In 1835, a nature-loving Methodist minister selected Martha's Vineyard as a meeting place for his congregation. Churchgoers attending the Medthoist Camp Meeting Association first set up tents and later built simple cottages. The first cottage replaced a tent in 1860. These cottages were later adorned with ornate caved decorations creating a charming village. The Shrimp Cottage was a tent for eight years before it was converted to a house in 1878.