Cape-Cod-LIFE

Bass River Beacon

Cape Cod Life  / May 2026 /

Writer: Leslie Hatton / Photographer: Alex Fredette 

 

Bass River Beacon

Cape-Cod-LIFE

Cape Cod Life  / May 2026 /

Writer: Leslie Hatton / Photographer: Alex Fredette 


Lighthouses have long been seen as symbols of guidance, hope and strength, and for those who love local history and seek a lodging experience that is truly in a class by itself, the Jolly Captain Lighthouse in Yarmouth should not be missed. 

Working alongside his father for years, Paul Mazzola grew up in the building industry. He founded GCI Builders after his father’s passing, and has taken the company from a specialty framing business to a full-service, high-end custom design-build firm. When Mazzola heard of a boat dock on Bass River that was up for sale, it caught his attention. Imagine his surprise when he realized the slip came along with a dilapidated lighthouse on the same parcel. Immediately recognizing its potential, and undaunted by the obvious challenges that would accompany such a unique endeavor, Mazzola purchased the property and began a passion project, guided by a clear vision and with the support of his team and family.

Located on Bass River, the lighthouse was originally built in the 1960s as part of a small hotel known as the Jolly Captain Motor Lodge, the unconventional structure served a dual purpose as both an office space for the hotel as well as a spot for guests to grab breakfast. The hotel closed its doors in the 1980s and was left neglected for years. Mazzola and his team spent all their spare time in between other projects working on the lighthouse. He shares, “One of the challenges was in the structure itself—the building was not only round, it was also tapered, which created significant construction difficulties. When you stood inside, it almost felt like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.”  There was very little worth salvaging in terms of the interior therefore the team gutted the entire building down to...

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Leslie Hatton

Leslie (Horne) Hatton enthusiastically joined Cape Cod Life in October of 2022. Educated in Mashpee and Falmouth, she graduated from Assumption College and received her Master of Education degree from Lesley College. A former teacher, she has taught middle school, preschool and most recently, fifth grade. She and her husband Tom have three children: Aidan, Colin, and Erin. Their newest family member is Millie, an outgoing, outrageously happy chocolate lab. She loves to talk about all of them so better not ask. One neat tidbit about Leslie is that she is the author of the locally best-selling children’s book Cape Cod ABCs, with over 10K books sold on Cape Cod, the Islands and across Massachusetts. Happiest in the summer with a little sun on her face, she loves being with friends and her family, laughing, drinking and eating all over beautiful Cape Cod.