History Archives

Scooping Up Tradition: The Story of Lewis Brothers Ice Cream

August 24, 2025

On a warm Provincetown evening, the line at 310 Commercial Street tells its own tale: parents balancing cones, children wide-eyed at the promise of sprinkles, couples leaning into each other as the neon hums. At the heart of this nightly ritual is Lewis...

Mary Heaton Vorse & the House at the Heart of Provincetown

August 17, 2025

On the curve of Provincetown’s Commercial Street, tucked behind weathered shingles and a modest garden, stands a house that has witnessed more than two centuries of history—and the remarkable life of one of the town’s most influential residents, Mary...

Flyer’s Boatyard: A Legacy Anchored in Provincetown Waters

August 4, 2025

In the heart of Provincetown’s bustling waterfront lies a maritime legacy nearly a century in the making: Flyer’s Boatyard. More than a marina or rental dock, Flyer’s is a multigenerational emblem of Provincetown’s seafaring soul—where tradition,...

A Provincetown Legacy: The Family Behind Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch

July 27, 2025

In the spring of 1975, a Provincetown fisherman named Albert “Al” Avellar Jr. quietly launched a revolution. Rather than chase cod or haddock, he took a group of local schoolchildren aboard his vessel Dolphin III to see something rare and...

Cabot’s Candy: A Sweet Slice of Provincetown History

July 19, 2025

Cabot’s Candy traces its roots back to 1927, when its founder—recorded in historical accounts as George Schwarz (or Shwarz)—began hand‑pulling saltwater taffy at local Cape Cod fairs. Unsurprisingly, Schwarz decided against naming the business after...

Lobsters in Provincetown: A Storied Catch from Sea to Shore

July 19, 2025

Long before Provincetown became a haven for artists and tourists, its waters teemed with the spiny creatures that would shape its maritime identity—lobsters. These crustaceans have been part of the local ecosystem for millennia, crawling along the cold,...

Rolling Through Time: The Story of Art’s Dune Tours

July 14, 2025

If you’ve ever stood on the edge of Provincetown’s windswept dunes, you know the landscape feels like another planet—golden hills undulating under vast skies, dotted with lonely shacks and bent pines clinging to life in the sand. It’s raw, surreal,...

The Mayflower Cafe of Provincetown: A Legacy of Family and Community

July 7, 2025

The Mayflower Cafe, located on bustling Commercial Street in Provincetown, has been a cherished gathering place for locals and visitors alike since it opened its doors in 1930. Its story begins with two Greek immigrant brothers, Mike and Sam Janoplis, who...

Wheels of Time: The Legacy of Arnold’s Bike Shop in Provincetown

June 30, 2025

Arnold’s Bike Shop in Provincetown, is more than a place to rent a bike—it’s a beloved local institution with a legacy that spans generations. The shop was founded in 1937 by Arnold F. Dwyer. It began as a small radio and bicycle business inside a...

A (Black) Flash in the Pan: Provincetown’s Boogeyman

June 6, 2023

The 1930s were a difficult time. The Depression which had followed the stock market crash was still a factor. Across the Atlantic, Adolf Hitler was building an evil empire. And in Provincetown, a strange creature was sighted abroad at night: The Provincetown...