In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Bassetts Island served as a popular summer resort destination. During this period, it featured a hotel called the Bassetts Island House which attracted vacationers looking to enjoy the coastal New England environment and relief from summer heat in the days before air conditioning. The island was accessible by a small ferry service that connected it to the mainland.
Although we have not found any photos or illustrations, it is reported that the hotel was a wooden structure typical of the Victorian resort architecture of the time. It featured wide porches (sometimes called verandas) where guests could relax and enjoy views of Red Brook Harbor and Buzzards Bay. The establishment offered full-service accommodations including meals and various recreational activities.
During its heyday, the hotel was part of a network of similar coastal resorts scattered throughout Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, and Martha’s Vineyard that catered to middle and upper-class vacationers from Boston, New York, and other cities. The hotel operated during an era when extended summer vacations at seaside resorts were becoming an established tradition for many families. Some guests would stay for weeks or even the entire summer season.
Like many wooden resort hotels of its era, the Bassetts Island House eventually declined. Changing vacation patterns, the rise of automobile tourism, and competition from newer resorts likely contributed to its closure, though we don’t have the exact date when operations ceased.
After the hotel era ended, the island transitioned to the pattern of private summer cottages that continues today. While the hotel building itself is long gone, it represents an important chapter in the recreational history of Bourne and the broader Cape Cod region.
