Past Construction Projects

Derelict structures like this one are included in the plan to be demolished in 2023.

NPS Photo

Demolition of Non-Historic Derelict Structures

Completed June 2024

In 2022, Cape Cod National Seashore received $8.338 million in project funding through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to remove excess structures and restore natural landscapes throughout the park.

The structures included 44 non-historic buildings that were derelict and dilapidated, posing serious threats to public safety as they contained hazardous materials or were substantially deteriorated. The structures were exposed, their structural deterioration accelerated, and some were heavily vandalized, while others were collapsing entirely.

Most of the 44 structures were transferred to the National Park Service (NPS) when the North Truro Air Force Station was decommissioned in the 1990s. The remaining structures were acquired by the NPS as the park was established in the 1960s and 1970s. Two of the structures laid within the Herring River floodplain and their demolition advanced the multi-agency collaborative effort to restore the Herring River estuary.

 

NPS Photo

Rebuild Nauset Light Beach Bathhouse

Completed August 2022

Nauset Light Beach is one of the national seashore's busiest beaches. In summer, it is the first parking lot to fill, attracting over 1,000 beachgoers daily.

The need to replace the Nauset Light Beach facilities reached a critical point when accelerated erosion caused by winter storms endangered the bathhouse. The facilities were removed in response to an erosion rate of 12-15 feet per year over the past dozen years.

Construction of a new facility at the far end of the parking area was completed in August 2022. It includes a new septic system, restrooms, showers, and lifeguard support facilities.

 

Old Harbor Life-Saving Station

NPS Photo

Preservation of Old Harbor Life-Saving Station

Completed in 2022

Constructed in 1898, Old Harbor Life-Saving Station is the last intact 19th century life-saving station of the original 13 that once dotted outer Cape Cod. Old Harbor stands as an authentic example of a turn-of-the-century station where crews of rescuers stood ready to react to cries of of "ship ashore!" along the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."

In 2012, Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore conducted a capital campaign to furnish the station with artifacts and reproductions known to be in the building during its period of significance in 1902. Friends invested further funds in 2017 to reglaze several of the most deteriorated windows.

Tasks for the project included interior repairs, scraping and painting peeling paint; re-flashing the chimney/roof interface; repairing roof flashing at the bunkroom dormer; repairing roof leaks where boat house roof meets the tower; repairing, scraping, and painting fascia and soffit trim; repainting the porch and porch door; repairs to the kitchen window and a window on the third floor; repair, spot re-glazing, scraping and painting of 37 windows.

 

Progress of Highland Light rehabilitation project.

NPS Photo

Rehabilitation of Highland Light

Completed in 2022

Highland (Cape Cod) Light is the oldest and tallest light on Cape Cod, standing at 66 feet. Originally built in 1797 and replaced in 1853, the current masonry structure was completed in 1857. The lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 based on its architecture and engineering. The light can be seen from 40 miles at sea, and it continues to serve as a significant official aid to navigation.

The main goal of the project was to restore ventilation to the masonry tower to eliminate the build-up of moisture. Over many decades, built up moisture led to corrosion and the development of large cracks in the masonry. Tasks included elimination of the modern cement-like material between tower walls that inhibited air flow, removal of non-breathable exterior coating, repair or replacement of corroded metal components, new windows, masonry repairs, and application of a new exterior coating.

 

New ramp installed at Province Lands Visitor Center.

NPS Photo

Province Lands Visitor Center Preservation

Completed in 2022

Province Lands Visitor Center's position on a high bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, combining wind, sand, and salt spray, necessitated exterior repair work. Scheduled maintenance included a new roof; prepping and painting trim, wood fascia, and wood board & batten siding; stabilizing, repairing, and repointing loose block on the retaining wall to the basement; and removing, repairing, re-installing, and resealing portions of the exterior panels at the upper level observation deck. Interior painting and new carpeting throughout the building completed the rehabilitation.

The addition of a new ramp has also made the building accessible. Previously, stairs were required to access the visitor center and observation deck, where there are commanding views of the Atlantic, the Gulf of Maine, dunes, and the chance to spot whales in spring and summer.

 

Construction at Coast Guard Beach bathroom.

NPS Photo

Parkwide Restroom Renovations

Completed in 2021

2021 was the year of restroom renovations! The satellite bathroom at the Salt Pond Visitor Center, Coast Guard Beach restrooms, Marconi Beach restrooms, and Race Point Beach restrooms all received numerous upgrades. Restroom upgrades varied by location, but included replacement of restroom fixtures, lighting, plumbing, and electrical components with safe, more efficient items, as well as repairs to deteriorated structural materials. Exterior upgrades were also included.

 

NPS maintenance crews work to rebuild sections of the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp boardwalk.

NPS Photo

Repairs to Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail

Completed 2020

The Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail meanders through one of the most unique and intriguing areas on Cape Cod. The swamp is an isolated remnant of an ecosystem created after the last ice age and now normally found in mid-Canada or further north.

A favorite visitor destination, this boardwalk trail through a white cedar swamp trail required repair and replacement of wooden boardwalk sections that had become deteriorated. 800 lineal feet of trail were repaired. As a Centennial Challenge project, this work was accomplished through both federal funds and a 50% match from Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore. Getting ahead of these repairs before the trail becomes unsafe allows for continued visitor access in the future.

 

Work being completed at the Atwood Higgins House.

NPS Photo

Atwood Higgins House Rehabilitation and Preservation

Completed in 2020

The Atwood-Higgins Complex is an ensemble of ten buildings clustered within a larger twenty-four acre property within Cape Cod National Seashore. The 1730 Atwood-Higgins House is one of the oldest surviving examples of the original American Cape Cod house and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is an exemplary example of how this architectural style indigenous to early Cape Cod went on to become the nationally popular "Cape Cod" house of today. The ability to expand and alter a home to meet changing needs, without sacrificing the basic simplicity of a functional floor plan, has made this house a familiar presence today.

In late 2017, the NPS Historic Architecture, Conservation, and Engineering Team (HACE) conducted a thorough condition assessment that forms the basis for the project repairs. Tasks for the project included: raking and repointing chimney masonry mortar joints; replacement of chimney flashing, partial replacement of deteriorated wood shingle siding, replacement of wood shingle roofing and downspouts; structural augmentation of wood roof purlins; repair of wood gutters; selective replacement of window glazing; and painting the entire exterior including wood windows and doors.

 

Duration:

43.8 seconds

Time lapse video of the Herring Cove parking lot realignment project completed in 2019. Video courtesy of Classic Site Solutions.

 

Realignment of Province Lands Road and Relocation of Herring Cove North Parking Lot

Completed August 2019

The goal of this project is to provide sustainable access to the beach by relocating key facilities inland from the eroding shoreline. NPS developed a long-term plan for management of the north public use area in a way that considers the potential for future erosion, sea level rise, coastal flooding during storm events, and long-term sustainability; that restores natural systems to the greatest extent possible; and that also retains the recreational experience to the greatest extent possible.

To maintain long-term visitor access, a new parking lot of similar dimensions is being built 350 feet inland of the former parking lot, representing a retreat of man-made materials from the coastline and reestablishing a natural shoreline. This retreat is responsive to best available estimates of shoreline change. The new parking lot will be built at an elevation of 15-16 feet (two feet above the current FEMA base flood elevation), which accounts for expected sea level rise and continental subsidence as well as the level predicted for major hydrologic coastal flood event having a predicted 100-year occurrence.

 

Penniman barn adjacent to Penniman House.

NPS Photo

Rehabilitation of Captain Penniman Barn

Completed 2019

Significant structural work and repairs to the deteriorated 1882 Captain Penniman House Barn are required. In fall 2014, park maintenance staff discovered serious structural deterioration on the east side of the barn. The crew placed temporary shoring timbers to stabilize the east side pending permanent repairs, and the barn was closed to the public. In addition to the structural deterioration on the east side of the barn, its gutter and drainage systems have failed, causing accelerated moisture damage.

Work includes structural repairs to the east wall, including new sill plates and posts; replacement of rotted fascia, soffits and gutters; and repairs or replacement of trim, cupola, shed roof and posts, doors and windows, wall sheathing and clapboards. In addition, the barn will be prepped and painted, and the mansard roof will be prepped and stained.

The 1868 Penniman House and Barn are the centerpieces of the 100-acre Fort Hill Rural Historic District. Home to whaling captain Edward Penniman, the 2-1/2 story, 2,750 square foot house features intricate architectural details, an elaborate cupola, and bold colors in the Second Empire style. The house and barn sit prominently at the entrance to the historic district.

The house and barn were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The seashore’s interpretive staff and volunteers conduct popular interpretive tours through the house twice to three times weekly from late spring through early fall. In 2014, nearly 1,100 people attended the tours. The Fort Hill area of Cape Cod National Seashore is a primary park resource and receives the highest annual visitation at the seashore with the exception of its beaches.

 

Completed Coast Guard Station project.

NPS Photo

Exterior Rehab of Coast Guard Station

Completed 2019

The Nauset Coast Guard Station building overlooks the Atlantic Ocean at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham. It was constructed on an overlook of the Atlantic Ocean in 1936, to be used by the United States Life Saving Service in its early years. The historic building is now part of Cape Cod National Seashore, and has annual visitation of over 432,000 people. For the past 80 years it has been adaptively reused as an early park headquarters, then employee housing, next as a residential education facility, and finally, as a support facility for the Parks as Classrooms program. Its location adjacent to the beach and salt marsh makes it an ideal location for educational activities and discussions about beach processes, salt marsh resources, global climate change and sea level rise, erosion, and threatened and endangered species. Its historic nature supports lessons about storms, shipwrecks, life-saving, and maritime industries.

Over sixty years of use and constant exposure to wind, sand and salt spray has led to a need for major repair to the exterior. Rehabilitation is necessary to protect the integrity of this National Register-eligible building. This project will repair damage to the exterior of the Coast Guard building, re-glaze and repaint the windows, paint all exterior surfaces, remove and replace the siding on the building with cedar shakes and repair the fire escape. Also included is re-grading of the grounds adjacent to the building to correct drainage problems.

 

Head of the Meadow Bike Trail extension entrance at High Head.

NPS Photo

Rehabilitation of the Head of the Meadow Bike Trail

Completed 2017

This project includes the rehabilitation of the 2 mile long Head of the Meadow bike trail in Truro, Massachusetts. A critical component is mitigation of disturbance to the sensitive natural resources in the wetlands of the Pilgrim Heights area and public safety of the visitor using this trail. The bike trail will be widened to meet current bike trail standards. A new hot asphalt overlay across the whole trail surface, new signs, and pavement markings will be installed. Beach grass and other native plantings and sand fence will be installed to stabilize sandy areas along the bike trail.

This project also includes extending the existing Head of the Meadow Bicycle Trail by creating an approximately mile long connection along Old King’s Highway, an ancient way on Cape Cod since the time Massachusetts was a colony, which leads to the ocean and surrounding attractions. The connection will greatly improve recreational bicycle trail use opportunities in the Town of Truro by making a major loop that would afford various destination possibilities.

This is a major park secondary route in the Outer Cape Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan, as well as an interim primary route while funds for the “spine” route, a Separated Multi-Use Path on Route 6, are being sought. It will connect the Truro Highlands to both the planned primary "spine" route and secondary route network.