News Archives - The Martha's Vineyard Times (2024)

FAQs

What is the black section of Martha's Vineyard called? ›

By the mid-1950s Oak Bluffs had become a full-blown Black resort, drawing guests from all over the country. The town beach acquired the nickname “Inkwell” or “Inkwell Beach,” which may have started as a derogatory epithet but was later reclaimed by African American residents.

Built in 1672 near Edgartown Great Pond on Martha's Vineyard, Vincent House is the oldest unaltered house in the area. It was occupied by descendants of the original Vincent family for 250 years. Around 1977 it was donated to the Martha's Vineyard Historic Preservation Society and moved and restored.

Oak Bluffs, one of the most vibrant towns on Martha's Vineyard, has a long-standing tradition as a summer haven for African Americans. During the early 20th century, it became a popular destination for middle-class Black families seeking a reprieve from segregation and discrimination.

Right: People celebrating Memorial Day at Inkwell Beach, 2019. Despite being an important historical haven for African-Americans, Oak Bluffs is not a majority-black town. The Martha's Vineyard Commission reports that just 3.3 percent of Oak Bluffs' full-time residents are black.

Martha's Vineyard always was, and still is, a mostly White community— the population was 5,341 according to the 2020 United States Census, and only 12 percent of the population comprises people of color; even in Oak Bluffs, less than five percent of the population is Black.

Lobsters, clams, oysters, and fish are caught daily, ensuring the availability of high-quality, flavorful ingredients.

Chappaquiddick Island (/ˌtʃæpəˈkwɪdɪk/ CHAP-uh-KWID-ik; Massachusett language: Noepetchepi-aquidenet; colloquially known as "Chappy”) is a peninsula and occasional island off the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard.

Is Martha's Vineyard privately owned? No. It is an island that is part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Yes, there are property owners just like there are property owners in any other city, but those property owners do NOT own the island.

The property was sold to the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank Commission and the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation in September 2020 for $27 million.

Who was the first person on Martha's Vineyard? ›

The first Europeans that visited Martha's Vineyard were the Northmen, who landed about the year 1000, naming it Vineland. In some of their writings have been found descriptions that can be of no other place than Martha's Vineyard.

Exclusive luxury homes on Martha's Vineyard can be found in and around the quaint harbor town of Tisbury. The center of the village is so picturesque that it is called Vineyard Haven. The area is packed with things to see and do, and there is even a working alpaca farm nearby.

One narrative asserts that the name “Inkwell” was used as a pejorative by some whites to describe a beach in Oak Bluffs primarily populated by African Americans from the turn of the century through the Jim Crow era.

Martha's Vineyard is the larger of the two islands and is also far busier. Its population swells to over 200,000 in summer, so you could run into some crowds. Nantucket is smaller and doesn't get as busy. If you're looking to relax and hit up a secluded trail or beach, it's worth considering.

There are 650 Underground Railroad sites across the country, and 12 newly designated by the National Park Service. One of the new stations is right here in Edgartown, Massachusetts, the first and only on Martha's Vineyard.

The summer issue of Sweet July, Ayesha Curry's quarterly lifestyle magazine, highlights 14 independent Black-owned hotels across America in the article “Black-owned hotels for the ultimate road trip.” The Oak Bluffs Inn on Martha's Vineyard made the list.

Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Beach Subdivisions Historic District. Sag Harbor Hills, Azurest, and Ninevah Beach Subdivisions Historic District (SANS) is an African American beachfront community in Sag Harbor, New York.

Ten young Black professionals and entrepreneurs head to Martha's Vineyard, an island south of Cape Cod that was one of the first beach destinations where African-Americans could vacation and purchase property.