ORDER DESIGNATING BONE HILL ROAD, SCUDDER LANE,
RENDEZVOUS LANE AND FREEZER ROAD IN BARNSTABLE VILLAGE
AS SCENIC ROADS
INTRO.
Be it ordered that the Town Council, pursuant to
MGL Ch. 40 Section 15C, and upon the request and recommendation
of the Planning Board, do hereby designate Scudder
Lane, Bone Hill Road, Rendezvous Lane and Freezer
Road in Barnstable Village as Scenic Roads.
SPONSOR: Councilor Ann Canedy
TO: Barnstable Town Council
DATE: March, 2005
SUBJECT: Proposed Order for Barnstable Town
Council; Designation of Scudder Lane, Rendezvous Lane,
Bone Hill Road and Freezer Road in Barntable Village
as Scenic Roads
Below are descriptions of the natural and historic
resources, and scenic road characteristics of four
roads, Bone Hill Road, Scudder Lane, Rendezvous Lane
and Freezer Road in Barnstable Village. The Planning
Board has been requested to forward a recommendation
to the Town Council to designate these roads as Scenic
Roads.
Pursuant to MGL Ch. 40, Section 15C, the Planning
Board, Historical Commission or Conservation Commission
can make such recommendation or request to the Council.
The proposed nominations have been forwarded to the
Chair of the Historical Commission who has expressed
support and the Conservation Administrator has been
consulted and is also supportive. Designation is by
a majority vote of the Town Council.
Chapter 180 of the Town Ordinances implements the
1973 Massachusetts Scenic Roads Act. The Scenic Roads
legislation is designed to protect the scenic character
of narrow country roads. A hearing by the Planning
Board (Old Kings Highway Regional Historic District
along Rt. 6A) is required before the removal of a
stonewall or tree within the right of way.
Information on the historic resources and character
of the area has been obtained from the files of the
Historic Preservation Section of the Planning Division.
Bone Hill Road
Bone Hill Road is one of the narrow lanes that extend
from Rt. 6A to Barnstable Harbor. Town records indicate
that it has been a town way since 1856. Originally
a road that provided access to the harbor for the
off-loading of goods at wharfs, Bone Hill Road has
a long history of settlement. Indian artifacts can
be found on the surrounding lands, evidence of settlement
of the area by the first Americans, and the roadway
passes close to the burial site of Sachem Iyanough,
Chief of Wampanoags who died in 1640. A memorial stone
was erected on the burial site in 1894. In colonia
times, farms were established on the better agricultural
soils found in this area. Historic sites in this area
include the site of G.F. Swifts Slaughterhouse, inventoried
as #A30. The original name of Bone Hill Road was Slaughterhouse
Road.
More than most other historic roads in Barnstable,
Bone Hill Road has retained its rural character. It
is an important visual gateway to the adjacent 110-acre
parcel known as Long Pasture which is preserved as
open space in perpetuity through a gift to the Massachusetts
Audubon Society. In addition, other lands along Bone
Hill Road are being acquired by a partnership of the
Audubon Society, Town of Barnstable and Barnstable
Land Trust.
Today, Bone Hill Road is a narrow country lane that
winds through a landscape of open meadows, pasture,
and cornfields. The town way to water is still used
by residents for fishing, shellfishing and swimming.
There are extensive wetlands to the east of the road,
and the area is home to a rich variety of wildlife.
The Bone Hill Road area has both rich architectural,
historic and natural resources, and designation of
this roadway as a Scenic Road would aid in the preservation
of the character of this unique area. Specific features
that would be protected by this designation include
stonewalls that extend for more than1,750 feet along
the roadway, and many mature, deciduous trees.
For further information regarding the effort to preserve
pasture land along Bone Hill Road please refer to:
www.savebonehill.org and/or www.blt.org/project.ccml.
Scudder Lane
Scudder Lane, formerly known as Calves Pasture, extends
from Rt. 6A north to Barnstable Harbor. The road was
designated a town road in 1927. Scudder Lane is part
of Barnstable Village known as Pond Village, which
also includes a part of Rt. 6A.
Scudder Lane is one of the earliest areas settled
by the Colonialists. The lane provided access to the
water where wharfs were constructed. These wharfs
were used to unload goods ferried from ocean-going
sailing ships moored further out in the harbor. The
lane is the site of the homestead of Governor Thomas
Hinckley, the Governor of Plymouth Colony from 1681
until the union with Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1692,
and the site of the first burial ground used by the
early settlers. Other sites that contribute to the
history of the area include the Second Meetinghouse,
schoolhouses, the Scudders store, and an icehouse.
Although re-modeled and modernized, many of the homesteads
of the early settlers have survived and can be seen
along the roadway. Buildings that are still in existence
today together with historic sites are inventoried
and filed with the Massachusetts Historical Commission
as follows: #177 Allyn/Hinckley Barn; F178 Site of
Nelson and Daniel Scudders Store; F179 Site of Sturgis
Gorhams Windmill; F180 Lot Gorham’s House; F181
Lorenszo House; F182 O.D.Gunning Camp; F183 Day/Hussey
Boathouse; F184 Site of Gorham’s/Scudder Wharf;
F185 Nathaniel Percival House; F186 Major Frank Briggs
House; and F187 Site of Barnstable’s First Burial
Ground (Calves Pasture).
Today, Scudder Lane is a narrow, very attractive
rural lane that provides the setting to a wealth of
historic homesteads. The soils are predominately clay
with a small, perched wetland on the west. The lane
ends in a town way to water. Barnstable Harbor in
this location has productive shellfish beds and the
town has taken action with innovative drainage systems
to protect shellfish beds along the shore. Although
the wharfs are no longer in existence, the way to
water is still in use by shell fisherman and recreational
boaters. Resources within the right of ay that would
be protected by a Scenic Road designation are stonewalls
on both sides of the roadway and numerous mature trees
including sugar maple, elm, linden, holly (American
and English), mimosa, cedar, black willow, English
oak, white oak, horse chestnut and mulberry.
Freezer Road
Freezer Road extends north from Millway Road towards
Barnstable Harbor and has been a public road since
1940.
Freezer Road provides access along a narrow isthmus
of land to the shores of Barnstable Harbor, Rendezvous
Creek and Maraspin Creek (now dredged to form the
boat basin), to a rich complex of historic maritime
industries that developed along these shores. Shipping,
shipbuilding and fishing, a tidal grist mill, and
industries related to these activities thrived, including
the production of salt and storage of ice. Boat building
reached its zenith in the 19th century with the building
of the 186-ton brig, the Cummaquid. Many of the homes
in this area were owned by families who made their
living from the sea. Part of Freezer Road is locatd
within the Millway Historic District. The inventory
of historic sites and buildings along Freezer Road
include BVH294 Washington House, c. 1830’s;
the Laundry Shed, BVH294a, late 1800’s; H295
Bassett (house, formerly a fish house) and H286, site
of the William Lewis wharf and shipyard.
Today, Freezer Road is a narrow, attractive roadway
that provides a setting for historic Cape Cod architecture,
and access to an area with a rich maritime history.
This history continues with boatyards located on the
shores of the harbor, off-loading of fish and shellfish,
and tourist related boating activities. The area is
environmentally fragile with wetlands bordering Rendezvous
Creek, a tidal estuary. Preservation of water quality
and protection from road run-off is important to retaining
water quality not only in the creek, but in the adjacent
waters of the harbor.
The specific assets that would be protected by a
Scenic Road designation include mature trees located
along the right of way.
Rendezvous Lane
A town road since 1845, Rendezvous Lane acquired
its name because it was the place militia companies
met to drill during the Civil War.
Rendezvous Lane is one of the narrow roads that run
between Rt. 6A north to the shores of Rendezvous Creek
and Barnstable Harbor where maritime industries were
located in the 1600, 1700 and 1800s. Wharfs extended
from the shores of the harbor. Nearby, the Josiah
Hinckley Storehouse and Lumber Yard (Form D-136) were
located on two parcels of land where lumber, lime,
shingles and other building materials were brought
in by large schooners from Maine and stored. The first
County Courthouse was located on Rendezvous Lane;
but was destroyed by fire in 1827. The Courthouse
and nearby Crocker and Sturgis Taverns were the center
of activity in Barnstable. The Olde Colonial Courthouse
(Form D132), located at corner of Rendezvous Lane
and Rt. 6A was the second courthouse. This scenic
courthouse is currently owned by Tales of Cape Cod.
It has been fully restored and is one of the few surviving
Colonial courthouses in the United States.
Other historic resources include the Joseph Parker
house, c. 1799 (Form D 135); Joshua Chamberlain/Sprague
house, c. 1850 (Form D 134); Capt. Isaac Lothrop House/Samuel
Crocker House, prior to 1842 (Form D 133); and the
Thomas Holmes/Conant house c. 1836 (Form D 137).
Today, Rendezvous Lane is a quiet side road lined
with historic buildings. It leads to the shore of
Rendezvous Creek, a tidal creek that provides views
of the marshes and waters of Barnstable Harbor. The
creek is a highly environmentally sensitive area.
Maintaining and improving water quality is important
to aquatic life and the shellfish beds and the adjacent
flats of Barnstable Harbor. The specific resources
that would be protected by a Scenic Road dsignation
are stone walls and mature deciduous trees.
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