Cotuit
sweet finish of their oysters is a combination of saltwater from Nantucket Sound and the freshwaters of nearby streams, marshes, and estuaries. Cotuit Center for the Arts is a nonprofit organization founded in 1993. The well-known center makes art accessible by encouraging artistic development through programs and producing art exhibits, concerts, and theatrical productions throughout the year. Also in the village is the Cahoon Museum of American Art. Housed in an eighteenth-century Colonial Georgian home, the museum provides an intimate setting to view nineteenth and early twentieth-century American art.
Cotuit is surrounded by water on three sides and is the smallest of Barnstable’s seven villages. But don’t let its size fool you, Cotuit has character that packs a punch. Stroll Main Street and see impressively maintained Federal, Greek Revival, and Queen Anne houses—most seem to come with green lawns studded with Adirondack chairs. Waterfront living has its perks. There are a few beaches in the village, including Ropes Beach, Riley Beach, and the Loop Beach. From the shore, be on the lookout for Cotuit skiffs, which are a unique design of racing sailboat that has sailed Cotuit Bay for over a century. The Cotuit Oyster Company, the oldest oyster brand name in the country, harvests oysters from Cotuit Bay. The moderate salinity and
In the late 1800s, many professors, artists, and doctors associated with Harvard University flocked to Cotuit to build houses or spend summer days. The influx of academics earned the village the nickname “Little Harvard.”
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