
09:54
Hole Library in the community so I
09:55
what's what's interesting of course too
09:57
is you know we have the library and the
09:59
next door neighbor is the Woods Hole
10:01
historic collection which goes back to
10:02
1974.
#1974
10:04
in the Bradley House itself and there is
#bradleyhouse
10:07
a very strong partnership the Woods
10:08
Hole Library is actually the in
10:11
effect the parent corporation of the
10:13
Woods Hole historic collection of the
10:14
Woods Hole Museum and I think that the
11
#woodsholehistoricalmuseum
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
10:16
two groups together work very well um
10:20
Franklin Gifford one of the great
10:22
painters one of the great artists of
10:23
Woods Hole
10:24
tremendous collection that he has in the
10:26
Ratcliffe Room which is the most recent
10:28
edition in the downstairs portion of the
10:30
library itself and many of the original
10:32
paintings are also in the Woods Hole
10:35
museum the Woods Hole Historic Museum
10:37
you know right next door
10:39
these the historic Swift boat barn Dr.
10:42
Yale's workshop is there
10:44
and for those people that really haven't
10:46
gotten Woods Hole too much uh every
10:48
year we we change the second exhibit we
10:51
have one primary exhibit which talks
10:53
about the history of Woods Hole
10:55
I’ve been very fortunate I’ve been doing
10:56
the historic walking tours of Woods Hole
10:58
for four years and we get 100 150 or
11:01
more people every year coming to Woods
11:02
Hole
11:03
they see the library they enjoy the
11:05
library aspect they go in they're very
11:06
comfortable there
11:08
they participate in the book sale which
#franklingifford
#leroymiltonyale
12
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
11:09
is both an outdoor and indoor book sale
11:11
but they also enjoy the museum itself
11:13
and you know gallery 2 this year we just
11:16
have a new exhibit for the indigenous
11:17
people of Woods Hole and and Cape Cod
11:20
for that matter a lot in the Wampanoag
11:22
but a lot of the glacial formations etc
11:25
and similar to what the library does
11:28
the Woods Hole museum produces the Woods
#woodsholeweeklydispatch
11:31
Hole Weekly Dispatch Debbie Scanlon
#deborahscanlon
11:33
Colleen Hurter do a wonderful job with
#colleenhurter
11:35
that mainsheet is distributed as well so
11:38
between both organizations are their
11:40
next door neighbors to each other they
11:42
share the same land
11:44
it's it's a great opportunity for people
11:46
to come to Woods Hole they get their
11:47
books their periodicals from the library
11:50
they get to participate in a lot of the
11:51
events there and then they go next door
11:53
to the museum the museum you know has a
11:55
semi-annual auction that takes place
11:57
there and they also have a lot of events
12:00
as well including the Woods Hole
12:02
Conversations and lectures that take
12:03
place and much of the
12:06
many of the lectures and other meetings
13
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
12:08
that take place there's a few larger
12:10
facilities within the library itself and
12:11
the lower level so they're able to do
12:13
that so um you know Woods Hole again
12:15
village of less than 800 people there's
12:16
a lot of things going on there and we
12:18
draw so many people not just from the
12:20
town of Falmouth but from the Cape as
12:22
well as you know domestically and
12:24
internationally as well
12:26
so you raise a good point about uh
12:29
Woods Hole's identity as a village like
12:31
many of the villages in Falmouth
12:33
although it's part of the larger
12:35
Falmouth community it has
12:37
a very strong identity and its own
12:40
history and so you said you you lead
12:42
walking tours uh so take us from the
12:44
library uh briefly on just some of the
12:47
highlights of some of those other
12:49
historic sites in the village so it is
12:52
interesting is I start the tours inside
12:54
in Gallery One and there's a timeline
12:56
there and we have photos of the historic
12:59
you know the famous people of Woods Hole
13:00
but then as you work your way around I
13:02
mean Little Harbor had the original
#littleharbor
14
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
13:03
settlements going back to 1679 there
#1679
13:06
were
13:06
12 families half from Sandwich half from
13:09
Falmouth several of them were Quakers
13:11
that started so Little Harbor was the
13:13
initial part of Woods Hole so we start
13:16
there we make our way down Water Street
13:18
you know I’ll talk about uh you know not
13:20
so much what's now the Steamship area
#ferry
13:22
but rather what was the railroad area it
#railroad
Gunning_WoodsHole_Har_0855
through 0903 &
Hunt_WoodsHole_Har_582
through 590
Hunt_WoodsHole_Tran_607
13:24
was a very important part my grandfather
13:26
was the general agent uh for New Haven
13:28
Railroad back then and at one point
13:30
there were nine railroad tracks that
13:32
came into Woods Hole the two tracks that
13:33
came in and nine that that uh were there
13:36
you know obviously the the boats not
13:38
just to the Martha’s Vineyard as we
13:39
currently have but also to Nantucket New
13:42
Bedford and Fall River it's a very very
13:44
popular line and that brought a lot of
13:46
the people in so as we go down as we
13:48
make our way down Water Street out if I
13:50
don't lose anyone at Pie In the Sky
15
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
13:51
which does happen occasionally though
13:53
sneak in to get something to eat you
13:54
know I’ll talk about the post office
13:57
uh what is now Under the Sun was the
13:58
former Congregational church
14:00
what's what's now the Woods Hole Inn has
14:02
always been a hotel back 150 years or so
14:05
Hotel Avery Hotel Nobska was there
14:07
continue down past Dyer's Dock
14:10
stopping at the Eel Pond Bridge
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0584
through 586
#eelpond
#eelpondbridge
Gunning_WoodsHole_Pnd_0904
14:12
we've had a bridge there for about 200
14:14
years at this point which sort of ends
14:17
you know the early the upper part of the
14:19
business district itself but then making
14:22
our way down to Smith and Bigelow and
14:24
the WHOI
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institute
#whoi
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0735
through 744
14:25
buildings that are there that go back to
14:26
1930 across the street from that you
14:29
know a lot of those buildings 150 160
14:31
years old uh back to when uh Woods Hole
14:34
was a whaling port four whaling ships
16
#whaling
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
14:36
were built in Woods Hole 14 other ships
14:38
uh we refurbished to the point that
14:40
Woods Hole was deforested at one point
14:42
as there was so much work that was done
14:44
so everything from the Woods Hole wharf
14:46
down past Captain Kidd and Woods Hole
14:47
Market those were buildings that had to
14:50
do with cooper with barrel making with
14:52
sail making provisions um continuing the
14:55
walk down to what really is MBL the old
14:58
Candle House which was uh uh served as a
#candlehouse
Hunt_WoodsHole_Bldg_535
15:00
place for spermaceti uh candles being
15:03
made there down to waterfront park the
15:06
beautiful view of of the Woods Hole
15:08
passage at that point I mean people ask
15:10
you know how did Woods Hole get its name
15:12
well the reality was we don't know who
15:13
Woods was but hole of course is a
15:15
nautical term smaller body of water
15:17
between two larger bodies of water and
15:19
in this case we've got Vineyard Sound on
15:20
one side and Buzzards Bay on the other
15:22
so the Woods Hole passage is that hole
15:24
but as you make your way down through
15:26
the Elizabeth Islands you've got
15:27
Quick’s Hole and Robinson’s Hole going out
#elizabethislands
17
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
15:29
all the way to Cuttyhunk so we usually
15:31
make a turn there you know I talked I I
15:34
walk behind Lillie and Crane
15:37
beautiful view of Eel Pond you know
15:38
looking
15:40
east at that point toward you know the
15:42
Woods Hole School make our way up by the
15:44
Marine Resource Center and then cut up
15:47
the other side of Water Street
15:49
going uh really across you know into the
15:51
WHOI area as well the WHOI campus uh the
15:54
past the old Methodist church it's now
15:56
the WHOI exhibit center uh the choirs
15:58
across the Michael Walsh Garden uh with
16:01
all the rambler roses and all the other
16:02
garden and you know beautiful pollinated
16:04
garden that WHOI has done for that then
16:06
past Challenger House which Mrs. Swift
16:09
was attacked in 1777 by the British she
16:12
drove them off with a broom after they
16:13
stole most of her livestock and we wrap
16:15
up back at the museum itself so it's a
16:17
it's a fun walking tour and what's nice
16:20
is for the people that come we have some
16:21
people that are Falmouth residents that
16:23
know a lot about Woods Hole but a lot
16:25
come in they're either there they're
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#michaelwalsh
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0625
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
16:27
visitors heading to the Vineyard they're
16:28
there because the scientific community
16:30
whether it's WHOI MBL NOAA
16:34
you know
16:35
Woodwell Climate Institute whatever it
16:36
might be um others are artisans you know
16:39
I talk a lot about the artistic
16:41
community we have the currently the
16:43
Community Hall which has been in
16:44
existence
16:45
for well over 100 years at this point
16:47
has an art show there
16:49
we've got parts of the Woods Hole Film
16:51
Festival the box office will be using
16:53
the old fire station so Woods Hole has a
16:55
lot of things to a lot of different
16:57
people and
16:58
it's a very fascinating place to come
17:00
and certainly the library and the museum
17:02
are major parts of it wonderful so one
17:05
of the highlights on the tour and and I
17:07
just learned
17:09
several things
17:11
during your virtual tour just now of the
17:14
village starting at the library but one
17:15
of the sites you mentioned was the Woods
17:17
Hole School when I was a kid
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
19
#woodsholefilmfestival
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
17:20
it was still
17:21
a public elementary school
17:23
and so people my age went
17:26
some went to elementary school there so
17:29
and the linkage between
17:31
learning
17:32
at the library and
17:34
learning in general is is significant so
17:37
yeah
17:38
is there any sort of history between the
17:41
Woods Hole School and the Woods Hole
17:42
Library that you’re aware of absolutely so you
17:44
mentioned that yeah both my parents were
17:46
proud graduates of the Woods Hole School
17:48
um it is interesting also that the Woods
17:50
Hole School is the only building in Woods
17:52
Hole that's on the National Register of
17:53
Historic Places even the Candle House
17:55
part of MBL is not
17:57
there's been this very strong connection
17:59
between the Children's School of Science
18:02
and the library itself and when the
18:04
Woods Hole Library did have students
18:06
before they they went to Mullen-Hall
18:08
there were extensive programs that took
18:10
place many of the teachers brought their
18:12
classes over to the library itself again
20
#nationalregisterofhistoricplaces
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
18:13
you had a perfect set up with you know
18:15
tremendous like you know there were
18:17
books obviously a smaller library at the
18:19
Woods Hole School but they they brought
18:21
their classes over during class after
18:23
class and you know many students would
18:25
come over and do their homework
18:27
at the library itself with with some of
18:28
the desks and areas that were set up
18:30
it's it's always been very very children
18:32
friendly uh place
18:34
wonderful
18:35
so
18:37
anything else you want to share with us
18:39
well no thank you very much Troy I
18:40
appreciate uh given the opportunity to
18:43
tell the Falmouth community about
18:46
all the wonderful things about the Woods
18:47
Hole Library and the Woods Hole Historic
18:48
Museum and please come down and visit
18:51
they would be happy to have you and a
18:53
lot to see in Woods Hole and happen to
18:55
stop by the museum we do have some of
18:56
the brochures from the tours themselves
18:58
who you can do your own walking tour if
19:00
it's a day that that I’m not giving
19:02
tours wonderful well Rob Blomberg thank
21
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
19:05
you so much I always say it takes a name
19:07
to make a town but people to make a
19:09
community so thank you for being one of
19:11
the people that keeps the spirit in the
19:13
history of Woods Hole and the Woods Hole
19:15
Library alive thank you very much Troy
19:16
appreciate it
22
�
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Transcript of Robert Blomberg's Oral History on Woods Hole Public Library and the Woods Hole Historical Museum
1679
1873
1910
1913
1974
Asa Shiverick
Bradley House
Candle House
Children's School of Science
Colleen Hurter
COVID-19
Daley's Drugstore
Deborah Scanlon
Eel Pond
Eel Pond Bridge
Elizabeth Islands
ferry
Fish's Grocery Store
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little harbor
little harbor road
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Postcards from Falmouth
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/32209/archive/files/a1cb8c38547aecc792329e1c21b0adf1.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=sLL4ppzVGIIGJrltR3VmBtOEEKNflY6Qj0brpUNb7urhljwK-956bPaHTy9c0fQfFKF06eyFzhwL3lcR0PTkSeqy8LRPMnfm9FGPMY27Ewnk-%7EplY5M2pGJWIeGLO-GRGtSupFfSHspsCcOoi0QLQBTlt9N1pureIHHzSxFjbT1fjtILhTyi1RjsAmPj2G4I%7ESfoyWuTNVLktEi%7ELDgWQhb%7EubvgdsCpq36C-g0xWPEGYGIY094G8BUOAAKTRx2aqzRxJpZsx-bpvqv69XGKDBuZHOkt3qtuR9xFhvPaOJqgcOHaaSLM-%7E1-S1o3BQx9ZrJ5kciNezkLKUNjcIZFmg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
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Text
Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
Postcards from Falmouth Oral History Transcript
Recorded: July 30, 2021
Oral Historian: Joel Peterson
Interviewer: Troy Clarkson
Topic: The Dome Restaurant
Note: The right column references postcards by identifiers searchable in the Digital
Commonwealth online collection.
00:00
[Music]
00:45
Joel welcome glad to have you here today
00:47
thank you so we're here to talk about
00:49
one of Falmouth's most iconic spots
00:52
the Dome in Woods Hole and throughout
#thedome
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0607
and 0608
00:55
your life you've had an involvement with
00:58
that so take us first through the
01:00
history of how the Dome came to be
01:02
and then we'll talk about how it was a
01:05
community gathering place for so many
01:07
years
01:08
well my father was an architect in
01:11
Falmouth
01:13
fairly controversial one unfortunately
01:16
because his architecture was what they
01:18
called contemporary or modern
01:21
which
01:22
Falmouth didn't think was that great
01:26
and
#egunnarpeterson
1
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
01:27
so that went on for a while and then he
01:29
decided that he thought it would be a
01:32
good idea to
01:33
build a hotel
01:36
and then building a hotel maybe we'd
01:38
have a restaurant with it and of course
01:40
it had to be different
01:42
you know and it had to
01:44
there was a lot of controversy when we
01:47
were building it
01:49
I at the time it was 1953
01:52
I was 12 years old
01:54
but I do remember it very well
01:57
the Dome was the most controversial
02:00
most of the people in Woods Hole and
02:03
you’re familiar with the
02:07
ethos if that's the word of Woods Hole
02:10
um we're
02:12
vehemently against it
02:14
in
02:16
all of the stuff that you see now about
02:19
“save the Dome” it's going to go down it's
02:23
was the exact opposite if it goes up
02:25
it's going to ruin life as we know it
02:27
and
02:29
and
02:31
it's very amusing that probably the
#nautilusmotorinn
#1953
2
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
02:34
grandchildren of the people that were
02:36
fighting it going up are now fighting it
02:39
going down yeah
02:41
but uh anyway my father
02:44
Bucky Fuller R. Buckminster Fuller was
02:47
the
02:49
inventor if that's the word the father
02:51
of the Dome
02:53
and uh
02:55
my father thought it would be fun to
02:57
have
02:58
that as a restaurant
03:00
so he got in touch with Bucky who who
03:03
was quite a guy in his own right I mean
03:05
he was on a stamp and you know I mean he
03:08
was Bucky was quite a guy
03:11
and
03:12
personally he was like a grandfather to
03:14
me
03:16
as I say I was 12. he and his wife came
03:18
and lived at our house
03:20
for the summer of 1953
03:24
and lived with our family
03:26
while the Dome was being built
03:29
in the Dome um
03:32
is an interesting structure in that it's
03:35
very lightweight and it can span large
3
#buckminsterfuller
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
03:38
areas like a baseball field for instance
03:41
you know but
03:42
but at that time
03:44
he had only built one commercially he
03:47
built one in Dearborn Michigan for the
03:49
Ford Motor Company
03:52
and when he got through with that job he
03:54
came to Woods Hole
03:56
the Woods Hole Dome is wood
03:59
and all the wood was pre-cut
04:02
at MIT and was brought down on a couple
04:05
of trucks
04:07
the dome structure itself is is uh he
04:11
called it dynamic he used he made up the
04:14
word geodesic which
04:16
describes the construction but
04:18
dynamic being that
04:20
there are multiple panels
04:23
all
04:24
engineered and fit together
04:27
and what enables a large space to be
04:31
to be
04:33
constructed without
04:36
without falling down and without any
04:38
supports
04:40
is that one piece was pushing on the
04:42
other
#geodesicdome
4
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
04:43
so the building is always moving and if
04:47
you're in there
04:48
and there's no people or nothing
04:51
you can hear it it's cracking all the
04:53
time
04:54
and it's not just wind it's just it just
04:57
does that
04:59
of course that makes
05:01
the outside rather tough because you've
05:04
got a solid outside in the insides
05:07
moving
05:09
so consequently it leaked a lot
05:12
that was really the hardest part
05:15
and we were working on that all the time
05:18
a guy named Dave Gardner was the
05:21
was the roofer and he tried everything
05:24
in the world you know that he could find
05:26
uh elastomeric you know to keep to seal
05:30
the joints
05:31
it was originally covered in Mylar
05:36
in
05:36
1953
05:38
Mylar is a clear plastic
05:42
it was glued on
05:44
to each panel
05:46
and
05:49
that
5
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
05:50
first year we were open we opened in
05:52
1954
05:55
and
05:56
those of you of my age remember that in
05:58
1954 Hurricane Carol
06:01
came through at the end of August
06:05
and while you could walk on
06:08
on the Mylar it was strong enough to
06:11
hold you if you had something sharp that
06:14
was a different story and it got pierced
06:16
and the whole thing got ruined
06:19
so one year after it was up
06:22
it was gone
06:24
the structure was fine but the covering
06:26
was gone so then it was covered with
06:29
what it is covered with now which were
06:31
sheets of fiberglass
06:33
and fiberglass was brand new at that
06:35
time as I recall there was a company in
06:38
New Bedford that made it that made these
06:40
panels
06:42
and
06:43
the panels at that time were pink and
06:46
green you know preppy stuff
06:50
and so the whole dome
06:53
the different uh panels were either pink
06:56
or green and then there was a big
#1954
#hurricane #hurricanecarol
6
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
06:58
picture window behind what was the
07:00
sunken bar
07:02
ah let's see so
07:05
that went on for a few years and then
07:07
ultimately we had to start coating the
07:09
outside so the pink and green went away
07:13
just because it was
07:14
not painted but essentially painted with
07:17
this
07:18
elastomeric stuff
07:20
so it moved a lot it leaked a lot it was
07:23
it was an issue
07:25
so that that's a wonderful history that
07:28
only someone who lived it like yourself
07:30
could recount spent Hurricane
07:33
Carol in the cellar of the of the
07:36
kitchen
07:37
wow yeah
07:38
and that was quite a storm
07:41
I was not alive then but I have read
07:43
about it and heard about it I was here
07:45
uh of course for Hurricane Bob which was
07:48
uh that was a good one 30 something
07:50
years later and that was a good one too
07:53
but so after the reconstruction in 1954
07:56
then the Dome began its run as
07:59
one of the premier restaurants in
7
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
08:01
Massachusetts certainly on Cape Cod and
08:04
over those years
08:05
it's funny you should mention the
08:07
leaking because I still share stories
08:10
and I run into Cape Cod once in a while and
08:12
we can get to him in a minute but people
08:14
to this day tell stories about having
08:16
large dinner parties and fun and
08:19
food and drink
08:20
and the roof leaking and they would just
08:22
go right through it because that was
08:24
part of the Dome experience part of the
08:25
ambiance but
08:27
we have pictures of people sitting in
08:29
there with umbrellas though
08:31
uh just
08:33
you know to pull our chain little but
08:36
but that's isn't that part of what was
08:38
the experience because it was a local
08:40
place right people understood that they
08:42
expected it so it wasn't as though they
08:44
were put out by that but it was part of
08:46
what made it so special well that's what
08:48
we told them anyway
08:51
well it worked because uh and and that
08:54
became uh you know uh
08:56
obviously a huge part of your life for
8
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
08:59
many many years so tell us about the
09:01
evolution of the restaurant and and and
09:04
it continued uh
09:05
uh to be such an important part not just
09:08
of the Woods Hole village but of the
09:10
Falmouth and the Cape Cod community
09:12
well
09:14
I I guess
09:15
it was because I you know my father was
09:18
a local boy he went to
09:20
Lawrence High I went to Lawrence High
#lawrencehighschool
Gunning_Village_Bldg_0238
through 0257
Hunt_Village_Bldg_017 through
022
09:22
you know I mean we're we're locals
09:26
the town and back in those days was a
09:28
lot simpler than it is now you literally
09:30
knew everybody now I know you knew a lot
09:32
of people and know a lot of people but
09:35
uh
09:36
you sort of knew everybody so when you
09:38
were
09:39
in the business it wasn't I’m going to
09:42
the Dome it's I’m going to go see Joel
09:45
you know I mean
09:46
you know it became a
9
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
09:48
personality thing I think and uh
09:51
heck if I ever took a night off
09:54
you know I’d run into somebody you know
09:56
say like you downtown and say hey I was
09:59
there the other night where the hell
10:00
were you you know
10:02
you know
10:03
you know you got that a lot so
10:05
you know it was a
10:07
it was a
10:09
summer
10:11
tourist place
10:13
but the locals went there
10:15
for sure I mean I grew up uh off of
10:17
Davisville in East Falmouth and
10:20
uh you know the opportunity to to travel
10:23
to Woods Hole in general but you know on
10:26
a very special occasion we would go
10:28
there and that was always a highlight
10:30
for the family and that's those memories
10:33
uh you know last a lifetime and so your
10:36
place has been part of
10:38
uh so many memories for thousands of
10:40
people and that's what I still get you
10:41
know I still run into people at you know
10:44
the hardware store or whatever who'll
10:46
say just that you know God I remember
10
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
10:48
coming there on Mother's Day I remember
10:50
there's some you know
10:52
different things of course weddings and
10:55
I just had it out in the hallway here
10:57
your previous
10:59
guest
11:01
was telling me stories about a wedding
11:03
he went to there and
11:05
and talking about Cape Cod and yeah I mean
11:08
so it goes on all the time oh absolutely
11:11
and Cape Cod was a big big big part of it
11:14
so for those watching this Arne of
11:15
course is Arne Grepstad who was
11:18
uh
11:19
general manager was his title or manager
11:21
or but he was part of the heart and soul
11:23
of that place and certainly the
11:24
personality Arne Grepstad was was a uh
11:28
an exchange student
11:30
at at
11:31
Lawrence High
11:33
I don't know if it was Falmouth High
11:34
then no it's still Lawrence High then I
11:36
think and uh
11:38
and
11:41
for some unknown reason they asked me to
11:44
be one of his advisors
#arnegrepstad
11
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
11:47
and I wasn't that much older than him
11:48
and he was very well adjusted and didn't
11:51
seem to be having any problems so I
11:53
would take him to Red Sox games and you
11:55
know I mean we just did stuff and
11:58
and became friends so when his year was
12:00
up
12:02
I said
12:03
you know what are you going to do I’m
12:05
going back to know yeah but what are you
12:06
going to do
12:07
and
12:08
and he didn't really know
12:11
so one thing and another I went to the
12:13
Cornell Hotel School and so we got him
12:16
into the Cornell Hotel School
12:20
and then he started working summers for
12:22
me and then when he got through I said
12:25
what are you gonna do and I said well
12:27
why don't you come here and he just came
12:29
and never left and uh
12:31
you know he
12:33
as we like to say he's like a rash you
12:35
know you get
12:36
it of him
12:38
Arne’s the best no question about it
12:41
and uh absolutely he's a
12
#cornellhotelschool
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
12:43
bit of a character but uh
12:46
I could tell you Arne’s stories for a
12:49
long long time
12:50
but that's what makes places like the
12:52
dome so special because as you just
12:55
experienced people identify
12:58
their life story by people places and
13:01
things and the Dome had all of those it
13:03
was this amazing thing in the middle of
13:05
the village a special place and had
13:08
people like you and Arne that made it
13:10
an experience it wasn't going to Anyplace
13:12
USA to you know for a ham sandwich
13:15
it was going to the Dome
13:17
for that whole experience and uh and so
13:19
people still very much identify with
13:21
that as
13:22
as you know uh Phil Stone is my stepdad
13:25
and uh is one of your contemporaries and
13:27
you know to to this day he tells stories
13:30
about
13:31
the Dome and about Woods Hole
13:33
oh sure Phil and Dick
13:34
yeah oh yeah and and but that's I think
13:37
places like the Dome are woven through
13:39
the fret of the thread of the community
13:41
and make it really the special place
13
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
13:44
Quarterdeck today is that kind of a
#quarterdeck
13:47
place you go absolutely you know it's
13:50
all
13:51
people I know for the most part you know
13:53
it's
13:54
it's home you know it's Falmouth like
13:57
Cheers where everybody knows your name
13:58
right exactly
14:00
exactly so so
14:01
if you could pick out just a couple of
14:03
uh memorable stories from the Dome uh
14:07
famous people that dine in there or
14:09
experiences that that happen are there
14:11
any that stand out
14:13
well you're a baseball fan yes of course
14:16
my favorite player
14:18
was Jackie Jensen
14:21
right fielder
14:22
the outfield of Williams Piersall and
14:25
Jensen Pearsall of course lived in
14:27
Hyannis and
14:30
Ted Williams needs no introduction
14:33
Jackie Jensen played right field
14:36
and
14:37
if you're a trivia buff
14:39
which I’m sure you are and you would
14:40
know that Jackie Jensen is the only
#jackiejensen
14
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
14:43
person
14:44
who played in both the Rose Bowl and the
14:48
World Series
14:49
because he was football player
14:51
California
14:53
and then a baseball player in the World
14:55
Series unfortunately not with the Red
14:57
Sox but with the Yankees
15:00
and
15:01
anyway he was right fielder
15:04
when I was about 14 years old I was
15:07
washing dishes in the Dome
15:09
and I was too young really to run the
15:12
dishwasher but
15:13
I did anyway
15:15
until the labor people came in
15:19
and said that this kid's too young and
15:21
this is dangerous equipment and all that
15:23
other stuff and told my father that
15:27
they had to let me go
15:28
so they did let me go until he got out
15:31
of the driveway and then
15:33
and then I went back but that year
15:36
58
15:39
was one of Jackie Jensen’s best years
15:41
and I used to write what he did every
15:43
day on on the on the shelf down in the
15
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
15:47
uh cellar of the restaurant
15:49
anyway don't know why I did it
15:53
now come ahead
15:55
god 20 25 years
15:57
and this guy walks into the restaurant
15:59
I’m standing there at the desk and I
16:01
look and I said it's Jackie Jensen
16:05
couldn't believe it
16:06
I said yo Jackie Jensen he says yeah
16:08
nobody knows anymore I said no I do
16:11
anyway he had dinner he's taking his
16:13
daughter to the Vineyard
16:15
spending the night at the Nautilus
16:17
and uh came up for dinner
16:20
so I took him down in the cellar and
16:22
showed him what I had done back then he
16:25
absolutely couldn't believe it but you
16:27
know talk about
16:29
meeting your hero sort of you know I
16:31
mean it was it was neat
16:35
so that really uh exemplifies what we're
16:37
talking about and how yeah
16:40
places like the Dome are just special
16:42
and I’m sure you know he remembered that
16:44
for the rest of his days uh after his
16:46
time in the Major Leagues was over and
16:48
he had
16
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
16:51
he was one of those that
16:53
the other thing he he was well known for
16:55
was he wouldn't fly
16:58
which
16:59
you know was a problem for a ball player
17:01
so right
17:03
sort of like John Madden right exactly
17:05
exactly Madden got more famous for it
17:08
and had a bus and all that stuff you
17:10
know Willie Nelson you know it's got his
17:12
own bus but uh
17:14
yeah
17:16
so there's one um
17:19
oh we had the president of Finland
17:21
really yeah that was fun
17:24
so tell us about that
17:25
uh the president of Finland his name was
17:28
Urho Kekkonen
17:31
and
17:32
he was
17:34
obviously planning a visit to the states
17:36
and he wanted to go to Oceanographic
17:39
uh
17:40
he was very interested in oceanography
17:43
and I guess there's a lot of
17:44
oceanography in Finland you know I mean
17:46
that kind of stuff
#urhokekkonen
17
#whoi
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
17:48
so that's what got him to Woods Hole but
17:50
they had to put him up for the night so
17:54
this was
17:56
oh my lord he had
17:59
he had more U.S. Secret Service than his
18:01
own he had one
18:04
one little group of people that were
18:06
guarding him
18:07
and then a whole bunch of our people
18:09
that were guarding him you know Secret
18:11
Service guys and they had to come
18:12
through and check out all the employees
18:16
and we all had little pins that we were
18:18
wearing that were okay to get close to
18:20
them and all this sort of stuff that was
18:22
sort of fun
18:23
wow and
18:25
you know we fed him and you know it was
18:28
a good time
18:29
he had a good time Jimmy Carter stayed
18:32
with us really yeah
18:34
yeah he was at the National Academy of
18:36
Sciences
18:38
so
18:39
his
18:40
Secret Service guy came to me and said
18:43
um
18
#jimmycarter
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
18:45
and he wasn't president he was past
18:47
president when he came he wasn't
18:48
president at the time
18:50
and I said he he wanted to take a a jog
18:54
he said he liked to jog a mile or two
18:56
every morning
18:57
which was well known you know you know
18:59
Carter was a runner I said well you're
19:01
in luck
19:02
we're right on the course of the
19:04
Falmouth Road Race
19:06
so he said well show me
19:08
you know where where he where he'd go so
19:11
I
19:12
took the Secret Service guy and
19:15
down Church Street around the lighthouse
#falmouthroadrace
#nobskalight
Hunt_WoodsHole_Bch_573
through 578 &
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0745
through 0773
Church of the Messiah on Church
St.:
Hunt_WoodsHole_Bldg_540 &
Gunning_WoodsHole_Bldg_0565
through 0569
19:18
of course and you know back up through
19:20
and then you know make the loop
19:23
perfect he thought that was great so
19
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
19:25
sure enough at six o'clock the next
19:27
morning
19:29
there are two police cars
19:32
two Secret Service cars
19:34
four Secret Service agents running
19:36
right by him and Jimmy Carter in the
19:39
middle and they're jogging around the
19:41
lighthouse
19:43
at like six in the morning now if Carter
19:45
had run all by himself
19:48
and anyone saw him they'd say oh that
19:50
guy looks like Jimmy Carter you know I
19:52
mean that would have been about it but
19:54
with the lights going and the
19:56
police cars and you know all that uh
20:00
it was uh
20:02
you know what a great story so we can
20:04
walk up everybody we can say President
20:06
Carter ran the Falmouth Road Race right
20:09
that's great yeah and Hugh McCartney was
20:11
down interviewing him
20:14
as a matter of fact so the all of the uh
20:17
dating back over 100 years the Falmouth
20:20
Public Library who is sponsoring this
20:22
series also had an effort that the
20:26
Enterprise newspapers going back more
20:28
than 100 years are now digitally
20
#falmouthenterprise
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
20:30
preserved and online okay so I’m going
20:32
to go back and uh and try to find that
20:35
story and I’m sure over the years there
20:37
were a tremendous amount of photos and
20:39
stories about the Dome when it was in it
20:42
oh yeah so you can
20:44
well now that it's archived you can
20:47
yeah when I have some time one of these
20:49
days I’ll take a look
20:51
well this has been tremendously
20:52
enjoyable any anything in closing you
20:54
want to share with us about your
20:57
personal story related to the Dome or or
20:59
about the facility itself well it was
21:03
you know I
21:04
I miss it
21:05
um
21:07
it's it's not a uh it's not I don't miss
21:11
everything but you know it's a lot of
21:13
hours so it's a lot of work the problem
21:16
with running a restaurant is that
21:18
everybody eats three meals a day so
21:20
they're all experts you know yeah you go
21:22
to the doctor and the doctor says do
21:25
this and you do it because you're not a
21:27
doctor and you're hurt you know but you
21:30
go to a restaurant or actually a hotel
21
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
21:33
because you sleep every night right
21:35
you're an expert
21:37
and
21:38
you know it's it's uh it's an
21:40
interesting dynamic but I certainly
21:43
enjoyed I enjoyed the people the most I
21:45
mean what you're talking about
21:47
the fact that people you know just like
21:49
what happened out in the hallway here uh
21:52
that's
21:52
the best part you know that's just a lot
21:54
of fun that you know you made people
21:56
happy and uh even if it was raining on
21:59
them
22:00
well yeah I mean that was like as you
22:02
very nicely pointed out that was just
22:04
part of the experience
22:08
it rained at Fenway too the other night
22:10
you know
22:11
a good point and people still had a good
22:13
time yeah sure well thank you Joel for
22:15
to you and your dad and Bucky Fuller
22:18
for creating this opportunity for
22:20
generations to have wonderful memories
22:22
at that spot don't forget Arne and
22:25
Arne that's right and you know what
22:26
maybe we'll have him in here to do one
22
�Falmouth Public Library – Postcards from Falmouth
22:28
of these uh one of these oral histories
22:30
too because uh
22:32
uh you know I was thinking when you
22:33
mentioned the President of Finland
22:34
before we close
22:36
is Arne Finnish
22:37
no Arne’s Norwegian okay yeah
22:40
he wishes he was Finnish
22:43
I will ask him that question
22:45
that's great well thank you for sharing
22:48
some time and your memories with us and
22:49
helping us preserve this beautiful slice
22:52
of history for Falmouth my pleasure
23
�
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Transcript of Joel Peterson's Oral History on The Dome Restaurant
1953
1954
Arne Grepstad
Buckminster Fuller
Cornell Hotel School
E. Gunnar Peterson
Falmouth Enterprise
Falmouth Road Race
geodesic dome
hurricane
Hurricane Carol
Jackie Jensen
jimmy carter
joel peterson
lawrence high school
nautilus motor inn
nobska light
oral history
Postcards from Falmouth
quarterdeck
the dome
transcript
troy clarkson
urho kekkonen
WHOI