Provincetown History Snippets: Where were the Lifesaving Stations on Cape Cod?

The Outer Cape was long known as the grave of the Atlantic due to the number of shipwrecks along the treacherous coast. The winter of 1870-71 was especially disastrous and in response the United States Lifesaving Service was set up, replacing the Massachusetts Humane Society that maintained shacks to try and help shipwreck victims.

The new stations were staffed 10 months out of the year, and included two in Provincetown, at Race Point and Peaked Hill Bars. They were set back as far as possible from the high water mark and painted red in the hope of being visible from the sea. “Surfmen,” as they were called, kept an account of shipping traffic; Race Point station alone saved more than 600 people. Nine lifesaving stations were built on Cape Cod in 1872. None survive.

Click here to check out all of our Provincetown History Snippets!