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NORTH SHORE BREEZE and Reminder 
Aug. 18, 1916, 
Driving About Old Cape Ann 
By ALEX. G. TUPPER 
N our last drive, we left Rocky Neck at the junction of 
Rocky Neck avenue and East Main street. Starting on 
at this point we will continue our trip down Eastern Point 
road where lies the main body of the summer colony, and 
thence turn into the magnificent shore route with the 
broad Atlantic constantly in view. This route marks one 
of the longest shore drives on the New England coast, 
surpassing in varied and picturesque beauty even the 
drives of Newport, or of any other section of the North 
Shore. 
In the outset of the drive one is interested in the 
many little summer shops along the way displaying their 
various wares. The first shop in the severe red building 
on our left is that of Mrs. Clara L. Harrington of Boston. 
Mrs. Harrington was the first person to start an antique 
and novelty store in the East Gloucester colony. For 
over twenty years she has catered to the best people com- 
ing to the resort and her honest dealings and genial per- 
sonality have made her establishment very popular. Mrs. 
Harrington purchased a large tract of property, contain- 
ing four buildings besides the one she now occupies and 
they are all rented for artists’ studios. 
Across the street, on the right from the avenue, are 
the buildings owned by W. Jay Little, underneath which 
are photographic and novelty shops. One store with a 
broad veranda is called “the Treasure Chest’? where an 
immense variety of novelties are on exhibition. Again on 
the left a little farther along, we see a shop in a quaint 
little cottage with ivy clinging to its porch. This is called 
“The Lobster Pot,” and has been conducted for sever. 
years by Miss Mary Perry. 
The first hotel we reach on our right as we proceed 
is the ““Harbor View,” so named because of its location 
on the side of the cove which commands a fine view of 
the stretch of harbor. The sunsets are wonderful from 
this point. When the horse cars were first introduced in 
Gloucester the line ended at the foot of ‘‘Patch’s hill,” 
but when the electric cars came into’ use the transit line 
- swung off down Rocky Neck avenue insfead. 
Continuing on up. the hill we pass another charming 
hotel, Merrill Hall, formerly Craig Cottage, one of the 
earliest summer boarding houses on the North Shore. 
Just here it will be interesting to say a word of the his- 
tory of the summer hotel industry for which East Glou- 
cester is so well known, and which is, in fact, the “Mother 
Resort” of the North Shore. 
Previous to 1842, the Kidder family and friends of 
Lowell came to Eastern Point for a vacation, stopping at 
the lighthouse, where John Wonson was then keeper. The 
Kidders became so fond of the place as did the other 
guests of the family, that Fitzwilliam Wonson, son of the 
lightkeeper and Mary A. Wonson, his wife, decided to open 
their house to receive a few people for the summer months. 
The energetic couple met with splendid success, for peo- 
ple having heard rumors of its charm were most desirious 
of coming to East Gloucester for their vacations. It was 
but a short time before the Wonson’s began to enlarge 
their accommodations, and from twelve to fifteen guests 
were received. Thus was laid the corner-stone of the 
summer hotel business in East Gloucester and during the 
vears from 1842 to 1867, the “Fairview,” the house of 
this ambitious couple, became a famous resort. Here 
writers and artists of note came as the seasons went by, 
charmed with the beauty of the spot. Many a famous 
IV 
story has been written within these old walls, the sur- 
roundings having been settings in notable stories and 
poems, as well as subjects for the brush of many famous 
artists. Louisa Alcott spent a number of seasons here at 
“Fairview,” and Rudyard Kipling with his family has _ 
been a guest at the house. While here he secured his 
material for his “Captains Courageous.” Ellen Dale 
Hale, daughter of Edward Everett Hale; became an ad- 
mirer of the quaint resort, besides Gertrude Clement, 
Maxfield Parrish and many other painters. When 
guests in the early days wished to dance, it is related, they 
secured the permission of the management of the house — 
to take up the parlor carpet and then the room was clear- 
ed for Terpsichore. : 
Mrs. Thomas Renton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
Fitzwilliam Wonson, continued the hotel business at “Fair- 
view” upon the retirement of her parents and it has been 
in the family ever since, the Misses Renton, daughters of ~ 
Mrs. Thomas Renton, having the management of the 
hotel at the present time. Just beyond the head of Haw- 
thorne Lane on the left, it will be seen in the midst of an 
old orchard and field, commanding a fine view of the 
moors and the outer harbor. 
Then there is the story of Hawthorne Inn, which 
began its career as a hostelry several years after the start- 
ing of the “Fairview,” when Mrs. Judith Wonson, a sis-_ 
ter-in-law of the “Fairview” Wonsons, began with her 
house, now called the “Old Home,” an annex of the pres- 
ent Hawthorne Inn. This house the present proprietor 
respects nearly as much as he would his own grandmother. 
Hawthorne Inn is a resort today accommodating nearly 
500 people and under the management of Proprietor 
Stacy, a Gloucester man who has “done things” to build 
up the summer industry on Cape Ann. 
After the step taken by Mrs. Judith Wonson, an- 
other relative, Mrs. Dann, founded the ‘Delphine House,” 
after which came-in order :Craig cottage, managed by 
Mrs. Merrill, another cousin, the “Harbor View” under 
the management of Mrs. Benjamin Brazier, the “Mail- 
man House,” under the management of Mrs. John Mail- 
man; the “Beachcroft,”’ on the Niles property; the ““Rock- 
away,’ “Pilgrim House,” until at Bass Rocks two fine 
hotels the “Moorland” and “Thorwald,” bring hotel con- 
struction in Gloucester up to date. 
Now after going down Hawthorne Lane to see the 
Inn and cottages let us continue on our drive past the 
Mailman House, through the Gate Lodge entrance. Once 
inside the granite posts of the ivy-thatched Lodge with 
the Beachcroft on the left, we see a lovely stretch of land 
ahead of us while on the right is a fine beach and the 
harbor itself. As we continue along the boulevard, we 
see many fine houses and the area of blue water at our 
left, we soon reach, is Niles Pond. It is fresh water, but 
if we gaze across on the other side, the broad expanse ot 
blue there observed is the pulsing sea. Only a narrow 
strip of land over which we will soon pass, separates the 
fresh fron the salt water. 
As we pass a second gate lodge, let us glance at the 
two, cement cottages at the right. These are the cottage 
and studio of Cecilia Beaux, the noted portrait painter, 
who claims Gloucester as her home. Here she spends 
the greater part of the year, busy with important can- 
vasses. Miss Beaux has a charming place and she takes 
great pride in keeping its shrubbery and flowers at their 
hest, 
