Chatham

The Indian name for Chatham is Monomoy, one of the tribes of the Nauset Indians. Settlers first arrived in 1665 but it wasn’t until 1712 that the town was incorporated. Chatham became a prosperous shipping, fishing and whaling center. Located at the “bend in the elbow”, Chatham is a bit off the beaten path so retains much of the quaintness of the early years. It’s beautiful harbor and well kept preserved buildings helped make it a very popular summer resort.

The only village in Chatham is West Chatham.

A part of the beauty and enchantment of Chatham are the many small, privately owned little shops and restaurants Main Street is charming and a wonderful place for a stroll. During the summer, concerts are held in the gazebo right on Main Street. The Chatham Lighthouse, one of two built in 1808 through the efforts of Thomas Jefferson, is a famous landmark. It is now operated by the Coast Guard. Intense interest in preservation of historic homes and buildings has earned them the 2007 Distinctive Destination Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

As in so many of the Cape town, anything to do with the ocean and nature is there in abundance. Their challenging but beautiful golf course overlooks the ocean. The Chatham Athletics are one of the Cape Cod Baseball Leagues teams and their home field is Veterans Field.