Baxter, Charles L., House
Why it's listed
This 1 1/2-story cottage at 77 Main Street in Cotuit was built about 1858 for Charles L. Baxter, a housewright who most likely constructed it himself. He bought one acre of cleared land from Alvan Crocker that year, after selling his earlier homestead. The L-shaped house is clad in clapboards and trimmed with corner pilasters and a full entablature. Its pilaster-framed entry sits on a forward-projecting wing that faces the street with its gable end, flanked by windows with projecting lintels. A one-story porch on slender columns runs along the side wing, whose roof carries a large gabled dormer. A bay window on the south side is probably a later addition, and a rear ell and a barn complete the property. Baxter lived here until his death, and the estate sold the house in 1918. It is valued as a well preserved, detailed example of Greek Revival design in a modest cottage form, with good integrity and no major alterations recorded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well preserved and detailed example of a Greek Revival cottage built by its original owner. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association, and meets criterion C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87000315, listed March 13, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 77 Main St., Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | March 13, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000315 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Charles L. Baxter (builder) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good, with no major alterations recorded; the property is currently used as a dwelling. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.63578, -70.45004 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87000315.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5079908
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.