MENU
The Mansion at Ocean Edge
Three Names. Three Owners. A Century of History.
Now a member of the Historic Hotels of America, this 429-acre resort is a one-of-a-kind site on Cape Cod. Discover the history of this estate and its various owners since the late 1800s.
Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club is an upscale, family-friendly hotel, located on Cape Cod Bay. It’s split into two distinct areas: The Mansion, a Victorian-style building that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and The Villages, a collection of cozy villas that are steps away from golf, kayaking, and more.
Today, The Mansion structure itself is home to multiple restaurants, our resort boutique named after the resilient Addie Nickerson, function space for meetings and weddings, and space for guests and locals to gather in the ambiance and warmth of old-world charm. While there are no guest rooms in The Nickerson Mansion in an effort to preserve the history of the building, guests will find spacious and comfortable accommodations mere steps from The Mansion in our Guest Wings and Presidential Bay Collection Villas. Add your story to the growing legacy of this property and experience the wonder of The Mansion at Ocean Edge. Now open year-round, discover the unique charm of each season when you reserve your room today.
The Nickersons
Though the historic structure of Ocean Edge has stood for over a century, it was not originally a boutique hotel. Samuel Mayo Nickerson, a Chatham resident, married Matilda Crosby of Brewster, and built the estate as a summer home for their eldest son, Roland. The two buildings—a palatial Victorian mansion called “Fieldstone Hall” and a Tudor-style stable on the hill that overlooked Cape Cod Bay—became a site for high society to convene for lavish parties and grew to be the Nickerson family’s favored summer retreat.
This story includes financial success in Chicago, a fire, perseverance, and legacy. View our video below to get the whole story.
The La Salettes
The Missionaries of La Salette, a Catholic Community of priests and brothers, purchased the Nickerson Estate in 1944 and utilized the land and mansion as a retreat house and seminary. The seminary was especially popular in the 1960s. The provincial, priests and teachers lived and celebrated Mass in the mansion, with students living and praying in the renovated carriage house, complete with a chapel and dormitory style accommodations. There were personal altars on the mansion stairwell landing, as well as another chapel against the front windows in the current La Salette Room.
As in Addie’s time, the priests continued to farm the property and maintain some production of farm animals, chickens, ducks, vegetables, and root crops. In addition to occupying Fieldstone Hall, the La Salette priests contributed to the community of Brewster with the establishment of Our Lady of the Cape Catholic Church. They continued to inhabit the mansion until 1973, with ownership until 1978.
The Story
The Nickerson Mansion: A History of Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club
by Suzanne Corcoran
Uncover a century’s worth of history at The Mansion at Ocean Edge, marked by three distinct names, owners, and eras. The mansion’s rich story is captured in spectacular detail in The Nickerson Mansion: A History of Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club. This book is available for purchase at Addie's at The Mansion, the Brewster Book Store, the Brewster General Store, and Dewy Hill.
Our Lineage
1890
Samuel Mayo Nickerson, a descendent of Cape Cod’s Puritan settlers, constructs Fieldstone Hall on a 48-acre parcel of land for his son, Roland, and his family.
1906
After 15-plus years as the hub of Brewster’s social scene, Fieldstone Hall mysteriously burns down. The loss of the home leaves Roland Nickerson destitute; he would die of illness two weeks later.
1907
Aided by Samuel Nickerson, Roland’s widow, Addie, began construction of a new residence on Fieldstone Hall’s original foundation.
1912
The new house — complete with soundproofing stucco, Italian marble fireplaces, and fine woodwork — is completed.
1945
The Nickerson family sells the mansion to the LaSalette religious order, which then converted the property into a seminary.
1980
Real estate developer Corcoran Jennison purchases the mansion.
1986
The Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club first opens its doors.
2022
The Mansion at Ocean Edge is inducted into the Historic Hotels of America.
Today
Renovated and restored to preserve its historic character, the property is now recognized as one of the finest hotels on Cape Cod.
