Dennis, Josiah, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1736, the Josiah Dennis Manse is a shingled saltbox house at the corner of Nobscusset Road and Whig Street in Dennis, Massachusetts. It rises two and a half stories to a saltbox roofline, is five bays wide with a central chimney, and has two later single-story rear ells. The main facade ornament is the entrance, with a paneled door, five-light transom, pilasters and a plain entablature. Inside, the woodwork is simple but well made, with some paneling and wainscotting, and a raised "stair bedroom" created a storage cellar above a high water table. Reverend Josiah Dennis, a Harvard graduate ordained in 1727 in the east precinct of Yarmouth, lived here until his death in 1763. When the precinct became its own town in 1793, it took his name. The house passed through his widow, daughter and a Howes niece, and the Howes family lived there into the twentieth century. The town now owns the house and about three acres and operates it as a museum.
Significance in brief: It is tied to the Reverend Josiah Dennis, the town's first minister, after whom the town was named when the east precinct of Yarmouth became independent in 1793. It also stayed in the same family until the twentieth century and is a good example of New England saltbox vernacular. The town now maintains it as a museum and historical center.
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 74000360, listed February 15, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 16 Whig St. (forermly Nobscusset Rd. at Whig St.), Dennis |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | February 15, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74000360 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century (1736) |
| Architectural style | Saltbox vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Religion |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Good condition, altered, on its original site; owned by the town and maintained as a museum and historical center. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.74039, -70.19891 (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 74000360.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6290465
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.