The questions everyone actually asks.
Why the bridge is wood. Why the bay is shallow. Whether you can actually drive onto the beach. Eighteen questions about Duxbury that people search for constantly, answered plainly, sourced, and linked to the full story where there is one.
History & founding
Why is Myles Standish buried in Duxbury, not at his own monument or in Plymouth?
Standish spent his last decades farming at the Nook, in what is now Duxbury, not Plymouth itself. When he died in 1656, he was buried near his own town's meetinghouse, the Old Burying Ground on Chestnut Street, about a mile and a half from the hilltop where his monument would go up two centuries later. The monument marks where he lived, not where he's buried.
Was Duxbury really founded because of a feud over Priscilla Alden?
No, though Longfellow's poem made it sound that way. Standish, John Alden, and Priscilla were real people who really settled Duxbury, but the romantic rivalry between the two men over her is a story with no basis in the documented record. The full fact-check is on the courtship, fact-checked.
Why is Duxbury called "Plymouth Colony's second town"?
It incorporated in 1637, the first town the colony split off from Plymouth itself, and its congregation gathered as the colony's second church as early as 1632. Even its cemetery ranks second: the Old Burying Ground was the colony's second burial ground, after Plymouth's own Cole's Hill. Full timeline on History.
Why is the Old Burying Ground called America's oldest maintained cemetery?
In 1976 the American Cemetery Association gave it that title, and a plaque announcing it went up the following year. It's a real designation from a real organization, not an independently verified superlative, and Duxbury's own founders, Standish, the Aldens, George Soule, are buried there regardless of the title. Full history on The Old Burying Ground.
The bridge
Why is Powder Point Bridge made of wood?
Tradition, mostly. It was built wood in 1892 to connect town to the barrier beach, and when the town had to rebuild it after a 1985 fire, it built a new wooden bridge on purpose, in the image of the old one, rather than switch materials.
Is it really the longest wooden bridge in America?
Probably, sort of. At about 2,200 feet it has long been celebrated as the longest, a claim the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society itself says has been disputed for about as long as it's been made. What's not disputed: it's a very long wooden bridge, and there aren't many of those left.
Will it be replaced with concrete?
Unresolved as of this writing. MassDOT wants to replace it, citing deterioration in the pilings; a residents' nonprofit, Save Our Bridge, is fighting to keep it wood. It will be decided in public meetings. Full story on The Powder Point Bridge.
Tides & bay
Why is Duxbury Bay so shallow?
It's a shallow, well-flushed estuary behind a barrier beach, not open ocean, and that's exactly what makes local oysters taste the way they do: cold, clean, tidally scoured water that slows growth and concentrates flavor.
What is a "king tide," and when do they happen here?
A normal Duxbury high runs 9 to 11 feet above the low-water datum. Past 11.75 feet, the bay starts doing things it usually doesn't: marsh vanishing, low roads flooding. Unlike storms, king tides are entirely predictable years in advance. Full outlook on King tides.
How many shipwrecks have happened off Duxbury?
More than 30 documented incidents survive in the U.S. Life-Saving Service's own station ledgers between 1877 and 1909 alone, not counting anything before or after that window. Full ledger on Shipwrecks.
Beach & access
Can you drive onto Duxbury Beach?
Yes, with a year-round Town oversand vehicle permit, required for residents and nonresidents alike, down the numbered crossovers along the "back road." Anyone can walk onto the beach for free, no permit needed.
Do you need a permit to park at Duxbury Beach?
Depends where. Public pay-per-day parking at Duxbury Beach Park requires no permit. The lots near Powder Point Bridge are resident-permit only, aside from one small first-come lot before the bridge. Full details on the Beach guide.
Are dogs allowed on Duxbury Beach?
Yes, with a permit and a calendar. A Town dog-walking permit is required year-round, and from April 1 to September 15, seasonal rules dictate exactly where dogs can go. Full rules on the Beach guide.
What are "the bunkers" at Gurnet Point?
Layers of coastal defense. Fort Andrew, an earthwork fort built in 1776 and rebuilt through the Civil War, still has surviving magazines and a bombproof there. During World War II, a five-story fire control tower stood on the same spot, the southernmost site in Boston's harbor defense network, razed after the war.
When can you see horseshoe crabs spawn?
Late April through early June, peaking in mid-to-late May, on high tides near the new and full moons. Duxbury is one of the official sites in the state's own horseshoe crab spawning survey, so this isn't folklore: the state is literally counting them here every spring.
Food, industry & one landmark
Why are Duxbury oysters so well regarded?
The bay does the work: shallow, clean, and flushed hard twice a day by some of the biggest tides on the East Coast, growing oysters slowly in cold water, which builds flavor and a deep cup. Full story on The oyster story.
Why did Duxbury's shipbuilding industry collapse?
Steamships and railroads made wooden sailing vessels obsolete almost overnight in the 1850s. The yards closed, families left to find work, and the population fell by nearly half over the following decades. Full story on The shipbuilding age.
Can you climb the Myles Standish Monument?
Yes, seasonally: weekends only, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 9 to 5, weather and staffing permitting. Inside, 125 granite steps spiral up to the parapet, no elevator, not wheelchair accessible.
Sources & verification
Answers here are drawn from Duxbury Uncommon's own researched pages, linked throughout, plus the Town of Duxbury, the Duxbury Rural & Historical Society, MassDOT's project pages, and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries' horseshoe crab spawning survey. Spot an error? Tell us. Last verified: August 4, 2026.
The Old Burying Ground
Built 1638, abandoned by 1789, forgotten for a century: how a family plot became the oldest maintained cemetery in the country.
The Powder Point Bridge
Built 1892, burned 1985, rebuilt 1987, and now at the center of a fight over its future.
Duxbury Beach Visitor Guide
Parking, stickers, dogs, plovers, and the difference between "the beach is closed" and reality.