Atwood-Higgins Historic District

Set in one of the few clearings on remote Bound Brook Island in Wellfleet, this 24-acre district preserves a homestead begun around 1730. Its main building is a one-and-one-half-story, post-and-beam Cape Cod Cottage that grew from a half-cape into a full cape by 1805, with a west ell added by 1820 and a small addition by 1850. North of the house stand a barn, guest house, replica country store, woodshed, garage, summer house, wellhouse and three privies, along with the grounds and an archaeological site. In the early twentieth century, George K. Higgins of Brookline used the property as a summer estate. He restored the house to his idea of its historic appearance, built outbuildings around a central barnyard, installed water and plumbing systems, and laid out gardens, fences and drives. The district was listed in 1976 for the house alone; the expanded listing recognizes the whole estate, including Higgins's changes. It contains 13 contributing resources and no noncontributing ones.