Steeped in History

The following is an excerpt from Land's End Inn, a hardcover coffee table book published in 2024 to document 120 years of the inn's history. The book is available in the online gift shop.

Built in 1904 as a quirky, artistic summer bungalow resting improbably at the top of a sand dune at the remotest point on Cape Cod, the house opened as an inn and teahouse in 1926. It has operated as an inn ever since. Today, the quintessential Provincetown spirit of the bungalow still remains alive. It is preserved physically in details throughout the house, including woodwork, stonework, and stained glass, and spiritually through its magical allure, which draws people in and brings them together. Across seven generations of owners, a love of art, a call to build what one can dream, and a desire to bring people together are hallmarks of this remarkable landmark and its stewards.

Way Up Along... Where the Land Ends

The property known as Gull Hill is first mentioned in the last will and testament of Captain Jonathan Nickerson, a member of a prominent fishing family at the time. The hill, surrounding pastures, and seaside property were all assessed at $300 in his 1871 will.

Charles purchased Gull Hill, now known as 22 Commercial Street, in September 1903. The property stretched over three acres and included some waterfront property across Commercial Street. Houses dating from around 1800 and others which had been floated over from Long Point circa 1860 already lined Commercial Street. Locals then called this part of Provincetown's West End "Way Up Along." Here, one was indeed at "land's end" because the road terminated at the Red Inn, where there was a turnaround and a town landing; beyond were tidal flats, marshes, and grass farms.

Higgins's Bungalow... Built in 1904

Charles Lothrop Higgins was born in Provincetown on April 9, 1863, the son of two very old Cape Cod families. His father, Isaac Henry Higgins, was a descendant of Richard Higgins, one of the first Nauset settlers in 1644. His mother, Harriet Nye White, could trace her ancestry back to Peregrine White, who was the first baby boy born on the Pilgrim ship Mayflower in the harbor of Cape Cod in 1620. Isaac Higgins was a shipbuilder. Soon after the demise of the salt and fish industries in Provincetown, he moved his family to Gloucester, Massachusetts, where Isaac continued his work.

Although Charles was raised in Gloucester, he studied in the West Indies. He was a world traveler and well-known lecturer. He lived in the fashionable sections of Boston's Beacon Hill and Back Bay, drove a Liberty car, and belonged to the city's oldest and most prestigious fraternity, the Masonic Saint John's Lodge. He worked as a haberdasher on Boston's Newbury Street. Never married, he built a summer home at Gull Hill in 1904 and lived there as a "single gentleman." Friend to many in the arts and theater, Charles began the inn's history of supporting Provincetown's arts community.

Charles built a landmark. The site placement he chose was remarkable. Defying convention at the time, he set the residence far back from and high above the road. The tedious climb for all who visited remained until the 1950s, when the owners paved a drive to the backside of the house from Point Street. The architecture was quirky and dramatic. A giant picture window framed commanding views of Provincetown Harbor and beyond, and a playful octagon housed the primary bedchamber and office. Built on stilts to add elevation—an early version of air conditioning—the house had porches that imitated the decks of a ship and afforded views from every side. Inside the house, windows rolled up and down into the woodwork to assist with cross-ventilation. There were two faucets of running water. Artistic finishes by local craftspeople filled the interior with warmth and character. Like so much of the original artisanal work, the stained glass and the art nouveau chandelier that crowned its Great Room in 1904 can still be seen in place, preserved to this day.

Tea Room... Open to the Public

After Charles Higgins's death in 1926, the Buckler family purchased his bungalow. The Bucklers were from Providence, Rhode Island, and they owned a summer cottage across from the bungalow. After acquiring the property, they offered rooms for rent and opened a Russian tea room. From then on, the property became known as Land's End Inn. The Bucklers were avid travelers and brought back artifacts from around the world, many of which are on display in the inn today.

The Bucklers owned the inn until 1955, when they sold it to Norman Lague and his stepbrother, Jules Wade. Their association with the house began with Norman's great aunt, Madame Cyr, a milliner in Danielson, Connecticut. She and hatter Charles Higgins had become acquainted, and she would bring her great nephews, Norman and Jules, to Higgins's bungalow. They continued to visit the house after it passed to the Buckler family and before they later purchased it from the Bucklers.

Because of health complications, Jules visited the inn only occasionally. But Norman made it his home and gained renown in the local arts community as an editor, writer, pianist, composer, actor, dramatist, artist, and craftsman. He was a mainstay of the Provincetown Theater Workshop and one of its governors.

David's House... Bohemia

In 1972, David Schoolman purchased Land's End Inn sight unseen at the age of twenty-eight. He had graduated from Johns Hopkins University and Penn State with a master's degree in psychology and was working with troubled teens at the time. After vacationing in Provincetown, he fell in love with the community and determined to find an income-generating property to buy so he could move and live there.

David brought unbelievable vision and a magical energy to the inn. He embellished its exterior while also preserving artisanal details and character throughout Higgins's creation. Some of the more significant changes he made included adding the large veranda and new tower at the front of the building, extending the rooms on the main level, and adding private baths. David lived at the inn and made it a social hub for the Provincetown community. His annual parties would bring as many as six hundred people to the lawn. These much-anticipated, newsworthy celebrations spanned decades.

David's expansion of the house, collections, and parties helped define the inn. When he died of AIDS in 1995, the inn passed to the David Schoolman Trust, which he had organized to benefit the theater community in Provincetown. The trust ultimately sold the inn, and proceeds from the sale funded a $750,000 gift that helped to establish a permanent facility for the Provincetown Theater in the East End.

David Schoolman

MacIntyre and Sikorski... Into the Next Century

Michael McIntyre purchased the inn from Schoolman's trust in 2001. He committed himself to preserving the inn's integrity as a Provincetown landmark. An architecture buff, Michael integrated some of today's comforts and amenities, such as luxury bedding, upgraded indoor plumbing, and air conditioning, while consciously working to preserve the heritage and history associated with the inn. He enlarged the decks for expanded panoramic water views, reinvigorated the gardens, and added comfortable outdoor wicker furniture. Using plans developed by David Schoolman, he had local stonemasons relay the entrance path and walls.

Michael sold the inn to Stan and Eva Sikorski in 2012. The Sikorskis were world travelers and art lovers, and Provincetown had been a treasured part of their lives for more than forty-five years. They continued the high standards Land's End Inn guests had come to love and the previous owners' tradition of supporting the arts community through regular fundraisers and direct support for local charities and individual visual and performance artists.

Michael MacIntyre, and Eva and Stan Sikorski

Trevor and Ed... The Art of Evolution

In 2022, Ed Macri and Trevor Mikula, who are married and year-round Provincetown residents, bought the inn from the Sikorskis to maintain and build upon its legacy. They immediately brought in good friend and hospitality maestro Peter Sullivan, also a year-round resident of Provincetown, as general manager. One of their first moves was to restore the inn's logo to one inspired by a sign created by David Schoolman. The existing moniker on Commercial Street was quickly replaced with a whimsical pink, purple, and gold sign that beckoned all who walked by to make the climb up Gull Hill and explore the inn. In the spirit of incorporating the work of local artists, they brought in stone craftsman Frankie Rice, a native of neighboring Truro, to build a firepit on the lawn. They also expanded the inn's program of welcoming local charities to the property for fundraisers.

In 2023, to build on the inn's legacy as a community hub in Provincetown's West End, they opened Chalice as a gathering place, offering wine and beer on the lawn on summer afternoons—a throwback to Schoolman's parties.

Like the previous generations of stewards looking after the inn, they are committed to preserving its history, building on its legacy, offering an outstanding guest experience, and maintaining strong ties with the local community. Similar to David Schoolman, they created a nonprofit organization, the Land's End Foundation, to which the inn will pass after their lifetimes. They have chartered the foundation to operate the inn as such for the enjoyment of all and to support the local arts and LGBTQ+ communities and allies for generations to come.

From left, Trevor Mikula, Peter Sullivan, and Ed Macri

Land's End Inn (Hardcover Book)

Enjoy more photos and history in this vibrant coffee table book sharing the history of Land's End Inn.

Buy Now