Centerville Historic District
Why it's listed
Centerville's historic core is a long, narrow strip of buildings along Main Street leading toward the harbor in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. About 30 acres hold roughly 40 contributing buildings, a cemetery and two monuments, mostly from the 19th century. The district grew as sea trade and fishing brought wealth, replacing earlier settlement farther north along Phinney's Lane. The relocation of the Congregational Church to its present site in 1826 marks that shift. Shops, an inn and stagecoach stop, a post office, schools, churches and the homes of ship captains followed. Greek Revival and Italianate styles are especially well represented, from the c1690 Austin Bearse House, believed to be the oldest house in the village, to Queen Anne mansions such as Fernbrook, built in 1881. Clapboard siding and small-scale two-story forms give the street a cohesive, civic character. Later buildings gather around its edges, which helped define the boundaries. The district remains a working civic, commercial and social center.
Significance in brief: The district is presented as a well-preserved center of a prosperous 19th century maritime village, shaped by sea trade and fishing wealth. It has a strong collection of mid and late 19th century architecture, especially Greek Revival and Italianate, and is tied to the village's most prominent citizens.
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 87002587, listed November 10, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | November 10, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87002587 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival and Italianate predominate, with Federal, Georgian, Queen Anne, Stick, and French Second Empire examples |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | General condition is described as good to excellent; uses are residential, commercial and institutional. |
| Acreage | 30 |
| Coordinates | 41.64870, -70.34710 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 87002587.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5060129
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.