Provincetown

Provincetown, resort town (1990 pop. 3,374), Barnstable co., SE Mass., on the tip of Cape Cod, with a harbor on Cape Cod Bay; inc. 1727. The principal industries are tourism and fishing. The Pilgrims landed there in 1620 and stayed about a month. Permanent settlement was not made until c.1700. Fishing was the staple industry, but whaling, salt making, rum-running, and smuggling were practiced. In the 20th cent. it gained fame as a resort favored by artists and later became a popular gay vacation spot. Points of interest include the Pilgrim Monument and Museum (1910); the Cape Cod National Seashore's visitor center; the Provincetown Playhouse; and the Expedition Whydah, a museum preserving the remains of a pirate ship.

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Provincetown

Town (pop., 2000: 3,431), eastern Massachusetts, U.S. At the northern tip of Cape Cod, Provincetown was the first landing place of the Pilgrims in 1620, and the Mayflower Compact was drawn up in its harbour. Incorporated as a town in 1727, it was a whaling and fishing port in the 19th century. Bounded by the Cape Cod National Seashore, it is a popular summer resort and noted artists' colony. The Provincetown Players theatre group originated there.