The Days Cottages in North Truro, Massachusetts are one of the most famous Cape Cod sights. The identical green and white cottages are located along North Truro’s Beach Point which is a two-mile stretch of beach located right before Provincetown. In fact, the majority of people visiting Provincetown and the outer Cape, point out the Days Cottages that can be spotted right off Route 6.

The story of the cottages is a fascinating one which begins with Joseph A. Day. Joseph was a Cape Cod resident who ran a construction company called F.A. Days and Sons Construction. He had a home in Provincetown and during the early 20th century he purchased waterfront land in North Truro and planned to move his home to this plot. Many people believed Joseph was crazy consisting how undeveloped Beach Point was at the time. It was literally just two miles of packed dirt and sandy beach. Regardless, Joseph attempted to move his house in several sections.

As Joseph was re-locating his house, the stock market began crashing in October 1929. As work dried up, Joseph lacked the funds and support needed to finish the house movement. He decided it was not worth it to complete the project and he burnt down the sections of house right on the beach. Now, Joseph was stuck with no home and no work. That’s when an idea popped into his head. He wondered if he could build numerous cottages on his waterfront property which he could rent. This type of project was becoming common on Cape Cod and Joseph also knew he could use his construction team to get the work done.

Joseph began making the best use of the market crashing by embarking on the cottage project. In the fall of 1930, Joseph and the F.A. Days and Sons crew began work on the first cottages. 5 cottages were put up that year and they featured all the essentials in a compact-size. They have a bathroom, kitchen, two small bedrooms, a living room with fireplace, and a porch overlooking the water. Joseph was thrilled to have cottages complete, but he soon learned he had built the cottages on someone else’s land! Luckily, he was able to aquire the adjacent lot to make things right and he actually developed 4 more cottages. By the summer of 1931, Joseph Days had 9 waterfront cottages in North Truro which were ready to be rented out. He established a rental office and small market too for visitors.

The business took off in 1931 and produced a good profit. With the earnings, Joseph re-invested in the compound and added 4 more cottages to the south of the original 9. He also added 9 more cottages to the north. In total, there were 22 cottages available for rent once the summer of 1933 rolled around. One more cottage was added in the 1930s marking the total 23 which remains the total today. Also in the 1930s, the cottages were each given a name of a flower which was an idea by Joe’s wife, Amelia.

Over the years, the cottages have been updated inside and out, but maintain the same green and white paint. Each cottage is required to look the same. Many of the cottages have been sold to private owners who are part of the condo association. Despite being privately owned, most are rented to the public using sites like Airbnb’s, VRBO, and local rental marketplaces.

Next time you drive up Route 6 and turn to look at the identical green and white cottages, you will know there backstory!