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HistoricSites

OSRR 5K - 8:00AM Saturday, June 2nd, 2012
OSRR Half Marathon - 10:00AM Sunday June 3rd 2012
OSRR 10K - 10:00AM Sunday June 3rd 2012
Plymouth South High School: 490 Long Pond Rd, Plymouth, MA 02360

OSRR Half Marathon Historis Sites

Massachusetts most historic road race, the "Old Sandwich Road Race 1/2 Marathon" features the Oldest Road In America with seven historic sites along the course. Runners get the chance to race on the very same dirt as the famous Wampanoag Tribes, the Pilgrims and Stagecoach operators of old. There are many stories about some of these sites. Other sites are lesser-known. We hope to inform participants about these sites and create awareness about Old Sandwich Road and her 7 historic stops. Check them out.

Site 7: Sacrifice Rock - (Half Marathon - MILE 5.6)

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Everyone knows about plymouths most famous rock, Plymouth Rock. Far fewer people know about Plymouths "other" famous rock.. Sacrifice Rock. Natives of the region considered the rock to be a force of Manitoo or "spirit force" and a source of spiritual renewal for all who leave a sacrifice upon the rock. Today, nearly 800 years later, passers by still practice the age-old tradition of the indians and place their sacrifices upon Sacrifice Rock The photo above was taken on a warm summer day in 2010 and shows the variety of sacrifices people make in rememberance of the the spirit power called Manitoo.

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Site 6: Wright Tavern (Also knows and Cornish's Tavern) - (Half Marathon - MILE 5.3)

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Built in 1792 as Cornish Tavern, which served as the stagecoach stop on Old Sandwich Road between Plymouth and Sandwich, the historic site was later operated as Wright’s Tavern but sat empty for much of the 20th century. The property’s caretakers eventually turned it into a home. The historic tavern, owned by The Pinehills is located across from the historic Rye Field at the intersection of Old Sandwich Road and Old Tavern Trail. The building was renovated in 2007, including field work required by the Massachusetts Historic Commission, and a small addition was built (set upon a poured concrete foundation, in contrast to the original stone foundatation) to allow it to operate as a restaurant.

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Site 5: Rye Field - (Half Marathon - MILE 5.3)

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Rye field is a historic site which is directly across Old Sandwich Road from Cornish Tavern. The field was invaluable back in the times of the Pilgrims when they would stop at the Tavern and sometimes get a good nights sleep while their horses re-charged in the field of rye which is seen in the photo..

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Site 4:Clam Pudding Pond - (Half Maratrhon - Mile 4.8)

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Clam Pudding Pond is a historic pond along Old Sandwich Road. Clam Pudding Pond got its name from clams and pudding, which were staple foods for the early Pilgrim settlers. The colonists would enjoy their meal of roasted clams and Indian corn pudding at the pond during their journey down Old sandwich Road from Plymouth to Sandwich. There is a lot of folklore around this site and tales of wild witch meetings that took place there in olden days. Google: "Clam Pudding Pond" for more info on this site..

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Site 3: Great Sacrifice Rocks - (Half Marathon - Mile 1.8)

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Great Sacrifice rock is a very little known historic site which shows up on this very old map as being positioned at the 1.8 Mile mark in the half marathon. There are actually two large rocks at this location which mark a significant wind in the road. If you're reading this, then you might be one of the 10 people who know about this landmark which seems to have been forgotten by time. If you run fast and blink at the same time, you'll miss it because it's not marked at all. If you pay attention and run slow at the same time, then look to your left for two really big rocks. They are piled on top of one another and are also HUGE.

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Site 2:Harlow-Savery Cemetery - (Half Marathon Start)

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The Harlow-Savery Cemetery is the resting place of the Harlow and Savery families that settled the area around Ellisville Harbor, which is the start venue for the Half Marathon. Many early settlers moved to this area because of very good shore-fishing, gaming and easy access to main roads. The cemetery is now closed for new business, but the grave stone markings tell a interesting story about the families that lived...and died right near the startimg line of the race.

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Site 1: Old Harlow Farm House (Half Marathon Start Stagging Area)

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According to the Historic District's paperwork, "the establishment of William Ellis' farm sometime after 1709 marked the beginning of over 200 years of extensive farming, cranberry and timber harvesting in the Ellisville area." In the 19th century the Harlow family joined the Ellis' in Ellisville and used the salt marsh for "wood-coasters" (boats that shipped cord wood to Boston). The Harlow Farm is the last surviving example of a once thriving agricultural community that existed in Ellisville, largely unchanged, until the 1960's. "The house (in Ellisville Harbor State Park) was rebuilt in 1939 by Earnest C. Ellis for Mrs. Hannah Harlow Avery. It was built on the site of a much older house that served as a stagecoach stop in the 18th & 19th centuries called the Harlow Halfway House. This tavern burned in the 1860's and the new house was designed to replicate it. http://www.harlowfarmhouse.com