North Chatham in Barnstable County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)

Chatham Radio/WCC

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

1. Chatham Radio/WCC Marker

Inscription. This is the site of Chatham Radio/WCC. Maritime wireless communications flourished here, one of the 20th century’s premier wireless telegraphy stations.

The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America built the Chatham receiver station in 1914. This is one of many stations built during the early part of the 20th century by Guglielmo Marconi as he expanded his global communications network. It was part of an extensive network of transmitting and receiving wireless stations linking Japan, Hawaii, and the United States to Europe.

The building in front of you is the operations building, the station’s communication hub. Operators in this building forwarded messages to and from Norway. After RCA took over in 1920, it was re-commissioned and became the largest ship to shore wireless telegraphy station in the United States. (Marker Number 10.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1914.

Location. 41° 42.238′ N, 69° 58.852′ W. Marker is in North Chatham, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County. Marker is on Orleans Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 847 Orleans Rd, North Chatham MA 02650, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Operations Building (a

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few steps from this marker); The 1914 Marconi Radio Station Complex (within shouting distance of this marker); Antenna Trail Exhibits (within shouting distance of this marker); Employee Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); “Marconi T” Antenna (within shouting distance of this marker); Historic Receiving Antennas (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Aerial View of the Marconi-RCA Complex, circa 1930 (about 600 feet away); The Nickerson Family (approx. 0.4 miles away).

Regarding Chatham Radio/WCC. The operation building is now a museum, check their web site for the schedule.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.

Also see . . .
1. Chatham Marconi Maritime Center. (Submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
2. WCC (radio station). (Submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
3. Marconi Company. (Submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)
4. Guglielmo Marconi

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

2. Chatham Radio/WCC Marker

. (Submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia.)

Chatham Radio/WCC - RCA image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

3. Chatham Radio/WCC - RCA

Chatham Radio/WCC Operations Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

4. Chatham Radio/WCC Operations Center

Chatham Radio/WCC Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

5. Chatham Radio/WCC Site

Chatham Radio/WCC equipment display image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

6. Chatham Radio/WCC equipment display

Listening Positions image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Byron Hooks, September 3, 2014

7. Listening Positions

During WW II in this station, radio men at positions similar to this would listen for Morse code overhead sets. They would type on their “mill” any encrypted message they heard. The message was hand-delivered to teletype operators for relay to Washington, DC.

If a radioman recognized the message is coming from a U-boat, he would immediately send the frequency to the direction finding net and then type the message on his mill.

The desk is an actual artifact as seen in the photographs.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This page has been viewed 519 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on November 1, 2014, by Byron Hooks of Sandy Springs, Georgia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.