Welcome to Wequassett Resort and Golf Club A Brief History
Over 400 years ago the Wampanoag Indians began coming to the place they called Wequassett during the summer months. They cut trees, cleared land, pitched their wigwams and planted corn. Once settled, the Wampanoags took full advantage of this idyllic setting; they swam in the bay’s clear water, caught fish, chipped arrowheads from colored stones on the shore and gathered quahog and periwinkle shells for wampum. When the seasons changed, it was the general custom to break camp and move inland from Wequassett’s shore to the relative warmth of the forest where deer and game provided nourishment through the winter months. The Indian name Wequassett means “crescent on the water.” Interestingly enough, the sand-spit called Clam Point extends out around the Cove in the shape of a crescent. The Wampanoag Indians paid great attention to the first appearance of every new moon. They began their ecclesiastical calendar at the first appearance of the first crescent moon of the vernal equinox. Whether Wequassett was named for the shape of the sand-spit, or for the new crescent moon or for that moon’s reflection on the water remains a mystery. Among the many buildings that comprise the present Resort are two noteworthy historic structures. The lovely “Square Top” or Eben Ryder House serves as the centerpiece of the complex, the location of twenty-eight Atlantic and Thoreau’s. This home dates back to the early 1800s and was originally in the nearby town of Brewster; for many years it housed the West Brewster Post Office and general store.
2
