Historic Hoxie House, Sandwich, MA
The Oldest Saltbox on Cape Cod is Open For Public Tours All Summer
Jul 10, 2008
Cape Cod is best known as a beach lover’s vacation destination with its National Seashsore protecting forty miles of coastline for recreation. But the Cape is also one of the first places settled by Europeans and historic sites are part of the area’s charm.
The Historic Town of Sandwich
Sandwich, the oldest town on Cape Cod, was a grant given to “Ten Men From Saugus” for land enough for sixty families. The town was incorporated in 1639. Today Sandwich is home to several museums and some of the oldest buildings in the country.
The oldest surviving saltbox house in the town, Hoxie House has been restored to its original colonial style and is open to the public from mid-June to the end of September. It is also one of very few old buildings on the Cape that is in its original location. It was a common practice to move buildings from one place to another so many historic buildings on the Cape are not found in their original location
The History of Hoxie House
Hoxie House was build some time in the 1600s but the exact date is not known as a fire destroyed early town records. The house is a saltbox design with a long sloping roof at the back, named for the characteristic saltboxes used to keep water from getting into the salt during transport.
Rev John Smith and his family occupied the house beginning in 1675 and the house was then bought by Captain Abraham Hoxie in the mid-1800s. Hoxie was a whaling captain who settled in Sandwich after his whaling days ended. The house, with no modern conveniences was occupied until the late 1950s, when it was acquired by the town of Sandwich and restored to historical accuracy.
The Hoxie House Tour
The tour of Hoxie House is entertaining. Guides present plenty of interesting historical information in an amusing way. Furniture, tools, and other necessities of daily life are shown and uses described with humor. A page of some sayings commonly used today explains their origin. For example the steep sloping roof was a favorite place for cats to sun themselves and for dogs to chase them. When it rained that roof got slippery, hence-raining cats and dogs.
Getting There
From the Sagamore Bridge take Route 6 toward Hyannis, leaving at Exit 2/Route 130. Take Route 130 toward Sandwich. Hoxie House is located at 18 Water Street/Route130, just a short distance from the exit.. Hoxie House is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and from 1pm to 5pm on Sundays from mid-June to September 30th. There is a small admission fee.
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