Craigville Historic District
Why it's listed
Craigville is a small camp meeting community on a bluff overlooking Centerville Harbor and Nantucket Sound. The New England Convention of Christian Churches bought 160 acres of the Perry Farm in 1871 and held its first camp meeting on August 1, 1872. Streets were laid out in grid and curving patterns around a triangular park with a Tabernacle at its northern end, and at least 288 small lots were offered for sale or lease. Within a year, 31 cottages, two hotels, a store and a first Tabernacle had been built. The present Tabernacle dates from 1887. The district covers about eight acres and holds 26 contributing buildings, including Carpenter Gothic cottages such as Alpha Cottage, the store, the post office and the Craigville Inn. Its boundaries exclude later year-round houses. It was listed for its link to the camp meeting movement and for its well-preserved camp architecture. The grounds are still used as a conference center.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its association with the 19th-century Christian camp meeting movement and as a well-preserved collection of buildings built for that purpose. It keeps the core of the original 1870s development, including the triangular park, Tabernacle and small fanciful cottages. It is cited under criteria A and 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 87000275, listed November 10, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Centerville Harbor, Nantucket Sound, Red Lily Pond, and Lake Elizabeth, Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | November 10, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000275 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1871-c1930 |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic cottages, with Queen Anne (Tabernacle, Craigville Inn), Colonial Revival, Shingle Style and vernacular buildings |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a conference center; general condition is described as good to excellent. |
| Acreage | 8.1 |
| Coordinates | 41.64227, -70.33188 (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 87000275.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5181770
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.