In 1976, the Bourne House which was owned by the Snow Inn was relocated on the property and remodeled as a restaurant by the Brackett Family and has been called Brax Landing ever since, a popular place for family dining. When Thompson's Clam Bar restaurant on Wychmere Harbor closed its doors in 1999, Brax Landing became the only waterview restaurant in the Village. It is very popular for family dining today.
Long before the marsh was dredged for a harbor a neat little wooden bridge jumped the Andrews river where it dumped into the Sound over stoney flats. The little span was known to locals as the Maymar Bridge. (Grandmother's? bridge)
This from From Dr.Peter Sylvester, "When I was a kid, there wasn’t a buoyed harbor because the hole hadn’t even been dug were your marina is now. It was just a little runlet we called Jonathan’s Creek".
The Andrews River flowing into Saquatucket Harbor (built in 1968-69) was the boundary between Harwich Port and South Harwich. The SHSA being founded in 1961 was at that time considered to be in South Harwich. The US postal zips changed the boundary.
The three oldest houses in the neighborhood all had their oldest portions moved here. The oldest at 6 Neel Rd. was built in 1757 and was moved from the corner of Uncle Venies Rd. and Rte. 28 when the NEILS sold that land to Howard Lang in 1913. Second oldest is the half Cape northern section at 93 Neel Rd that faced the road that became Rte. 28. (Neel Rd. didn’t exist, but a Proprietor’s Lane did come south from rte. 28 along the boundary between 93 and 0 Neel Rd!) The Cape is circa 1790 and was moved from Harwióh. The third oldest is a mid1850’s Cape portion at 9 Walther Rd. that was moved to that location in the early 1900’s. The oldest house built on site is at 20 Neel Rd. The Neils owned extensive property, including Miramar, but the 1857 Sunnywoods was Mrs. Neil’s favorite. It must have been a street sign-maker who changed Neil to Neel. Neel Road was sandy lane until after World War II.
Alos, 0 Neel Rd. with 6 acres has a narrow frontage between 85 and 75 Neel Rd with a southeast boundary along Captain’s Watch and a northern boundary along Bonnie Lane off Julian Rd. There used to be a cranberry bog there, and much of the land is wet. Supposedly, if approved, there could be four house lots.Another house history is at 49 and 51 Saquatucket Bluffs, which used to be one house when the parents of the Pettengill brothers owned the house.
With regard to family longevity in the neighborhood: Bink Garrison’s parents became summer residents at 44 Saquatucket Bluffs in 1927 when that road was dirt. The Pettengills have had ties since that period, as have Jeff West’s family. Karin Larson’s mother, Rose Blom bought 93 Neel Rd. in 1941. Maureen and Joe Connelly’s parents bought #97 soon after. On Walther Rd. Linda Wiseman’s father, John White, bought theirs in 1955. His name with nine others is on the 1961 certificate of incorporation of SHSA signed in 1961 by Kevin White, Secretary of State.
Other news from the 1960’s: sailors from the Garrison family were rescued by Secret Service on JFK’s “Honey Fitz” off our shores.When Saquatucket Bluffs Assoc. was formed in the late 60’s the SHSA covered the cost of their landscaped entrance to avoid traffic accidents on Neel Rd. from curiosity seekers wanting to scout the harbor perimeter.To give a sense of tree growth: the pine grove in front of the Athy home at 67 Neel Rd. is 60 years old. It replaces the same type grove that was totally destroyed by the Sept. 1944 hurricane (no names then.)
Chap.244: An Act To Authorize The Construction Of A Bridge OVER ANDREWS CREEK IN THE TOWN OF HARWICH.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
Section 1. The persons known as the Wychmere Trustees, consisting of William Gilfillan, Stewart Church and Alexis A. Julian, with their associates and successors, are hereby authorized to construct a bridge for foot passengers and vehicles over Andrews creek in the town of Harwich at a place not more than five hundred feet distant from the point where the said creek flows into Vineyard Sound, and at a place where the abutting land on both sides of the said creek is owned by the said trustees. The said bridge shall be constructed and used subject to the laws regulating the construction and use of bridges over tide waters and to any regulations made by the harbor and land commissioners in respect to such bridges.
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved March 25, 1907.
Board of Selectmen letter of agreement with Army Corps (5/06/66)
