National Register of Historic Places

Old Town Center Historic District

Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Listed
March 2, 2001
Type
District
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
01000196

About this property

The Old Town Center Historic District is a historic district roughly along Locust Public Rd. and Salt Pond Road in Eastham, Massachusetts. The district encompasses Eastham's original town center, with a cluster of well-preserved 18th- and 19th-century buildings. The area served as the town's civic center due to its proximity to Salt Pond, which provided access to the Atlantic Ocean, and was a major transportation route. (Most of the district is now separated from Salt Pond by US Route 6, a four-lane road.) The advent of the railroad in the 1870s shifted the town's economic and civic heart to the present center. The Old Town district is 40 acres (16 ha) in size, with 42 mainly residential buildings contributing to its significance. The oldest building in the district is the c. 1672 John Knowles House at 191 Locust Road. The town's first town hall (1851) and first schoolhouse (1869) still stand in the district; the schoolhouse is a landmark visible from Route 6. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

Location

Eastham, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
41.83619, -69.97578

Categories

AGRICULTUREARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Old Town Center Historic District

This page lists Old Town Center Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Eastham Center Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Bridge Road Cemetery
Listed
0.7 mi
Three Sisters of Nauset (Twin Lights)
Industrial
1 mi
Penniman, Edward, House and Barn
Industrial
1.3 mi
Beacon, The
Industrial
1.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old Town Center Historic District listed on the National Register?

Old Town Center Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Old Town Center Historic District?

Old Town Center Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Old Town Center Historic District?

The period of significance for Old Town Center Historic District is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near Old Town Center Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Old Town Center Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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