Woods Hole is a census-designated place and village within the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands.

Nobska Light

Down-town Woods Hole from the water, including MBL and WHOI buildings.

It is the site of several famous marine science institutions, including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution [1], the Marine Biological Laboratory [2], the Woods Hole Research Center [3], NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (which started the Woods Hole scientific community in 1871), a USGS coastal and marine geology center, and the home campus of the Sea Education Association. It is also the site of United States Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England (formerly USCG Group Woods Hole). ([4]), the Nobska Light lighthouse, and the terminus of the Steamship Authority ferry route between Cape Cod and the island of Martha's Vineyard.

The local lighthouse, at Nobska Point, is operated by the USCG and the accompanying house is the home of the Commander, USCG Base on Little Harbor.

Historically, Woods Hole[5], included one of the few good harbors—Great Harbor, contained by Penzance Point—on the southern side of Cape Cod (along with Hyannis) and became a center for whaling, shipping, and fishing prior to its dominance today by tourism and marine research. At the end of the nineteenth century, Woods Hole was the home of the Pacific Guano Company which produced fertilizer from bird dung imported from islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of South Carolina. After the firm went bankrupt in 1889, Long Neck the peninsula on which their factory was located, was renamed Penzance Point and was developed with summer homes in the Shingle Style for bankers and lawyers from New York and Boston. Notable property owners on Penzance Point at the beginning of the twentieth century include Seward Prosser, of New York's Bankers Trust Company, Francis Bartow, a partner in J. P. Morgan and Company, Charles Choate, of the Boston law firm Choate Hall and Stewart, and Franklin A. Park, an executive of Singer Sewing Machine.

Woods Hole is also the home of the Children's School of Science, Inc.[6] Founded in 1913, this institution, which locally is known as "Science School", provides science classes for students between 8 and 14 years old. The classes focus on scientific investigation by observation. Students regularly visit ecosystems around the village to study the organisms in their natural environments. The Children's School of Science draws upon the talent brought to the village by the research institutions but also educates the children of both scientists and locals.

The term "Woods Hole" refers to a passage for ships between Vineyard Sound and Buzzard's Bay known for its extremely strong current, approaching four knots [7].

The Knob is a local landmark, a rocky outcropping that overlooks Buzzards Bay and Quisset Harbor, a part of the privately owned Salt Pond bird sanctuaries. It was "armored" with rip-rap during the winter of 2004–2005 to slow erosion and is currently (11/2005) being repaired.

Ferries, operated by the Steamship Authority, run regularly between Woods Hole and Martha's Vineyard. In the past ferries also ran between Woods Hole and Nantucket, but those have been discontinued in recent decades.

The annual Falmouth Road Race road race brings thousands of runners to Woods Hole in August each year. The route of the race starts outside the front door of the Captain Kidd, a tavern, and follows the shore of Vineyard Sound through Falmouth to another tavern in Falmouth Heights.

Some mention of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is made in the 1975 blockbuster film Jaws (film) as having been the center of research for the fictional charactor Matt Hooper. Hooper is described as a marine biologist, focusing on the study of sharks. Ironically, a Great White Shark was spotted some years later at Woods Hole in September of 2004.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 10.0 km² (3.9 mi²). 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is land and 4.5 km² (1.7 mi²) of it (44.33%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 925 people, 459 households, and 212 families residing in the village. The population density was 165.3/km² (427.9/mi²). There were 942 housing units at an average density of 168.4/km² (435.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.70% White, 1.62% African American, 0.54% Native American, 1.84% Asian, 0.22% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.97% of the population.

Of the 459 households, 14.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.7% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 53.6% were non-families. 40.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.94 and the average family size was 2.58.

In the village, the age of the population is spread out, with 13.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 27.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there are 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,604, and the median income for a family was $57,969. Males had a median income of $31,964 versus $31,875 for females. The per capita income for the village was $30,752. None of the families and 5.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 6.4% of those over 64.

External links

• Woods Hole Historical Museum
• Woods Hole, the early years

Coordinates: 41.52673° N 70.663184° W¹

• Childrens School of Science
• 1887 Bird's Eye View of Woods Hole
• The Woods Hole Research Center
• Great White Shark at Woods Hole
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• Woods Hole Historical Museum
• Images of Woods Hole, Dana Morris

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