Henry Beston's Cape Cod: How 'The Outermost House' Inspired a National Seashore

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Outermost House Expert, writer and filmmaker Don Wilding’s multimedia program, "Henry Beston's Cape Cod: How 'The Outermost House' Inspired a National Seashore," features over 130 slides and rough-cut footage from the Henry Beston Society's documentary film project.

It's a local tale about Eastham and Cape Cod, but also an international story of World War I. Beston served as an ambulance driver in France during “The Great War,” and returned home to Massachusetts an emotionally scarred man. Returning from the horrors of World War I, Beston wrote the classic book, "The Outermost House," while finding the peace of mind he was seeking on Cape Cod's Outer Beach. Years later, "The Outermost House" was cited by the National Park Service as to why the Outer Beach should be preserved.

Don is the co-founder and executive director of the Beston Society, a nonprofit organization based on Cape Cod. A 30-year veteran of the newspaper industry, Don is the author of the book, “Henry Beston’s Cape Cod,” and has been recognized by Cape Cod Magazine as one of its "12 Local People to Watch in 2015."

Don has also presented rough cut footage from the documentary film at 2014 Newburyport Film Festival and to a full house at the Chatham Orpheum Theater on Cape Cod.