Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable
County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of
Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands. The population was
781 at the 2010 census. It is the site of several famous marine
science institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the
Marine Biological Laboratory, the Woods Hole Research Center, NOAA's Northeast
Fisheries Science Center, a USGS coastal and marine geology center, and the home
campus of the Sea Education Association. It is also the site of United States
Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, the Nobska Light lighthouse,
and the terminus of the Steamship Authority ferry route between Cape Cod
and the island of Martha's Vineyard. History
Historically, Woods Hole included one of the few good harbors on the southern
side of Cape Cod. The community became a center for whaling, shipping, and
fishing, prior to its dominance today by tourism and marine research. At the end
of the nineteenth century, Woods Hole was the home of the Pacific Guano
Company, which produced fertilizer from guano imported from islands in the
Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of South Carolina. After the firm
went bankrupt in 1889, Long Neck–the peninsula on which their factory was
located–was renamed Penzance Point and was developed with Shingle-Style summer
homes for bankers and lawyers from New York and Boston. Notable property owners
on Penzance Point at the beginning of the twentieth century included Seward
Prosser of New York's Bankers Trust Company; Francis Bartow, a partner in J.
P. Morgan and Company; Joseph Lee, a partner in Lee, Higginson & Co.; and
Franklin A. Park, an executive of Singer Sewing Machine. Other notable
businessmen established homes on Gansett Point, Nobska Point, and at Quissett
Harbor, further from the village center. Geography
Woods Hole is located at the southwest tip of the town of Falmouth at
41°31′36″N 70°39′47″W. The term "Woods Hole" refers to a passage for ships
between Vineyard Sound and Buzzards Bay known for its extremely strong current,
approaching four knots. The strait separates Cape Cod from the Elizabeth
Islands. It is one of four straits allowing maritime passage between
Buzzards Bay and the Vineyard Sound. The others are Canapitsit Channel, Quick's
Hole and Robinson's Hole. Ferries operated by the Steamship Authority run
regularly between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. In the past ferries
also ran between Woods Hole and Nantucket, but these have been
discontinued in recent decades. Much of Woods Hole centers around the
enclosed harbor of Eel Pond. A drawbridge at the mouth of the harbor
allows boats to enter and exit the harbor according to a fixed schedule.
The local lighthouse at Nobska Point is operated by the United States Coast
Guard, and the accompanying house is the home of the commander of the Coast Guard
base at Little Harbor. The Knob is a local landmark: a rocky
outcropping that overlooks Buzzards Bay and Quisset Harbor, a part of the
privately owned Salt Pond bird sanctuaries.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Woods Hole CDP has a total
area of 3.9 square miles. 2.1 square miles of it is land, and 1.8 square
miles of it is water. Falmouth Road Race
The annual Falmouth Road Race brings thousands of runners to Woods Hole in
August each year. The route of the 7-mile race starts outside the front
door of the Captain Kidd tavern and follows the shore of Vineyard Sound
through Falmouth to the British Beer Company, another tavern, in Falmouth
Heights. Education
The Woods Hole School is the home of the Children's School of Science. Founded in
1913, this institution provides science classes for students between 8 and 15
years old that focus on scientific investigation by observation. Students
regularly visit ecosystems around the village to study the organisms in their
natural environments, such as the Sippewissett Salt Marsh. The Children's
School of Science draws upon the talent brought to the village by the research
institutions but also educates the children of both scientists and locals.
Some mention of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is made in the 1975
blockbuster film Jaws as having been the center of research for the fictional
character Matt Hooper. Hooper is described as a marine biologist,
focusing on the study of sharks. Coincidentally, a great white shark was
spotted some years later near Woods Hole in September 2004.
Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 925
people, 459 households, and 212 families residing in the CDP. The population
density was 165.3/km². There were 942 housing units at an average density of
168.4/km². The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.70% White, 1.62% African
American, 0.54% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.08%
from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the
population. There were 459 households out of which
14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married
couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband
present, and 53.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of
individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.58.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 13.5% under the age of 18, 7.1%
from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were
65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females,
there are 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7
males. The median income for a household in the
CDP was $47,604, and the median income for a family was $57,969. Males had a
median income of $31,964 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for
the CDP was $30,752. None of the families and 5.3% of the population were
living below the poverty line, including no under 18 and 6.4% of those over 64.
See also Woods Hole Conference
Jane's Island, a 1931 Newbery Honor novel set in Woods Hole
References External links
Woods Hole Business Association Woods Hole Public Library
Woods Hole Historical Museum Woods Hole, the early years
Children's School of Science 1887 Bird's Eye View of Woods Hole
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Marine Biological Laboratory
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center U.S. Geological Survey Coastal and
Marine Science Center Images of Woods Hole, Dana Morris