It was sold by the Nauset people to English settlers of the Plymouth Colony.
Until its sale, Sipson Island was Cape Cod's last privately owned whole-island property.
[4] Funds were raised from private donations solicited by the Friends of Pleasant Bay and the Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts.
[5] At its 2019 town meeting, the government of Orleans decided not to buy a $1.5 million permanent conservation easement that would guarantee public access.
[6] To reach the island, it is necessary to travel by private boat to the eastern shore.