The Beach Walk (Sandwich) Cup Plate

The Sandwich Historical Society presents the fourth in its series of historical cup plates, The Beach Walk, Sandwich. This glass cup plate, similar to those originally produced by the Boston & Sandwich Glass Company, was made for the Society by the McDermott Glass Studio in Sandwich, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod.

In 1875 the Town of Sandwich constructed a board walk from the glass factory area across the salt march with its winding creek to the beach on Cape Cod Bay. At that tine the only other access to this beach was by way of Town Neck, an area privately owned and fenced off for grazing of cattle. Exposed to the flooding high tides, the plank walk has been kept in good repair by the Town. Today one can experience the same quiet beauty that glass factory workers enjoyed a century ago.

It was custom in the early 19th century to pour hot tea from the cup, which had no handle, into the deep saucer. The cup was set aside for cooling, then the tea was drunk from the saucer. The cup was set aside on a small cup plate to prevent soiling linen or table.