The Society owns and maintains six Yarmouth properties, some of which were donated to us for preservation by people whose families held and even lived in them for generations.

They include:

     • The Captain Bangs Hallet House Museum

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the centerpiece of the Society’s properties, the Captain Bangs Hallet House is a stately, fully-furnished sea captain's home, circa 1700s-1840. It is the only one like it on Cape Cod regularly open to the public. In 1958, the house and 50 acres of adjacent woodland associated with it were given as a generous gift to the Society in support of our mission by Guido Perera, a descendant of Anthony Thacher, one of the three original founders of Yarmouth.

Located at 11 Strawberry Lane, just off the Old King’s Highway (Route 6A) and opposite the Common in Yarmouth Port.

     • The Kelley Chapel

This non-denominational Chapel was built in South Yarmouth by David Kelley, a Quaker, for his daughter, Rosa, who taught bible lessons to the children of the poor. It was also used by community members for baptisms and other various celebrations. It was donated to the Society in 1959 by the builder's grandson, Amos Kelley Haswell, who led the Quaker community for many years and it is now a venue for memorable Cape Cod weddings and other events.

It is located in the meadow adjacent to the HSOY Nature Trails, just off the Old King’s Highway (Route 6A) in Yarmouth Port.

     • The Benjamin T. Gorham Cobbler Shop

A circa 1850 building, which the Society saved in 2005, relocated and restored, now serves as the Society's administrative office and houses our archival collections.

It is located at 229 Old King's Highway (Route 6A) in Yarmouth Port.

• The Native American Turtle Arbor

This, our newest property, represents a collaborative project between HSOY and members of the Wampanoag nation to re-create a traditional dwelling used by the Native Americans who have lived on these lands for thousands of years right up to today. It is the only one of its kind on Cape Cod that now functions as an education center where descendants of those First Peoples hold ceremonial events and share stories of their spoken history and culture with others.

It is located in the meadow opposite the Kelley Chapel in Yarmouth Port.

• The Benjamin Hallet Blacksmith Shop

Located next to our Nature Trails near Kelley Chapel, this Blacksmith Shop dates from the mid-19th century. It was donated to the Society in the 1950s by descendants of Louis B. Thacher.

     • The Faith Tufts Gatehouse

This small building, built in 1956, served as the original Davenport Real Estate office located on Ferry Street in West Dennis for the Wrinkle Point development. It was donated to the Society in 1964 by John Davenport, a supporter of our Nature Trails, and moved to its present location to serve as a gatehouse. The society is currently evaluating its future use and planning cosmetic repairs.

It is located just down the lane from the Benjamin Gorham Cobbler Shop, at the trailhead of the Society’s Nature Trails and directly behind the Yarmouth Port Post Office.

     • Our Nature Trails

The Nature Trails, owned and maintained by the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, begin at the Faith Tufts Gatehouse. They meander through more than 50 acres of woodland splendor for all who enjoy the outdoors. Trail maps are available in the mailbox next to the front door of the Gatehouse or online. Although the trails are now rich with forest vegetation and botanical specimens, this was not always the case. For on this 50 acres was located the first golf course on Cape Cod. Built in the 1890s as a private course for the Thacher family, the course was used for several decades but then allowed to revert to its natural state. The land was generously donated to the historical society by Mr. Guido Perera, a descendant of the Thacher family. If you look closely, you can still catch a glimpse of the golf course landscape. Today, the trail wanders toward Miller's Pond and through acres of Cape Cod's natural beauty.

• TAKE A PEEK: Enjoy a Virtual Walk on our Nature Trails via this short video generously contributed by David A. Blake. (See if you can identify the mystery creature that periodically visits Miller’s Pond!)