Dennis, Massachusetts, has eighteen beaches on Cape Cod that together form one of the town’s defining natural features. Sixteen are saltwater beaches, divided between the bay side and the south side, while Princess and Scargo lie on Scargo Lake. Their names preserve layers of local history. Chapin Memorial Beach was renamed for George H. Chapin after he donated the land following World War II, while Corporation Beach also bears the older name Nobscussett. Mayflower Beach entered town ownership in 1977 through eminent domain. Other beach names recall donors, local families, fish storehouses, and the former fishing hamlet of South Village in West Dennis.