Our Story

It started with a simple idea: Chilmark needed a place to come together.

In 1955, a group of year-round and seasonal residents saw that the community had lost its gathering place when the Chilmark Tavern was no longer available. So they did what island communities do — they came together and built one. The Chilmark Town Affairs Committee partnered with the Town's Selectmen, the community voted, and on June 30, 1957, the Chilmark Community Center officially opened its doors — a place "for the benefit, education, and enjoyment of both summer and year-round residents."

In the early years, the CCC was a simple drop-in center. Kids showed up. They played. Over time, programs grew — arts and crafts, softball, sailing, swimming, tennis. Adults came for lectures, movies, sing-alongs, and community square dances. The Center quickly became the social heart of Chilmark.

By 1979, the partnership between CTAC and the Town was formalized, establishing shared responsibilities for the Center and its programs. CTAC would run summer operations from mid-June through Labor Day, while the Town managed the facility the rest of the year. That partnership continues today.

Over the decades, the programs born at the CCC have become part of the island's identity. The Chilmark Road Race, now entering its 49th year. The Martha's Vineyard Book Festival, a nationally recognized literary gathering. Olympics Week, the Talent Show, community square dances, and countless summer memories made on the fields, courts, and waters around the Center.

As the community's needs evolved, so did the programming. A full-day camp option was added in 2018 for working parents. Daily adult fitness classes were introduced to meet growing demand. A separate Sprouts program was created for five-year-olds. A swimming and water safety program is being revived in 2026. Each change reflects the same spirit that built the Center in the first place — listen to the community, then show up for it.

Today, CTAC serves over 1,000 individuals each summer across camp, sailing, tennis, adult fitness, and community events. What started as a place to gather has become something deeper — a shared home where generations of island families have played, learned, and grown up together.

Nearly 70 years later, the doors are still open. The community is still showing up. And the best summers are still ahead.

The Chilmark Community Center, Photo by DeWolf C. Thompson, 1957