7 Captain Bertie’s Way

7 Captain Bertie’s Way, Winslow Street Water Tanks, by David W. Dunlap (2008).

That elephant in the living room that nobody talks about? It is Winslow Street Water Tank No. 2, the tallest thing in Provincetown, apart from the Monument. It plays a critical role in the town’s well-being, as a reservoir and gravity pump for the water system, providing the pressure needed to move water through the system. It keeps the skyline looking functional, rather than too quaintly picturesque. It’s also a reminder how precious water is, even when it surrounds a community. The first standpipe on this site stood until 1932. The second (later designated No. 1) was built in 1931 and demolished in 2011. It was 115 feet tall and held 1.1 million gallons. In the photo, it’s in the foreground. It was designed by Whitman & Howard of Boston, which also designed the 108-foot remaining tower (No. 2), built in 1977-1978 with a capacity of 3.8 million gallons.

More than 2,000 buildings and vessels are searchable on buildingprovincetown.com. The Building Provincetown book is available for purchase ($20) at Town Hall, Office of the Town Clerk, 260 Commercial Street, Provincetown 02657.

7 Captain Bertie’s Way

Winslow Street Water Tanks

[Update: The 80-year-old tower No. 1 was dismantled in the summer of 2011.]

That 2,000-pound elephant in the middle of the living room that nobody talks about? There are two of them in Provincetown and they are called the Winslow Street Water Tanks, No. 1 and No. 2. Apart from the Pilgrim Monument itself, the tanks are the most prominent feature of the town’s skyline, but we always seem to elide over them, as if by ignoring their great bulk, we could wish them away. Of course, they play a critical role in the town’s well-being. And you could also argue that their presence keeps the town’s visible profile — appealingly and appropriately — on the side of the functional, rather than the quaintly picturesque. They also serve as a reminder how precious water is, even when it surrounds a community. More pictures and history»

24 Captain Bertie’s Way

Lookout Bay Condominiums
Prominently situated, the 20-unit Lookout Bay condo complex of 2000-02 occupies a portion of the old Provincetown Golf Range property. Though the units evidently enjoy good views — as these roof deck pictures show — there is little about the exterior design of the buildings and the awkward site plan to recommend Lookout Bay from a civic or aesthetic standpoint. To their credit, as part of the approval process, the developers set aside five two-bedroom duplex condos as affordable housing. More pictures and history»

45-55 Captain Bertie’s Way

45-55 Captain Bertie’s Way, display of William Boogar plaques, by David W. Dunlap (2010).

Paul Mendes, by David W. Dunlap (2010).

If Provincetown has a maritime museum, it’s spread across the yards of these abutting homes, owned by Paul Mendes and Victoria (Andrews) Mendes, where a collection of memorabilia is on display. Paul served in Vietnam as a Marine and was a Provincetown police officer for 30 years. Since 1995, he has cleaned out houses, basements, attics, and yards, preparing properties for disposition. Victoria’s father, Joseph Andrews, is one of the town’s leading boatwrights. With that heritage, and an interest in town history, Mendes has collected anchors and chains, mooring buoys, bollards, cannons, ship’s wheels, portholes, lobster traps, and at least one yard arm. He also found a pair of bronze plaques by William Boogar Jr. for an enclosure around the Pilgrims’ landing marker. They are no longer on display. He donated them in 2010 to the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum.

45-55 Captain Bertie’s Way, by David W. Dunlap (2010).

45-55 Captain Bertie’s Way

If Provincetown has a maritime museum, it’s probably spread across the front yards of these abutting homes, owned by Paul C. Mendes and Victoria (Andrews) Mendes, where a remarkable collection of maritime and historical memorabilia is on permanent display. Paul Mendes’s mother, Leona L. (Corea) Mendes, lived at No. 45 until her death in 2009. She and her husband, John Deus Mendes, operated the Long Point View Guesthouse at 6 Johnson Street for an astonishing 55 years, from 1946 to 2001. After it closed, Leona Mendes moved here, where she lived with her brother, John C. Corea, the former commander of Station Wood End and Station Race Point, and the town assessor for 18 years. More pictures and history»