L.D.C. Fitzgerald, JFK Novelist

The John F. Kennedy Museum on Main Street in Hyannis will be the starting point for the Kennedy Legacy Trail, an interpretive, historic walking trail that will have stops at several sites in Hyannis that will describe significant moments in the Kennedy family history on the Cape.

The Kennedy family has been part of Hyannis and Cape Cod since Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy bought a home in Hyannis Port in 1928 that became a family compound with homes of a president, a U.S. attorney general and a longtime Massachusetts senator as well as the site of family tragedies and historical triumphs.

Now the town of Barnstable wants to honor the role of the late President John F. Kennedy and the famous family in the history of Hyannis by creating the Kennedy Legacy Trail throughout the village. The town is partnering with nonprofit and business groups to create the cultural trail that will consist of interpretive signs and telephone dial-up information at significant sites.

The interpretive legacy trail will incorporate existing Kennedy/Hyannis National Heritage sites, including the John F. Kennedy Museum; St. Francis Xavier Church, where the Kennedys worshiped and held weddings and funerals; the Hyannis Armory, site of the 1960 presidential victory speech; the John F Kennedy Memorial at Veterans Beach; and the family compound and Squaw Island, which are both viewable by boat tours. Additional sites along the harbor will include Aselton Park and Bismore Park to give more information about the Kennedys’ interests in the sea and other accomplishments.

Tags: JFK, Kennedy, Kennedy Family, Memorials, Presidents