Laced with whimsical gingerbread features and painted in delightful, bright colors, the “gingerbread cottages” of Oak Bluffs are a treat to visit — and to vacation in!
The architectural style of the cottages is known as Carpenter Gothic, common in North America in the late nineteenth century. These structures incorporated Gothic elements such as pointed arches, steep gables, and towers into traditional American light-frame construction.
The Oak Bluffs gingerbread cottages grew out of a 19th-century religious camp-meeting movement. These gatherings were seen as opportunities to purify body and soul, living close to nature in a state of near-constant prayer. Before the cottages were erected, worshippers stayed in large canvas tents. Over the course of 50 years, the area grew into the village of famed gingerbread cottages that is now a cherished New England historic site.
We list a number of these delightful cottages on our website, here are just a few. These cheery abodes are a perfect setting in which to spend a week on Martha’s Vineyard!
1) La Bella Sorella—Built in 1868
2) The Cinderella Cottage of Oak Bluffs
3) Renovated Victorian Home—2 Blocks to Beach, Town & Parks
4) Elegant Oak Bluffs Victorian Home—Akwaaba Manor
5) Copeland District Victorian Home—Across from Town Beach
6) The Carousel House in Ocean Park—Featured in NY Times
7) Classic Victorian Beauty Steps to Beach
8) La Sirena, The Mermaid Of Oak Bluffs
9) Remodeled Modern Victorian
10) Booming Ben: Air-conditioned East Chop Gingerbread Cottage