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Firefighters battle massive blaze at former inn and restaurant in Yarmouth
Closed for nearly a decade, the famed restaurant with ties to Pier 4 in Boston burned to the ground.
The historic structure that once housed the famous Anthony’s Cummaquid Inn and restaurant has burned to the ground after nearly a decade of being left vacant.
The massive fire that took the structure could be seen for miles as fire crews worked throughout the night to distinguish it.
The Yarmouth Fire Department received a call at 6:28 p.m. on Sunday from a passerby reporting a structure fire at 2 Route 6A in Yarmouth Port.
With heavy fire visible from Route 6A, the fire department ordered a working fire assignment, bringing in crews from the nearby towns of Barnstable, Dennis, and Hyannis and an ambulance from Harwich.
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The Yarmouth Fire Department says the fire advanced quickly throughout the structure and threatened other buildings on the property and brush areas near the original fire.
A second alarm was called, bringing in additional crews from Brewster, Dennis, and Hyannis.
Due to the large fire volume, the water departments from Yarmouth and neighboring Barnstable assisted by increasing water capacity at the scene.
Fire crews worked for several hours to bring the fire under control.
There were no known injuries to civilians, the fire department said. One fire department member was evaluated on the scene for a minor injury.
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Centerville-Osterville-Marstons-Mills, Chatham, Dennis, Hyannis, and Orleans fire departments covered Yarmouth fire stations during the incident.
The cause of the fire has not been determined. The Yarmouth Fire Department, with assistance from the State Fire Marshals Office, is investigating.
Yarmouth building officials and the Yarmouth Police Department assisted on the scene.
As of Monday morning, fire crews were still on the scene.
Historic structure ruined
According to the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth, the original house on the property was built around 1900 by Dr. Gorham Bacon, a well-known ear, nose and throat doctor, as a summer cottage for him and his family.
A neighbor, Henry Usher, remembers the estate having large stables with horses, cars, chauffeurs, and formal gardens.
Around 1950, the house became the Cummaquid Inn before becoming Anthony’s Cummaquid Inn.
The Yarmouth Assessor’s Department lists Anthony’s Pier Four as the property owner, having purchased the property in December 1975.
According to an old postcard, the inn and restaurant were on a secluded ten-acre site overlooking Cape Cod Bay, with rolling hills, lawns and gardens. The restaurant was open to the public, and cocktails were served in the new “Pub” room before dinner.
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An offshoot of the now-shuttered old-school institution Anthony’s Pier 4 in Boston, the restaurant was known for its surf ‘n’ turf and popovers.
As the years went on, the restaurant and inn began to struggle. According to the Cape Cod Times, after years of health, building, and fire code violations, the owners closed the restaurant in December 2015 due to damage sustained during a winter storm.
Despite spending more than $200,000 in repairs at the time, the restaurant has remained closed. Since then, the property has become overgrown and unmaintained.
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