Pack your bags and board the train to the West Barnstable train station. Captain Bursley will be waiting with his stagecoach to take you to your destination. Through a heavily wooded dirt path, your coach will emerge by the seaside in the small village of Osterville.
Main Street is lined with beautiful trees and private homes. Down the lane you catch the warm afternoon sea breeze from the bays. The ocean is not far. First stop? The West Bay Inn.The West Bay Inn was located directly on the waters of West Bay off Eel River Road. An ad in the July 11, 1914 edition of the Boston Evening Transcript states: The West Bay Inn is a “Modern Hotel, directly on the water, open until October 1. Always cool, fine bathing beach on property. Cuisine the best on Cape Cod. Seafood
a specialty. Reduced rates for September. Special prices to Clubs. Send for booklet E. S. Crocker, Proprietor.”
The West Bay Inn was built in 1905 and, like most inns in Osterville, offered easy access to boating and a bathing beach. Boasting 65 rooms, the West Bay Inn was a very popular destination with sweeping views of Nantucket Sound. It faced the southwest and because of its location, was able to take advantage of the prevailing ocean breeze. It was reported to be the coolest location in all of Osterville.
n October of 1935, a massive fire broke out one evening at the West Bay Inn. Despite the response from the Centerville-Osterville fire department and help from the villages of Hyannis and Cotuit, the building was a complete loss. At the time, damages were estimated at $50,000. In today’s figures, that would be over $1 million. There was no wind that night, so buildings nearby were not damaged. Hundreds of people came to watch the massive glow from the inferno. The inn had been unoccupied for two weeks, according to the owner Edward S. Crocker. The property had been advertised for sale. It was only partially covered by insurance.
The East Bay Lodge, located on East Bay Road, was built in 1886 by retired sea captain Nelson H. Bearse, Jr. It dominated the seaside landscape of Osterville during its glory years in the early 1900s.
On a sunlit summer day, the view from the tree-lined driveway next to the lodge was magnificent. Visitors called it one of “the choicest resorts on the New England shore.†In June of 1904, a Sunday afternoon dinner at East Bay Lodge cost 75¢.
The East Bay Lodge changed owners throughout the years until it was demolished in the late 1990s to makeway for condominiums. Many Cape Cod families remember staying at the lodge, celebrating weddings there, or enjoying a traditional Sunday brunch.
The interior furnishings of the East Bay Lodge were lavish for the day. Oriental rugs covered the wooden floors, and upholstered and wooden furniture decorated the main rooms.
The dining rooms were set with white tablecloths, fine china (see below), and silver. Despite closing in 1998, the china and silver
are still highly collectible, as are ads and matchbook covers. Occasionally memorabilia can still be found in Cape Cod antiques shops.
The Crosby House on West Bay Road was originally the home of Mrs. Tirzah Crosby. Her son Horace and his wife Lucy opened the Crosby House as a hotel in 1860. Each year, they continued to add on to the house to increase capacity. At its height, the Crosby House could host up to 50 guests.
In an August 18, 1891 newspaper article, the guests at the Crosby House reportedly enjoyed a “hop” (party) at one of the boat shops the previous Saturday night. The grandson of the owners, Harold Crosby, eventually took over the Crosby House. Its reputation for being a hospitable place continued with a July 17, 1920 Masquerade party in which Crosby himself was crowned “King.” Another direct mail piece beckoned guests to stay at the Crosby House during the winter months. “Call Cotuit 196 and say that you are coming to spend a few days with us. The house is steam heated throughout, unexcelled table, moderate prices. Rates $6.00 per day, special weekly rates. Five golf courses within an hour’s ride, excellent fishing, 15 miles of good shore bird shooting. Anticipating the pleasure of seeing you, I remain very truly yours, Laurence Welch, Manager, Leonard J. Bliss, Proprietor.” The inn was sold in 1927 to Bliss, and it became known as Osterville Manor.
Many smaller inns were located throughout Osterville. The Spruce Tree Lodge located on Parker Road was another small inn operated by Jeanette Bowes. It was previously the summer house of Misses Josephine and Margaret Carret of Boston. That uilding was torn down in the 1970s to make way for condos.
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