A Whale Bone Welcome

A Whale Bone Welcome (HM23Z3)

Location: Eastham, MA 02642 Barnstable County
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Country: United States of America
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N 41° 49.117', W 69° 57.955'

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Inscription
Inviting guests to step through the massive jawbones of a whale may seem an unusual way to say, "Welcome to our home." But for Captain Edward Penniman, there could be no more appropriate greeting. Born in Eastham, Captain Penniman earned his fortune far from home, sailing the seas as a whaling captain. He built this house for his family in 1868, and it remains a lasting reminder not only of his success, but also of a way of life. The whale bones Captain Penniman placed at his entry gate were a proud symbol of the man he was. Today's bones are the third set in this location. They are the lower jawbones of a 63-foot finback whale that washed ashore in Wellfleet in 1966. Regular coatings of whitewash help to preserve the bones. Whale bone gates can be found around the world in places where whaling was an important way of life. Captain Penniman used the lower jaw of a sperm whale for his original gate in the 1860's. Sperm whales were among the most prized in the whaling industry. Their oil was an excellent lubricant and a valuable lamp oil.
Details
HM NumberHM23Z3
Tags
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Placed ByCape Cod National Seashore
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, December 20th, 2017 at 10:02am PST -08:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)19T E 419777 N 4630088
Decimal Degrees41.81861667, -69.96591667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 41° 49.117', W 69° 57.955'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds41° 49' 7.0199999999998" N, 69° 57' 57.3" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)508
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 100-150 Fort Hill Rd, Eastham MA 02642, US
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