The ‘Chatham Break.’ In January 1987, a powerful nor’easter unexpectedly broke through the lower end of Nauset Beach, allowing the Atlantic Ocean to surge into Chatham Harbor. This was christened the ‘Chatham Break.’ The ‘Chatham Break’ is a growing ocean channel between Nauset Beach and Monomoy Island. Onlookers can see the channel from telescopes mounted at the foot of Chatham Light. Chatham Harbor had been shielded from surges of the open Atlantic Ocean by the lower end of Nauset Beach, a barrier beach. Although a barrier beach protects one body of water from another, it is essentially a frail piece of land subject to erosion by fierce winds and powerful tides. A section of Nauset Beach at Chatham Harbor had been undergoing this weakening process for some years. When the Janaury 1987 storm hit, the raging ocean, pushed by an unrelenting wind, tore open the land at this vulnerable point and the Atlantic flowed into Chatham Harbor. This phenomenon was somewhat similar to the legendary Dutch boy taking his finger out of a hole in the dike and letting the North Sea flood a part of Holland.

This breach of the barrier beach is responsible for strong and dangerous currents and considerable wave action, all of which can make both boating and swimming somewhat dangerous. Notwithstanding the ‘Chatham Break,’ as it has been christened, it has brought many visitors into town to observe the phenomenon. In the years since the ‘Break,’ the newly created island, South Beach, has already glommed onto the coastline, becoming a peninsula. This is one landscape that rarely stays put for long.

Monomoy Natural Wildlife Refuge is a preserve which takes in 2,750 acres including the Monomoy Islands, a fragile nine-mile long barrier beach area south of Chatham, was created during a fierce storm in 1958. These islands are a major stop along the North Atlantic Flyway for 285 species of migratory waterfowl and shore birds. North Monomoy has dunes, beach grass, migrating birds and a large summer population of eastern shore birds. South Monomoy, considerably larger, features a wide array of flora and fauna, including deer and seals. Hundreds of harbor seals carpet the coastline from November to May. The Refuge’s visitor center, located on Morris Island, is open daily from 8am to 5pm.

Chatham Light, Shore Road and Bridge Street. This 1808 lighthouse replaced the earlier two lights (known as the “Twin Sisters of Chatham”). Exceptional views can be found here and the famous Chatham fogs make it a wonderful aerie for photographers. Beneath these waves are some of the most dangerous waters along the Cape Cod coast. In 1808 two wooden lighthouses were built on a cliff in Chatham east of the location of the current Chatham lighthouse--a cliff that no longer exists. These first two Chatham lights were range lights, meaning they were movable and could be aligned in such a way that mariners approaching Chatham by sea could find the channel to the harbor by lining up the two lights. By 1841, the cliff had eroded so much that both lighthouses tumbled to the beach below. Another pair of lighthouses--these made with brick and mortar--were constructed to replace the old ones, but the cliff continued to erode at a rate of 20 feet per year until these were also destroyed in 1879 and 1881. To replace this second set, two iron lighthouses were built. One is the current Chatham Light, the other was moved to Eastham in 1923 to become the current Nauset Light. Chatham Light overlooks the Chatham Break, a mile-wide hole in the barrier beach that stretches back to the mainland at Nauset Beach in Orleans. The break occurred in early 1987 during a fierce nor’easter.

Chatham Fish Pier, Shore Road and Bar Cliff Avenue. Just down the road from the Chatham Light is the Chatham fish pier, where there’s always a small crowd gathered on the visitors deck (best viewing is between 12 noon and 2pm, when the fishing fleet is returning). Not only does the pier offer a great view of Chatham's harbor and outer beach with the Atlantic beyond, but when the fishing boats unload their catch, both children and adults get a fascinating glimpse of the Cape's best-known industry. A working pier with an observation deck to provide great views of fishermen and the town’s active fishing fleet in action. The Pier is also the center for commercial and sports anglers. Aunt Lydia’s Cove (off Shore Road)

Old Atwood House & Museum, 347 Stage Harbor Road. This 1752 building, one of Chatham’s oldest, was home to five generations of Atwoods. It has been the headquarters of the Chatham Historical Society since the 1920s. Within the Museum are many historic collections and furnishings, including the Joseph C. Lincoln Room, a repository of the prolific author’s books and memorabilia including murals of artist Alice Stallnecht, an old reflector from Chatham Light, antiques and glass. Summers.

The Railroad Museum, 153 Depot Road. Domiciled in the old Victorian Chatham Railroad Company station which was active from 1887-1937 (on the National Register of Historic Places), the diminutive museum exhibits antique railroad equipment and memorabilia. On the appropriately named Depot Street is Chatham's Railroad Museum. Built in 1887, the Museum operated as a train depot until 1937, servicing more than 20,000 passengers per year. It was donated to the town in the 1950s and is today a museum offering a wide variety of railroad-related items that are sure to delight railroad buffs. The building, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, offers displays of antique equipment and memorabilia as well as a caboose dating from 1910. It is open weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM, mid-May through the first week of September, and there is no admission fee, though donations are accepted.

Old Godfrey Windmill, Off Shattuck Place (near Chase Park). Built in 1797 by Colonel Benjamin Godfrey, this wind-powered mill grinds corn. This wind-powered grist mill was built along Stage Harbor Road in 1797 by Colonial Benjamin Godfrey. The mill ground corn until 1898. Over the course of the 20th century it was twce damaged by storms and was closed until 1956 when it was given to the town. The mill was then moved to its current location at Chase Park. It is open every day except Tuesday throughout July and August. This is one of those look-see attractions with no admission fee charged.

Monomoy Theatre, 776 Main Street. The Cape’s second oldest surviving stage, this former toy factory became an Equity theater in the 1930s. In 1957, it was taken over by the Ohio University Players and is now a mix of students from around the country and returning alumni. The theater seats only 276 patrons and all have a great view. The Ohio University Players present a different play every week during its summer tenure here.

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