Cottagers’ Corner is a source of pride
and resiliency for the island community.
In 1968, The Cottagers, Inc. had the foresight to secure ownership of our beloved building, Cottagers’ Corner, at 57 Pequot Avenue, Oak Bluffs, MA. Cottagers proudly gathered at "our home" to conduct our philanthropic works and share in sisterhood. Our cultural and educational center welcomed visitors to learn about our organization and served as a community meeting site for others. We invited young people to arts and crafts activities, authors to inspire others through book readings, and artists to share their talents. Many of us remember the teen dances at Cottagers' Corner as the place to meet old friends and make new ones. Our parents knew Cottagers’ Corner as a safe place for their children and a gathering place to connect to the community.
Cottagers’ Corner is a historic Oak Bluffs Building owned by Cottagers, Inc. since 1968.
Constructed in the Queen Ann Style, the Oak Bluffs Fire Station and Town Hall was a hose house/fire station for a chemical engine and hose wagon between 1871 and 1887. While retaining many original design elements, the building continued to be reinvented and renovated. Between 1887 in 1892, jail cells were constructed, and the exterior staircase accessed the second floor of the main building and jail. In 1898 the external staircase was enclosed, and between 1914 and 1938, the tower of the building was constructed.
The Oak Bluffs Fire Station and Town Hall building was purchased by a private owner in 1966, and in 1968 the Cottagers acquired the property for use as a meeting center and the organization's headquarters. The Cottagers added a secondary staircase and office space on the second addition between 1969 and the 1990s. Other improvements by the Cottagers included the replacement of windows and cosmetic updates.
Until the 2000s, the building was used in the summer (May – September) and island groups and programs like the YMCA of Martha's Vineyard in the off-season. Most recently, the building has been closed for the off-season months and was used by The Cottagers Inc. in the summer for programming.
In 2021, the Cottagers celebrated their 65th anniversary with a curated exhibit at the Martha's Vineyard Museum, which documented the history of the Cottagers, Inc. In addition to the Martha's Vineyard Museum, The Cottagers, Inc. is featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Our building is on the African American Heritage Trail of Martha’s Vineyard.