Coast Guard Heritage Museum at the Trayser - Barnstable, MA
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 41° 42.021 W 070° 17.932
19T E 391926 N 4617322
The Coast Guard Heritage Museum opened in 2005 replaciing the Donald G. Trayser Museum in this historic building first built as the U.S. Customshouse and Post Office in 1855. There are two floors of exhibits about the Cape Cod Coast Guard.
Waymark Code: WMGVZ4
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 04/13/2013
Views: 4
This building is located in the heart of the Old King's Highway Historical District in Barnstable on Cape Cod. Next to it is the
Old Jail, the oldest wooden jail in America, and across the street is the historic Unitarian Church and Cemetery.
Designed by architect Ammi Burnham Young in 1855-56, it served as the U.S. Coustomshouse until 1913, and the U.S. Post Office occupied the ground floor until 1958. The County Extension Service replaced the customhouse on the second level from 1924 to 1957. In 1960 the building came into the hands of the town of Barnstable and a historical museum was opened as the Donald G. Trayser Museum.
SOURCE: U.S. National Park Service: Maritime History of Massachusetts.
Since 2005 it has been home to the Coast Guard Heritage Museum.
The museum has displays on both floors related to the history of the U.S. Coastguard on Cape Cod. It is open from May to mid-November or by appointment. Admission is $5.00. (he building, in 2013, has been undergoing major renovations.)
"The Coast Guard Heritage Museum has two floors of exhibit space. On the first floor, we feature the origins of the Coast Guard, beginning with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1790. Next is the U. S. Life-saving Service, which we preceded by the Massachusetts Humane Society. In honor of the 60th anniversary of the greatest small boat rescue in USCG history, we are featuring a special exhibit on the heroes of the Pendleton and Fort Mercer rescues.
The museum Gift Shop, containing a variety of books, videos and artwork is also located on the first floor.
The second floor includes a room dedicated to the history of the USLHS, including both lighthouses and lightships. There are uniforms, artifacts and models from the Lighthouse Service. The story of the loss of the Vineyard lightship is featured.
The second floor also contains exhibits on CG small boats,the USCG at war, from WW II through Afghanistan, women in the CG and USCG aviation."