The oyster sloop Joshua and New Haven sharpie Betsy D., both from The Center for Wooden Boats, set out from Cama Beach.

The beach’s attraction began some 2,000 years ago, when Native Americans discovered its abundance of shellfish. Needing to drain the water from their clamshells before the walk home, natives of different tribes set up racks together and shared the summer’s news. Re-imagined in the 1930s, Cama Beach became a fishing resort, with a row of cedar cabins facing the water. Families shared their summers with neighbors who quickly became friends, returning to share the island idyll year after year.

This February, Cama Beach State Park and The Center for Wooden Boats signed a cooperative agreement for the next 30 years. The old cabins have been dismantled and reconstructed in impeccable period style. There are newly hand-sewn quilts on the beds, and restored plank-on-frame rowboats in the boathouse. It’s all ready to reopen this summer, and for a new community to form. The difference is that now it’s not just the place that’s the draw, but also the history.