The Gingerbread Cottages – Oak Bluffs, MA

The Gingerbread Cottages at Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard are absolutely fascinating, but so is their origin and history. Oak Bluffs was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005. Today, it is a unique and picturesque area to visit.

The architectural form of the original Martha’s Vineyard cottages reflect the Methodist ‘camp meeting’ movement of the 19th century and were built between 1859 and 1880. The early meeting location was temporary and the people slept in a few tents gathered around the preaching area.

Then, in the early 1840s, tents also began to appear outside the main circle of tents. Later, in 1859, a road, now known as Trinity Circle, was built encircling the area of Wesleyan Grove. By 1868, there were about 570 tents and over 30,000 people who attended the prayer meetings. The Camp Ground became an organized and well-run community.

Between 1859 and 1864, the ‘Martha’s Vineyard’ cottages began to replace the tents in the Grove. The cottages, inspired by tents, were architecturally designed by local carpenters and unusual in both appearance and structure. To see the cottages progress from the wood-sided tent to the charming two-story home was also an interesting process.

The wood-sided tents had canvas tops and sides that were tied to the wooden frames. Porch decks were added to serve as an outdoor living room and the family’s connection to the community. These cottages were small and were built for somewhere between $150 and $600. Today, they sell in the mid-six figures.

Of the 500 cottages in 1880, there are approximately 315 cottages remaining. The most widely photographed of the Martha’s Vineyard Gingerbread Cottages is the “Pink Cottage.”

These unique cottages have been well-preserved by their owners and are painted in a wide-range of colors.

One of the greatest events of the Camp Grounds was its first service that was held in the new iron Tabernacle in July 1879. The Tabernacle was built for the total cost of $7,748. It is one of the few remaining examples of the 19th century wrought iron structures of that era and one of the most artistic buildings in America.