Some History of Skinequit Pond

According to Josiah Paine, John Skinequit, a local native American, sold most of his territory on the east side of Skinequit Pond, and the herring brook draining Skinequit Pond, to Jeremiah Howes of Yarmouth in 1692. He and his son, also John, sold further land in the area to Jeremiah Howes in 1698 [A History of Harwich, Barnstable County, Massachusetts; Josiah Paine; reprinted 1971, Parnassus Imprints; p90].

Paine also says that Thomas Howes subsequently sold part of this land, described as “The eastern part, from the Red River Westward, containing 30 acres”, to John Paine of Chatham in 1787. [Paine, p91] Presumably Thomas Howes was a direct descendant of Jeremiah Howes, most likely a grandson.

Maps from the middle of the nineteenth century show a single house on the pond, belonging to “S. Eldridge,” or “Mrs. Eldridge”. The exact provenance of the house is unknown, but it is thought to have been built around 1800, most likely by a member of the Paine family. That house, along with a succession of additions and modifications, stood on the same location, on a knoll on the southeast side of the pond, until 2010.

The original house, along with 6 acres, was sold by Abigail Eldridge in 1885. This appears to have been the beginning of a process of subdivision that coincided with the arrival of the railroad, and associated development, including development of Wychmere in Harwichport.

The Eldridge property was bought by Alexis Julien in 1892, and held in the Julien family until 1921. Alexis Julien was a member of the Wychmere Syndicate, a group of three businessmen who developed and promoted Wychmere Harbor and surrounding real estate holdings.