Local History Tour

A curated tour featuring more than 30 sites that highlight the local area’s significant role in local history and culture.

Tour Highlights Include:

• Villa Rosa (The Overton House): a former summer gathering place for civil rights leaders.
• The Powell Cottage (“Bunny Cottage”): owned by Adam Clayton Powell, the first Black Congressman from the East Coast since Reconstruction.
• Shearer Cottage: a historic laundry that became the first Black-owned guest house in the local area.
• Dorothy West Home: the East Chop Highlands home of Harlem Renaissance writer Dorothy West.
• Senator Edward W. Brooke III Home: residence of the first Black person popularly elected to the U.S. Senate since Reconstruction.
• Campground Memorials: sites documenting the history of families of color in the area.

Museum Trip

The local museum is a historical and cultural institution. It preserves history, art, and culture through an extensive collection of more than 100,000 items, including artifacts, oral histories, and photographs.

Extended Local Tour — Aquinnah Cliffs

The Aquinnah Cliffs (historically known as Gay Head Cliffs) are a National Natural Landmark on the western tip of the local area. Dramatic clay cliffs rise up to 150 feet above the Atlantic, with vibrant layers of red, orange, white, and gray clay shaped by glaciers millions of years ago.

Key Highlights & Culture:

• Wampanoag heritage: The cliffs are a sacred site for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), who have lived here for more than 10,000 years.
• Gay Head Light: Historic lighthouse (1856) with views of Vineyard Sound and the Elizabeth Islands; moved inland in 2015 to address coastal erosion.
• Aquinnah Cultural Center: Exhibits on tribal history and heritage in a 19th-century homestead.

Visiting the Cliffs:

• Overlook & shops: Boardwalk to a viewing platform; “The Circle” offers native-owned shops, local food, and crafts.
• Moshup Beach: Public beach access via a short walk from the parking area at the base of the cliffs.

Operational Discovery Workshop

An opportunity to assess current tech modernization strategies and identify opportunities for operational and tech-centered efficiencies.

Group Dinner — Atria

Atria is a high-end New American restaurant in the local area, set in a historic 19th-century sea captain’s home.

Dining Experiences:

• Main dining room: Seasonal, seafood-focused menu; signature dishes include Two Pound Wok Fired Local Lobster and Turf n’ Turf (filet mignon and short rib).
• Brick Cellar Bar: Relaxed setting with a burger-focused menu, craft cocktails, and occasional live entertainment.
• Outdoor dining: Summer tented patio and lawn for garden-style dining.

Key highlights:

• Award-winning wine program with on-site sommeliers.
• Generous portions—many guests share entrées.

Resident Services Discovery Workshop

An opportunity to assess current resident services programming and identify opportunities for synergy between services offered and tech modernization strategies.

The A/I Experience

A four-phase approach to organized, wide-scale A/I tool launch within the PHA space: system identification and selection, agency internal policy development and socialization, system training and deployment, and thoughtful integration into everyday operations.

The Good Neighbor Pilot

A detailed overview of a new, revolutionary PHA life-skills development platform, including discussion of available PHA-specific customization options, a full pilot project plan, and a case study development roadmap.