Provincetown
History
Provincetown has long been connected to a sense of freedom. From the Pilgrims’ first landing on its shores, to the Town’s enduring appeal for the adventurous traveler, this town welcomes all comers. Over the years, an eclectic mix of fishermen, whalers, artists, writers, Portuguese immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ+ community have called it home. Today, seasoned visitors and newcomers alike are still drawn to this sandy tip of the Cape for its beauty, its light, its creativity and its stunning and abundant natural resources.
Further Details
Provincetown’s history as one of the country’s largest art communities can be traced to 1899, the year Charles W. Hawthorne opened his Cape Cod School of Painting. Artists were quickly drawn to the area’s wind-swept dunes and enchanted by the Town’s wharves and sailing ships. By World War I, Provincetown’s reputation was well established, with painters, playwrights, and poets embracing the Town’s bohemian lifestyle. Among the famous inhabitants were the writer Norman Mailer, the playwright Eugene O’Neill, poet Mary Oliver, and the abstract expressionist Hans Hofmann, who also opened a summer school in Town.
