The Gingerbread Cottage Village on Martha's Vineyard Is the Quaintest Place on Earth

The homes may be some of the most photographed in the entire country, but they evolved from humble roots. In 1835, a half-acre of rural land bordering a sheep pasture was selected as a place to hold a small Methodist camp meeting. By 1859, what was then called Wesleyan Grove had expanded to become one of largest permanent camp meeting sites in America.

In the beginning, attendants were housed in tents set up on designated plots of land surrounding the camp's main park. But by the 1860s and 1870s, as the camp became a more permanent, year-round establishment, the tents were replaced with small cottages, most of which display the whimsical Carpenter Gothic style that was popular at the time.

Indeed, the homes have maintained a "tent-like" feeling. Clustered tightly together, with steeply-pitched roofs and scarcely any private land, the cottages exude an intimacy that only adds to their charm.

The area containing the cottages became officially known as "Cottage City" in 1880. In 1907, the name was changed to Oak Bluffs.

Approximately 318 of the original 500 cottages remain today. Collectively, they make up the 34-acre Wesleyan Grove National Historic District.

Except when it comes to size, "less is more" does not apply here. Colorful, decorative vergeboard is the district's unifying feature, and it outfits nearly every porch and roofline in the district.

Of course, the landscape doesn't hurt. Nothing complements a collection of Victorian cottages by the sea like a garden full of hydrangeas, and you're sure to find plenty scattered around the area.

A visit to the Cottage Museum reveals how a typical campground cottage would have been furnished in the 1800s.

If you're interested in seeing how the cottages function today, head on over to the annual summer Gingerbread Cottage tour for a chance to peek inside a handful of the brightest and best.