Take a stroll through the Marthas Vineyard Campmeeting Association.  The grounds of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association (MVCMA), located in Oak Bluffs just behind the retail district, grew out of the religious "campmeeting" movement of the 19th century.  The campgrounds grew to become one of the largest and best-known campmeeting sites in the country.   The living conditions were primitive.   People slept in tents with straw spread on the ground or on a board floor and a blanket over them.  

The nine society tents in 1835 grew to 570 tents by 1868, with 12,000 people attending the Sabbath.  However, the camp meetings began to change in character.   They continued to be religious in nature, but the participants also began to enjoy the benefit of the sea air and social interaction as they revived both mind and body. Between 1859 and 1864 a new American building type, the "Martha's Vineyard" cottage remarkable in its singularity in appearance and structure, was developed at Wesleyan Grove.   The architectural form is unique and must be considered as an invention of local carpenters.   There were about 40 cottages in 1864, 250 in 1869 and 500 by 1880.  

Cottage Museum.  Visitors to the Cottage Museum can view the interior of a Campground cottage, complete with period furnishings. Also on display are vintage photographs and other documents relating to the history of the Campground. The cottage Museum is located on the grounds of the Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association in Oak Bluffs and is open Monday through Saturday during the summer season.  www.mvcma.org/

One very special highlight of the summer season is Grand Illumination.   This year, Grand Illumination will be held on Wednesday evening, August 16, 2006.   The cottages are adorned with colorful Chinese and Japanese lanterns, and both a Community Sing and a band concert are held in the Tabernacle.   Grand Illumination started in Oak Bluffs over a century ago and was initially intended as a way of marking the visit of the Governor of Massachusetts.