About Us
Crackskull’s – Caffeinating and Literacizing the Populace Since 2000
Our Goal
Our goal is simple. We want to provide an open, comfortable place to read a magazine, meet a friend, or peruse our eclectic book selection. We aim to provide the friendliest service, and wish to make everyone feel welcome.
Our Name
In Peter Piper’s Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation from 1819, under the letter C, we learn about Captain Crackskull.
Captain Crackskull cracked his cousin’s cockscomb.
Did Captain Crackskull crack his cousin’s cockscomb?
If Captain Crackskull cracked his cousin’s cockscomb,
Where’s the cousin’s cockscomb Captain Crackskull cracked?
The word Crackskull is also found is some 19th century dictionaries, defined as crack-brained or nitwit.
Our History
Crackskull’s Coffee and Books was opened in 2000 by a husband and wife team with a used bookstore dream. They wanted to provide a comfortable, living-room atmosphere for people to read, work, and mingle. They even hung guitars on the wall, encouraging people to play them freely. 86 Main Street quickly became a Newmarket staple, gaining new regulars everyday. Almost 10 years and two owners later, we’re still here, better than ever.
Crackskull’s Today
Today, both Newmarket and Crackskull’s look very different from the way they did in 2000. Newmarket received a huge make-over in the summer of 2008. The sidewalks are now much wider and are made of brick, there are trees being planted all around, and the telephone poles are being removed in the summer of 2009. Inside Crackskull’s, change is in the air. The original royal blue walls have been painted over, the old black couch has been replaced with a built-in counter and stools, free wi-fi is now offered, and our menus have changed a bit. But even with the changes, our goal has always remained the same. We still offer a cozy, friendly environment for our customers, the guitars are still hung on the wall for all to play, and there is always a smiling face behind the counter.