[2] The younger Mayhew began his work which led to his becoming the first church planting Protestant missionary after he settled in Edgartown.

Ships from all over the world would dock in its sheltered bay and captains would build grand mansions for their families with ornate top floor rooms called widow's walks, which overlooked the harbor.

A myth developed that wives would watch for months from these tiny rooms, hoping to see the sails of ships that would bring their husbands home from the sea.

By the beginning of the 20th century, its influence on the tiny town which had made its fortunes through the industry, was ended.

Today the town is more known for tourism, as well as the site of Chappaquiddick, where Ted Kennedy's fatal automobile accident took place in 1969.

The growth of the population over the past 25 years has led to a period of intense renewal of these old houses.

In addition to the architecture of the town, Edgartown is easily traversed on foot or bicycle, making it attractive to tourists.

Edgartown was used as the main shooting location for the town of Amity in Steven Spielberg's 1975 blockbuster Jaws.

The harbor is large and entered through a modest sized channel on the North side of Edgartown.

It can be reached by driving or riding the bus south from Edgartown center for approximately 2.5 miles.

Edgartown is located at the eastern end of Martha's Vineyard (referred to as "down-island", a vestige of the island's traditional maritime manner of speaking in that as a ship travels east, it is said to be traveling "down east" as longitude decreases towards the Prime Meridian[5]).

For those who have spent a lot of time sailing (as opposed to 'power boating'), down wind is more important to a sailor than decreasing longitude.

]The town of Edgartown includes the smaller island of Chappaquiddick, sometimes connected to the rest of Martha's Vineyard only by a barrier beach which can be breached during storms.

Edgartown is also home to half of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest, which extends into neighboring West Tisbury.

In fact, the ferry was given this name because a new owner, Foster B. Silva of Chappaquiddick, had less than two weeks to build it before taking over the service on August 1, 1948.

The work crew—led by Captain Samuel B. Norton and master boatbuilder Manuel Swartz Roberts, both of Edgartown—built and launched the new ferry "on time."

This original "On Time" was converted to a barge dispensing fresh water to visiting yachtsmen after its service as a ferry ended in 1975.

Along the border of the state forest lies Martha's Vineyard Airport, which Edgartown shares with West Tisbury.

Over the last 20 years there has been a continuous growth in the population of the island, although many of the large expanses of undeveloped land and many vistas remain.

[16] On the national level, Edgartown is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by William R. Keating.

[17] All of Dukes County is patrolled by the Fifth (Oak Bluffs) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

The town has one post office, located further west and south of the wildlife preserve at Sengekontacket Pond.