Nonquitt, technically part of Dartmouth, was established as a private, 455 acre summer colony in 1872. It has remained close to that to this day.
As with so many of these summer colonies, however, more and more of these homes are occupied year round.
Still a Working Post Office
"At the time I couldn't believe a place like Nonquitt still existed, the cars going ten miles an hour, four-year-olds in tennis whites running in packs..."
- John Davis Spooner, in Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985.
"It was a lovely piece of shoreside property with fields and sheep pastures abutting on Buzzards Bay - Sheep folds enclosed by high stone walls....," as quoted by Sally Morse Aldrich, in Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985.
"Nonquitt, as always, is repetitive and conservative. It reflects and cares about nature."
- William Julian Underwood, in Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985.
Driveways of Crushed Shells
This was built in 1908 to hold a water tank, and to house a chauffeur/mechanic and two vintage cars.
There are plenty of very large and very old Copper Beech trees. With their long tap roots, they remain undaunted by hurricanes.
Originally Gosnold's Hope (after Bartholomew Gosnold), then Monument Bay and finally, Buzzards Bay.
On this day, the gate was not working, and ever vigilant about keeping outsiders out, a guard was brought in.
"As a child, I always believed Winter Nonquitt began when the summer people left. They would drive away in their station wagons full of Golden Retrievers and golf clubs leaving the best place on earth to us."
- Waring Marshall Strebeigh, in Nonquitt A Summer Album, 1872-1985.
The Tiny Village of Padanaram
This is one of the best harbors in New England
New Bedford Yacht Club
20 comments:
Stunning photographs!
The town where we grew up was almost (well, sort of) as nice as this in the 50's and early 60's, wasn't it Muffy? Your photographs and (other people's) memories make me long for a less complicated and gentler time.
Those are special places where time really does stand still.
Thank you, Bitsy!
@HHH - I share your sentiments, and yes, where we grew up was a much gentler town than it is now.
@Marie - Too true!
Muffy - I can see why you had a tough time taking May off from your blog!
Interesting name, beautiful place. I would love to see what it looks like in Winter.
Interesting name, beautiful place. I would love to see what it looks like in Winter.
My mother lived in Padanaram Village for a few years and we loved visiting her there. The town beach off Smith Neck Road is a wonderful beach for children too. As many times as I've been there, I never had the chance to check out Nonquitt- thanks for sharing these pictures.
(sigh) There are times when I seriously regret living in Wisconsin...looking at these gorgeous pictures is one of those times. I look at these and think 'THAT'S the kind of life I want to live.'
I have fond memories of spending a summer in a (6 bedroom) guest house in Nonquitt as a child. Thanks for jogging my memory; I'm glad to see that it hasn't changed since the late 1960s! Beth
Muffy,
Your father must be proud of your skill in taking artfully arranged photographs.
Michael C, New England is beautiful. However, Wisconsin has some really lovely coastal/lake areas--Door County, lots of great homes and communities on Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Door County, and on the lakes in Madison (Maple Bluff and Shorewood Hills, for example).
Nonquitt reminds me of Mason's Island down in my neck of the woods, but these houses are quite a bit more beautiful.
I grew up spending summers in a private little borough at the beach, and it was a wonderful experience. My mother would release us in the morning for the day, and at 6PM the yacht club would sound a horn indicating it was time to go home for dinner. In between there was tennis, swimming, sailing, burgers and penny candy at the casino, and checking the mail at the tiny post office. Our social life consisted of movie nights and dances at the yacht club and occasional trips into town.
Nonquitt gives me some hope that such a place will still be around when I have kids. (The place I enjoyed so much has changed significantly even since the 90s!) While there's a lot negative to be said about private communities, they can provide freedom and comfort that's hard to find elsewhere.
You had me at ....Driveways of crushed shells.....
Funny, I've never even heard of Nonquitt and one of my best friends has a house just across on West Island.
@Patsy - I didn't think there was anything coastal that you didn't know! And I was mentally thanking you yesterday when my Ultimate Hat order arrived. Thanks again for the recommendation.
Muffy.
Small world again! That's where my family summered! My parents also retired not to far from Padanaram Village! Wow so many fond memories! learned to sail there! Did you have a chance to see Salters point down the road from Nonquitt?
Wow! I need to pay a visit here next time I'm heading up that way. Thanks again Muffy for another great post!
To the commenter from Suffolk University/Nonquitt - Please email me at thedailyprep@gmail.com.
Wow, it's great to see nonquitt on my favorite blog. I spent my childhood summers there in a house on one of the shell roads near the tennis courts. My mother and grandmother both visited nonquitt from Cambridge regularly as children and my great grandfather owned a large old house near the entrance. A lot of family history and personal memories there. Can't wait to go back this summer.
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