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 Historic Provincetown is where the Pilgrims first touched ground in 1620 and wrote America's first constitution, the "Mayflower Compact".
Early records show that the Algonquians had two names for the Provincetown area: meeshaum, probably related to mushauwomuk - where there is “going-by-boat” (the Indian name for Boston); and also chequocket, probably related to the Narragansett chauquaquock ‘Englishman’. Chauquaquock in turn stems from chohquog – knife; chequocket, then, is “the place of the knife.” The Dutch called the area Staten Hoek – place shaped like a hook. John Smith’s map of 1616 designates the area of Provincetown as Milford Haven, after the harbor in Pembrokeshire, Wales, from which Martin Pring sailed in 1603 on his voyage to Massachusetts Bay.
Separated from Truro and incorporated June 14, 1727, the town took its name from a provision in its charter that reserved title to all lands within it to the Province of Massachusetts. Not until 1893 did the General Court change the charter, reserving unoccupied areas (called “up back”) to the Commonwealth and granting townspeople deeds to the properties they held.
In the 1800s many townsmen lived by whaling and fishing. In the twentieth century , the whaling industry gave way to a thriving arts community, who were drawn by the stunning land and seascapes of nature, as well as the increasingly intellectual community that was developing. Charles Hawthorne was one of the first noteable artists to help Provincetown fluorish as an arts colony.
This tradition continued and led to the town being known for its open-mindedness and a place where artists and 'beats' of every sort could feel at home. By the 1970s, the town's long tradition of tolerance and progressive attitude coupled with its beautiful environs and exciting town scene led to the adoption of "P-town" by the gay community.
Today, Provincetown retains many elements of its past, rich heritage while remaining a haven for the arts and alternative communities. The diversity of its population lends itself to an extraordinary blend of small town charm and big city sophistication. This is a town where everyone will feel at home.
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