Henry Beston, author of "The Outermost House", with a Special Connection to Cape Cod's Inn at the Oaks in Eastham

This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Outermost House, the beloved classic by naturalist writer Henry Beston that so beautifully captures the wild beauty of Cape Cod’s outer shore.

Many visitors to Eastham and the Cape Cod National Seashore know Beston for the year he spent living in a small dune shack near Coast Guard Beach — an experience that inspired one of the most treasured books ever written about Cape Cod.

What fewer people know is that while living on the beach between 1925 and 1927, Beston also had a direct connection to what was then called the Overlook Inn, the historic inn that is today the Inn at the Oaks in Eastham, Massachusetts. It is known that Beston stayed at the inn at times, especially during inclement weather, while continuing his work on The Outermost House.

Local accounts also tell of a friendly relationship between Beston and the innkeepers, with stories of signals exchanged between the beach and the inn — letting him know when mail had arrived or when supplies were needed. Though he lived much of the time in his dune shack, the inn offered a place of shelter and connection during his months on the Outer Cape.

One of our most loved guest rooms today is located in the original inn on the second floor, and we’ve named it the Henry Beston Suite in his honor. While it’s unlikely that Beston himself stayed in this particular room, history suggests he was probably tucked into one of the smaller, cozier rooms on the third floor — which would have suited him perfectly, given that he spent much of his year living simply in his tiny beach “forecastle” along the dunes.

Today, we keep a small tribute to this connection inside the inn — a framed portrait, a drawing of the Outermost House, and a photograph of the cottage itself — as a reminder of the deep literary and natural history tied to this special stretch of the Outer Cape.

Staying at the Inn at the Oaks means being just minutes from the beaches, dunes, and walking trails of the Cape Cod National Seashore, where Beston once observed the rhythms of wind, tide, and wildlife that still shape this place today.

For guests who love Cape Cod history, coastal nature, and peaceful seaside escapes, we’re proud to be part of a story that stretches back more than a century — and still feels just as magical today.