Exploring #Bourne Farm for Inspiration #amwriting #Ghosts #CapeCod #Falmouth #Travel

Bourne Farm, or Crowell-Bourne Farm, circa 1775

You wouldn't think a ghost mystery would require much research--part of the fun of writing paranormal elements is using your imagination.  But I've had to do research for every one of my books...some more than others.  Haunted Souls, in particular, took a huge amount of research.  The initial inspiration for that story came from a visit to the Old Jail here on Cape Cod--the oldest wooden jailhouse in the country, built circa 1690 and reputedly haunted.  For this particular plot, historical research was necessary, and also a great deal of research into the military background of one of the characters, who was an EOD tech (Explosive Ordinance Disposal).  You can read more details about the Old Jail in Barnstable Village and researching EOD in this post.

For my recent ghost mystery/romance, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, I needed more information on historic farms located on Cape Cod.  The farm in my novel has been in the Turner family for generations, and Luke Turner is determined to save the property from development, despite financial struggles.  So I visited a few farms in person in addition to doing online research.

Crocker Pond on Bourne Farm

Crowell-Bourne Farm (in West Falmouth on Cape Cod in MA) probably served as the biggest inspiration, at least in terms of my vision for the landscape of Hillwood Farm.  The house was built in 1775 by Joseph Crowell, as you can see from the plaque on the building in the top photo.  Although there is no documentation to prove it, local lore says the structure on Bourne Farm was one of the first seven houses in West Falmouth.  This property is now owned by a private land trust, and consists of 49 acres of fields and woodlands.  It's listed on the National Registration of Historic Places, and visitors enjoy walking the miles of trails through the woods and appreciating the views.  We picked some apples from the orchards during our walk, and I'm sharing a few more pics below.

The cattle run...this used to be a passage for the
cattle to cross beneath the railroad tracks.  The
tracks above are now a bike path.

My hubby walking the trails (Otis the dog
must be further up ahead)

Otis posing in the cattle run

    

One other farm we visited was Taylor-Bray Farm in Yarmouth Port.  This farm was originally settled in 1639 when the area was still part of the Plymouth Colony.  I used some of the history of this farm as inspiration--specifically, Taylor-Bray was a working farm until 1941, harvesting hay and selling fruit.  The existing farm house there now was built in the late 1800s, and visitors are allowed to walk through when it's open.  The decor has been preserved, but in my mind's eye, my fictional farm house has had quite a lot of renovations throughout the years.

Sheep at Taylor-Bray Farm.  My fictional farm has horses.

While these two farms are now historic landmarks open to the public, there are a number of working farms on the Cape that still house families.  Those I researched online, or visited their produce stands to enjoy the fresh fruits and veggies!

All in all, this research was a fascinating look at some Cape Cod history, as well as inspiration for the setting.  But then my imagination took over.  Who is haunting Hillwood Farm?  And why?  You'll have to read the book to find out!  It's available on Kindle and paperback on Amazon, just follow the link below to read the blurb.  

THE HAUNTING OF HILLWOOD FARM on Amazon

Winner of Best Romantic Suspense 
at N.N. Light's Book Heaven Reviews!

And for more posts on historic sites on Cape Cod, check out a few of my other posts:  Historic Falmouth, Exploring Washburn Island (abandoned military base from WWII), Haunted Barnstable Village (deserted prisons anyone?), and Visiting Cuttyhunk Island (which is literally like time-traveling to a different decade!).  Thanks for stopping by!

Exploring Washburn Island #CapeCod #vacation #travel Cape Cod

A sailboat washed ashore on Washburn

I love exploring new places, whether far away or close to home, but it's especially exciting to "discover" the hidden gems in your own backyard (for me, that's now Cape Cod).  A few summers ago, we visited Cuttyhunk, a secluded oasis in the Elizabeth Island chain only accessible by private boat.  It was like being in another world.  People do live there year-round...about 86, to be exact.  This summer, we spent a day on Washburn Island, a completely undeveloped island located in Falmouth.  Again, this is an island only accessible by private boat, and there is almost nothing there except for some primitive camping grounds.  Well, not nothing, really.  There's history, beauty, and undisturbed nature.  In fact, nature has reclaimed the remnants of the human intervention of the past, and it's slightly eerie to walk amongst the "ruins" and imagine the structures that once carved out space on the island.

Washburn Island is located in Waquoit Bay, and has, at times, been connected to the mainland via man-made bridges or changes in geography.  The Native American name for the island was Menauhant, and in the 1700 and 1800s, it was used for livestock grazing and small farms.  In the late 1800s, the island was acquired by Henry Bryant, who built a house and facilitated the installation of a hand ferry for passage to the mainland.

A small part of the house that once stood on Collin's Hill

After Bryant's death, his widow eventually sold the island to a group of investors.  The only property developed was purchased by Fred and Fannie Collins, and the remains of their summer home is visible on Collins' Hill.

One of the investors, Henry Washburn, purchased the remainder of the island, and he and his wife Florence moved into the Bryant House.  A fire destroyed the property in 1926, and after Henry's death, Florence allowed the island to be used for recreational purposes.

Rusted remains of military vehicles

When the United States entered WWII, the need for amphibious training became tantamount to military success.  The Federal Government leased the area and reconnected Washburn Island to the mainland via a sand causeway and a wooden bridge.  The island was soon the home to roads, buildings, drill fields, parade grounds, obstacle courses, docks, and piers.  After the war, the island was returned to Florence Washburn, who again allowed locals to enjoy the location.  Eventually, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts acquired the island, and it's now part of the Waquoit Bay Reserve.  Visitors may enjoy the beach, hike the trails, and camp (with reservations).


The one time I did camp there, we had little time for anything but setting up camp and then tearing it back down for our one-night stay.  But during our recent day trip, I was able to see so much more of the island, and really appreciate this historic and pristine piece of Cape Cod. And, on our journey, we found an actual message in a bottle, washed up on the sand!  The letter inside asked for a response, and as a writer, I was thrilled to comply.  Already, ideas about a character finding a message in a bottle are providing the inspiration for a new novel.

In the meantime, my latest Work-In-Progress, tentatively titled Dangerous Currents, does involve the Waquoit Nature reserve, if not Washburn Island itself.  I love drawing from local history for my stories, as I've done with Gull Harbor and Haunted Souls.  If you'd like to visit Cape Cod via my novels (along with some steamy romance and spooky suspense), check out the links!  And if you get to visit here in person, don't miss the beauty and history of Washburn Island.  

My husband walking the trail that was once a paved road
used by army vehicles during WWII

Exploring #Falmouth Cape Cod #CapeCod #Travel

I've lived on beautiful Cape Cod for nearly 20 years now, and I'm still discovering the rich history, diverse geography, and breathtaking beauty of the 15 towns of the Cape, as well as the nearby islands.  I've done a few posts on My Favorite Spots on Cape Cod, Haunted History of Barnstable, Visiting Cuttyhunk Island, and A Whirlwind Tour of Cape Cod, and while a few Falmouth locations are mentioned (Coonamessett Farm, the Shining Sea Bike Trail, and the Woods Hole Aquarium), I've never done a post specifically on Falmouth, a neighboring town I'm in at least once a week, if not more.  And while it's easy to miss discovering the amazing sites in our own figurative backyards, due to...well, life...I got a chance to explore Falmouth's history with my son as I drove him around to take pictures for a high school geography project.  I've driven by many of these places for years without knowing much about them, and I'm excited about all I learned on our trip!  So I'm sharing some of the town's fascinating history below.

A tip of Washburn Island in the background - we had quite
an experience camping there one night - very rustic!

We stopped first at the Waquoit Bay Natural Estuarine Research Reserve, which is both a Massachusetts State park and a center for education and research.  From there, we took pictures across Waquoit Bay of Washburn Island, an important part of the Reserve only accessible by private boat.  Washburn Island is one of the few large undeveloped coastal areas on the Cape, although it does feature a few rustic campsites which nature lovers may reserve in advance.  During WWII, the island served as an Army camp, and remnants of the abandoned base can still be found.  In addition, Native American artifacts dating between 450-1000 years ago have been found on the island as well.  

An example of a Wampanoag wetu
at the Waquoit Bay Reserve

Bay View Cemetery along Rt. 28

Following one of the trails along the water leads over to the old Bay View Cemetery, which I, as a writer of ghost stories, obviously found fascinating.  Many of the graves dated back to the 1800s.

From there, we got back in the car and drove to downtown Falmouth to the historic Village Green off Main Street (Rt. 28). This area has served as the town center since 1756, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  A few pictures from our walk around the Green are below; of particular note is the home of Katharine Lee Bates, the author of "America the Beautiful".

The home of Katharine Lee Bates, built in 1820.
Katharine was born in the house is 1859.  

First Congregational Church, circa 1796;
contains a bell manufactured by Paul Revere.

Oldest home on the Falmouth Village Green - 1790
Dr. Francis Wick's house - Federal style

From Falmouth's historic district, it's a short drive down to Woods Hole, located in the southwest corner of the Cape.  There is a great deal to see here in terms of history and geography, including many famous marine science organizations, a Coast Guard station, and the Nobska light house, pictured below.  I've actually been up to the top, as we were at a Coast Guard dinner at the house years ago.

Nobska Lighthouse, 1828.  The house is used by the
commander of US Coast Guard Group Woods Hole,
now renamed CG Sector Southeastern New England.

While we couldn't visit every point of interest in Falmouth in the time we had, we did hit a few more...Highfield Hall and Gardens, Beebe Woods, cranberry bogs, Old Silver Beach - there's so much to see in the Cape's second-largest town.  And, as a post-script, my son received an A on the Falmouth project - 100% - and we both learned a lot along the way.