POSTCARDS FROM FALMOUTH: THE DOME

The Cape has its share of striking mid-century buildings, but even among them, the Dome in Woods Hole is unusual. It was built by Buckminster Fuller in 1953, at the behest of architect E. Gunnar Peterson, as the restaurant for the now-defunct Nautilus Motor Inn. You might remember eating there in its heyday—with or without an umbrella to shield you from the occasional leaks caused by its flexible construction! Though it wasn’t exactly welcomed by Falmouth residents at first, it soon earned a reputation as a special place to dine.

Peterson’s son Joel, former owner of the Dome, recorded this oral history for our collection. He brings us the inside story: the restaurant’s rise and fall, the controversy that surrounded it, and the eclectic guests it’s seen over the years. The Dome postcards in our collection are from his time as owner and manager – did you get one in the mail, once upon a time?

Visit our Dome digital exhibit page here.

Explore the postcard collection online here.

Postcards from Falmouth is a local history project of Falmouth Public Library, funded by a LSTA grant and administered by the MBLC.