Holmes Hole Harbor / Grey’s Raid Site (1778)
MA - Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, USA
Liberty Pole monument, 112 Main Street at Colonial Lane, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568, USA
MONUMENT
VISITOR INFORMATION
The museum provides research and interpretation at a separate modern visitor property. Distinguish the fleet's arrival from subsequent raid days and departure. Map point reviewed October 3, 2026: Pin represents the standing Liberty Pole monument near Holmes Hole harbor, used only as a nearby visitor reference. Its inscription concerns a purported 1776 incident, not Grey's 1778 raid, and the pole story is disputed. Raid landing and collection points remain unverified. Visitor information reviewed October 3, 2026: The standing memorial commemorates a disputed 1776 story and is a nearby reference for the harbor, separate from Grey’s 1778 raid. Its replacement pole is not original eighteenth-century fabric. Public toilets at the monument remain unverified. Parking researched October 3, 2026: Nearby paid Old Fire Station Lot on Beach Street serves a walk to the Main Street Liberty Pole monument. Observe the four-hour maximum and no-overnight rule. This is separate from private supermarket parking.
Visitor information final pass — reviewed October 3, 2026: Nearby toilets and showers are documented in Tisbury’s Harbor Department FAQ at the Owen Park Harbormaster Office, 19 Owen Park. Confirm current opening/access at 508-696-4249 before relying on this harbor-facility option. These are separate from the Liberty Pole monument. The disputed pole story and unverified 1778 raid positions remain; Edgartown visitor facilities were not assigned to Vineyard Haven.
Free outdoor monument, viewable from authorized public areas without a ticket. No separate staffed monument hours are listed. Nearby paid parking and harbor toilets follow their own rules and opening; the disputed Liberty Pole story does not identify Grey’s 1778 raid positions.
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific monthly attendance pattern was established.
June or September for a Vineyard Haven harbour history walk. Confirm ferry plans and public waterfront access. Arrange any Martha’s Vineyard Museum visit separately.
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
0
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About Holmes Hole Harbor / Grey’s Raid Site (1778)
Holmes Hole Harbor, now Vineyard Haven, was the setting for British demands on Martha's Vineyard during Grey's September 1778 raid. The operation sought livestock and supplies from the island. It demonstrates how naval power could impose military pressure on coastal communities without a major battle.
The harbor provides a recognizable landscape reference, but landing and collection points remain unconfirmed. The nearby Liberty Pole memorial concerns a separate, disputed 1776 story and should not be presented as marking Grey's raid of 1778.
History happened here at Holmes Hole Harbor / Grey’s Raid Site (1778)
British forces reached Holmes Hole in September 1778 after destructive operations elsewhere on the New England coast. The islanders faced demands for livestock and provisions, with the threat of force behind them. Local museum material describes the community's response and the collection of supplies.
The raid's significance lies in the disruption of civilian livelihoods as much as in troop movements. Farms across the island contributed to the losses, extending the event beyond the harbor itself. The modern harbor and later memorials provide context, but they need distinct explanations and separate chronologies.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Research reviewed October 3, 2026. Event IDs e9d35120-2241-4863-887d-5c03ae3ffa77; Events Latest 10PM.csv rows 541.
https://mvmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Greys-Raid-MVM-ED-Outreach-.pdf
https://mvmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/1983-C-Aug.pdf
Map location reviewed October 3, 2026. Pin represents the standing Liberty Pole monument near Holmes Hole harbor, used only as a nearby visitor reference. Its inscription concerns a purported 1776 incident, not Grey's 1778 raid, and the pole story is disputed. Raid landing and collection points remain unverified.
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=177589
https://mvmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Liberty-Pole-Lesson.pdf
https://www.battlefields.org/visit/battlefields/marthas-vineyard
Visitor classification and amenities reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: Standing Liberty Pole memorial near Main Street / Colonial Lane, Vineyard Haven.
Prose batch 4 researched October 3, 2026. Fast pass; proofing pending. Martha's Vineyard Museum outreach and historical journal reviewed. Liberty Pole story is disputed and belongs to 1776, not raid commemoration. Proof exact September arrival and collection sites.
Parking researched October 3, 2026. Tisbury explicitly permits paid public parking at the Old Fire Station Lot on Beach Street, with a four-hour maximum. Nearby paid Old Fire Station Lot on Beach Street serves a walk to the Main Street Liberty Pole monument. Observe the four-hour maximum and no-overnight rule. This is separate from private supermarket parking.
https://www.tisburyma.gov/542/Parking
Visitor information final pass — reviewed October 3, 2026