Historically, Woods Hole included one of the few good harbors (along with
Hyannis) on the southern side of
Cape Cod (i.e. Great Harbor, contained by Penzance Point). The community, originally spelled "Wood's Holl", became a center for
whaling, shipping, and fishing, prior to its dominance today by tourism and marine research. Woods Hole was first used as a fishing ground by the
Wampanoag people. In 1602,
Bartholomew Gosnold first set foot on Woods Hole, and European settlement began. A Wampanoag Indian deed dated 1679 details the transfer of land to early European settlers. The deed was witnessed by
Shearjashub Bourne and
Thomas Hinckley. Following the decline of whaling, Woods Hole was the home of the
Pacific Guano Company (1863–1889), which produced
fertilizer from
guano imported from islands in the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean, and the coast of
South Carolina. After the firm went bankrupt in 1889, Long Neck – the peninsula on which their factory was located – was renamed Penzance Point and was developed with
shingle-style summer homes for bankers and lawyers from New York and Boston. This marked the beginning of Woods Hole as a seasonal retreat for elite urbanites, a pattern seen in other
Cape Cod communities. Notable property owners on Penzance Point at the beginning of the twentieth century included
Seward Prosser of New York's Bankers Trust Company; Francis Bartow, a partner in
J. P. Morgan and Company; Joseph Lee, a partner in
Lee, Higginson & Co.; and Franklin A. Park, an executive of
Singer Sewing Machine. Other notable businessmen established homes on Gansett Point, Nobska Point, and at Quissett Harbor, further from the village center. Woods Hole's development as an epicenter of
marine biology and
oceanography accelerated in the mid-1800s.
Spencer Baird, Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution, Permanent Secretary of the
American Association for the Advancement of Science, and naturalist interested in
fisheries arrived in Woods Hole in 1871. Upon understanding the need to understand recent declines in
New England fisheries, he proposed the establishment of the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries (to become the
National Marine Fisheries Service) and became its first commissioner, without pay. attracting
Nobel Prize laureates and pioneering research in biology and medicine. In 1930, the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was established, now the largest independent oceanographic research facility in the U.S., renowned for its contributions to marine science and exploration. Tourism continued to grow in the late 1800s with
rail service from
Boston to Woods Hole. Woods Hole today is best known for its ocean science institutions and as an entryway to Martha's Vineyard, with tourism being a major driver of the local
economy. The seasonal influx of visitors—vacationers, summer residents, and day-trippers—continues to define the rhythm of village life and supports local businesses, restaurants, and museums. The Woods Hole Yacht Club was established in 1896 and incorporated in 1897. In 1899, the Woods Hole Golf course was started. Around 1919, it was expanded to 18 holes. In 1976, The Woods Hole Foundation was created to address evolving community needs and to maintain and improve the quality of life and the character of the community. The Foundation's grants have ranged from preservation of buildings (e.g. the Woods Hole Post Office) to operating funds for local service organizations. ==Geography==