Josephine speaking out against a development proposal at a meeting at the auditorium of Provincetown High School.
An Evening of Stories About Josephine Del Deo
by Steve Desroches
Chances are if there is there is a spot in nature, a work of art or literature, or a historic building that you love in Provincetown, you can draw a line to the activism and work of Josephine Del Deo that either helped directly save it or created momentum that changed the culture in to town to do so. Her legacy is truly Herculean. She and her husband Sal Del Deo were part of founding the Fine Arts Work Center and she was a major force behind the former Provincetown Heritage Museum and the creation of the Provincetown National Register District as well as the Dune Shacks of Peaked Hill Bars Historic District. She was also the president of the Provincetown Symphony Orchestra, the founder of a local chapter of the ACLU, an organizer of civil rights and anti-nuclear events, pursued a life as an artist and writer, the latter of which earned her the Rose Dorothea Award posthumously from the Provincetown Public Library. This was all in addition to helping her husband run both Ciro and Sal’s and Sal’s Place as well as a gift shop where she sold handwoven crafts while also raising a family.
Perhaps her most significant and revered accomplishment was leading the cause to save the Province Lands from development. It was Del Deo and the artist Ross Moffett that led the charge to save the sweeping landscapes now protected within the boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore. There were all kinds of proposals for projects, including everything from an amusement park, a golf course, a series of hotels, and more. Del Deo was such a force that she even went to Washington, D.C., to testify before a Congressional committee for federal protection as she saw the writing on the wall that Cape Cod, particularly the Outer Cape, had been discovered and development pressure would only increase. Her efforts, compounded with other Cape Cod activists, led to President John F. Kennedy signing the National Seashore Act in 1961, with large portions of Provincetown included within its boundaries. Without her, Provincetown would look and feel very, very different today. To honor her legacy, and help preserve it, the Provincetown Conservation Trust presents She Helped Save the Seashore, an evening of stories this Saturday night about Del Deo acting as a fundraiser to help purchase a parcel of land adjacent to the Provincetown Greenway, that will become known as the Josephine Del Deo Memorial Woodland.
“This is a great opportunity to honor Josephine,” says William Mullin, President of the Board of Trustees of the Provincetown Conservation Trust (PCT). “The state of Massachusetts classifies the land as a core habitat for wildlife, home to a diverse population of animals and plant life. One hundred and twenty different species of birds have been documented there as they migrate to and from Canada.”
The land in question is a .64 acre lot at the end of Atkins Mayo Road abutting the Old Colony Nature Pathway. The PCT only works to preserve developable land, which this plot is, and is in the process of raising $250,000 privately in addition to the $95,000 of Community Preservation Act already approved at Provincetown Town Meeting. The total purchase price is one million dollars, as its being offered for about $500,000 less than it would get on the open market to help the conservation effort. The PCT and the town are also applying for state grants. Once the property is purchased it will be owned by the Town of Provincetown solely for conservation purposes.
The alliterative She Saved the Seashore brings together an array of Provincetown figures all with a story to tell about Del Deo in a night celebrating her legacy and to bring attention to this open space preservation project. Mullin, who just finished a starring run in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Provincetown Theater is also known for being the former co-host of the Mosquito Story Slam and the founder of the new William Tell Storytelling Show, knows the power of a good story. As such, he assembled a roster that includes writer and naturalist Dennis Minksy, Provincetown historian Lisa King, artist Mary DeAngelis, artist and former National Seashore cartographer Mark Adams, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning writer Michael Cunningham, who will read from his celebrated book Land’s End: A Walk in Provincetown.
“It’s a great assembly of different voices all with a story to tell about Josephine either because they knew her or her work somehow impacted their lives,” says Mullin. “It’s important to get the word out not just about this conservation project, but about her so we don’t forget all that she did for Provincetown.”
She Saved the Seashore: A Night of Stories About Josephine Del Deo and How Her Passion Helped Save the Province Lands is on Saturday, September 6 at the Provincetown Theater, 238 Bradford St. Cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m. with the stories to begin at 7 p.m. The event is a benefit to purchase the proposed Josephine Del Deo Memorial Woodland. To register for the event or to make a donation please visit provincetownconservationtrust.org. For more information call 508.214.3278.
