The Cape Cod Railroad was established in 1846, bringing passengers from the South Shore to Falmouth and Hyannis. The Monument Beach railroad station was built to service the Falmouth line in 1875, joining two other stations to become known as the “Old Colony Railroad.” This railroad was used by prominent figures such as Grover Cleveland as he made his way to his summer Whitehouse in Gray Gables in the 1880s and 90s.
The original Monument Beach station burned to the ground on May 17th, 1906. It was an historic event in which 200 men worked throughout the night to stop the fire from sweeping through the Monument Beach community. The fire was ignited by a spark from a passing train, setting an adjacent cottage aflame. A gusty wind pushed the fire toward the town. The Bourne Fire Department would not be established for another nineteen years in 1925, so the alarm was called to Falmouth, Onset, and other departments.
Twenty five cottages were destroyed along with the railroad station. Luckily for the families who owned these homes, the great summer migration had yet to start and only two homes were occupied at the time of the fire. Fortunately, the Monument Beach post office was spared, but the damage was estimated at $75,000 – the equivalent of $1.5 million in today’s dollars. The station was rebuilt as it stands today in 1906.
Courtesy of Molly Murphy
