Town & County Information

Chilmark

Chilmark is known worldwide as a town of rolling hills and unmatched coastline. Not so long ago uninhabited except for an occasional farm or fishing village, it now provides the setting for many a summer home.

The stone fences of the sheep farms still ribbon the hills, while the old stone animal pound stands on the South Road—a reminder of the days when a gate left open resulted in a roaming flock and a fine for its owner.

The center of Chilmark boasts a lovely church. The unique pointed steeple was added when the building was moved in 1915 from its original site on Middle Road. Although no longer in use, the little village school stands as it has for more than a century.

All roads from the center at Beetlebung Corner lead to points of beauty. Middle Road, perhaps the least improved of Island main roads, provides an incredibly lovely view of a placid farm with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.

The Menemsha Crossroad joins North Road and takes one to the fishing village once known as Menemsha Creek. Here the draggers still come in with their great nets and the lobstermen land their catches. Seafood may be purchased on the spot. Lovely private vessels lie along the docks while yachtsmen take on fresh water and supplies. A safe public bathing beach is another attraction. Menemsha is also the home of a Coast Guard station.

Before the days when the Coast Guard looked out for shipwrecked vessels, Vineyarders took it upon themselves to form volunteer groups that provided assistance to sailors in times of need. The open dories were launched into the stormy seas from Squibnocket Landing, the only beach on the south shore shallow enough for a boat to be launched or landed in heavy weather. It now is a beach for year-round and summer Chilmark residents.