The idyllic island of Martha's Vineyard has always maintained a mystique as both an historic seaport and glittering destination of the rich and famous. Accessible only by sea and air, this island of small communities has been slow to change, and the residents of Martha's Vineyard have protected much of the original flavor of its seafaring past.

Martha's Vineyard was named for the daughter of the English Captain Bartholomew Grosnold, whose ship brought the island's first explorers in 1602. "Vineyard" refers to the many wild grape vines discovered by these explorers on the island. Triangular-shaped, the island sits in the Atlantic Ocean about 5 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and is 20 miles long by 9 miles wide. Rocky ridges run along its northern side which flatten into rolling moors in the western end. Many a ship has been lost on its treacherous southern shores, dangerous currents and hidden reefs.

A little-known fact is that for a brief time in its early history, Martha's Vineyard belonged to New York!

Edgartown, on Martha's Vineyard, proudly traces its origins to the Vineyard's first European settlement in 1641 lead by Thomas Mayhew, who eventually became Governor. Edgartown was incorporated in 1671 and named Edgar Towne after the son of the Duke of York. The new settlers, numbering only 85 in 1660, lived, by all accounts, in peaceful co-existence with the native islanders. The Wampanoags, which means "Easterners" were part of the Algonquin tribe. They called the island "Noepe", meaning "amid the waters".

The English settlers learned from these earlier islanders and thrived on agriculture and fishing.

In time, whaling became Edgartown's chief industry, and with the huge demand for whale oil for fuel and

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lighting, many fortunes were made. Men and boys from all over sought adventure on the high seas with dreams of riches for more than decades.With a beautiful deep water port and ideal access to the Atlantic, Edgartown's whaling ships of the mid-19th century, brought commerce and prosperity to this sleepy town. But, by the early 1900's, the advent of trains, steamships and trucks lead to the decline of this busy port. And, the discovery of petroleum meant the end of whale oil as the preferred fuel in America. Changes came slowly to Edgartown and Martha's Vineyard, but when a popular Methodist camp eventually became the island's first summer resort, in an area that came to be called Oak Bluffs, a new industry was born. Despite all the changes, the colorful historic era still lingers, making Edgartown an authentic New England experience.

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Edgartown's rich history is most e xquisitely seen today in the residential architecture in the so-called "Historic District", which is centered on Main Street. The wealthy sea captains, their fortunes made in the whaling trade during the 1800's, built extraordinary homes in the Greek Revival, Federal and Victorian traditions.These buildings make Edgartown one of the most interesting and romantic places to visit on the East Coast.

One of these homes is now the Point Way Inn. The Inn was built in the Greek Revival style in 1851, according to a crude time capsule found during renovations in 1998 by the Inn's new owners, and sits stately on the corner of Main Street and Pease's Point Way. Its immediate neighbors are the Dr. Daniel Fisher House, the most spectacular house of this era in Edgartown, and the Old Whaling Church, a beautiful 300-year-old church with four massive Ionic columns and bell steeple.

Adding to the special attractions of modern Edgartown are the galleries, restaurants, museums, shops and, of course, the beaches which are a short walk or bike ride from the Inn.