White Horse Beach, Massachusetts facts for kids
White Horse Beach is a small village located in Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States. It's right on Cape Cod Bay, just south of Priscilla Beach. The southern part of the beach, sometimes called Taylor Avenue Beach, has many small cottages. There are also protected areas with fences to help keep the sand dunes and delicate plants safe.
At the northern end of the beach, you'll see a rock sticking out of the water with an American flag painted on it. This rock is known as Flag Rock. Local stories say that painting the flag was a way to cover up a Nazi swastika that someone had painted there. In the summer of 1941, some local teenagers painted the first flag. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December of that year, many of them joined the armed forces. Winter storms would often fade the flag, letting the swastika show through. So, on the next Fourth of July, a tradition began: people would repaint the flag every year.
Just beyond the northern part of the beach, there's a small area with businesses. You can find a general store and a Post Office there. The Post Office has its own ZIP code, 02381. However, most people and businesses in the village who don't have a Post Office box use Plymouth's main ZIP code, which is 02360.
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Past and Present Buildings
Further away from the beach, there used to be a place called St. Catherine's Chapel. It wasn't in good shape, so it was sold. The new owner turned the area into a small park with grass and trees. The White Horse Cemetery is also nearby and has been there since the early 1700s.
The Post Office used to be inside the General Store. Now, it's in a space that was once the White Horse Bowling Alley. This old bowling alley also had pool tables and pinball machines. Back then, people called "Pin Spotters" had to manually set up the bowling pins for each game! There were also two hotels at White Horse Beach, the Mayflower and the White Horse Hotel. The Mayflower burned down and is now a set of condos. The White Horse Hotel was taken down in the 1960s to make room for a parking lot.
Fun Traditions: Independence Day
White Horse Beach is very famous for its Independence Day celebrations. These parties happen every year on July 3rd, a day before the actual holiday. This early celebration has been a tradition since the 1800s!
Beach Bonfires and New Rules
In the past, people would light huge bonfires on the beach using scrap wood and driftwood. The tradition was that the rising tide would put out these fires. Depending on the moon, the parties could last very late into the night. In recent years, the town's fire department has started asking for permits for bonfires to keep everyone safe. Sometimes, fires without permits are put out by the fire department. Town officials have also asked that fires stay lit until at least midnight. Recently, the police and fire departments have also put in place new rules to manage the large bonfires and fireworks. They now officially announce that there is "NO Public Parking or Restroom Facilities" to help control the number of people attending.
Cool Places to See and Do
White Horse Beach is close to some interesting spots.
Priscilla Beach Theatre
One of these is the Priscilla Beach Theatre. This is a professional place for learning about drama and putting on plays. It has been around since the 1930s!
Bartlett Pond: A Natural Spot
You can also find Bartlett Pond nearby. This is a shallow pond located inland from the beach. Water flows into it from Beaver Dam Brook, and then it flows out into Cape Cod Bay.
A Look Back: The "Irish Riviera"
White Horse Beach was once known as part of the "Irish Riviera." This was because many people of Irish descent from areas like Dorchester, Somerville, and South Boston would come here for their vacations in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. It was a typical summer vacation spot, much like other communities on the South Shore and Cape Cod. Many of the small cottages from that time are still standing today. While some have been damaged by storms, many others have been updated to become homes where people live all year round. This change has brought more year-round residents to the area, turning White Horse Beach from a seasonal vacation spot into a community where people live and commute to work in bigger cities like Boston.
Important Landmarks to Visit
Here are some important landmarks you can find around White Horse Beach:
- A small monument on top of Manomet Point marks where the Manomet Point Life-Saving Station used to be. Starting in 1874, brave surfmen at this station watched over ships near the coast. The monument remembers these surfmen and those who gave their lives trying to rescue sailors from a struggling ship.
- The White Horse General Store.
- White Horse Rock, also known as Flag Rock.
