Goodspeed House
Why it's listed
Built traditionally around 1653, this five-bay, 1½-story cottage at 271 River Road is considered the oldest house in Marstons Mills and among the oldest in all of Barnstable. It has a gable roof, a center chimney, shingled walls, 6/6 sash windows and a rear ell reaching toward a barn. The lopsided facade suggests it began as a three-bay half Cape, and low-set windows point to knee-wall construction. The house is linked to Roger Goodspeed, who arrived in Barnstable in 1639 and received a six-acre house lot near the river in 1653, making him the probable first settler of the area. The river and the small settlement were once called Goodspeed's. The property passed from father to son through several generations of the family. It was recognized for its associations with the village's settlement, the Goodspeed family and Roger Goodspeed, and for its intact vernacular architecture. It remains a dwelling in good condition with no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The form argues the house is the oldest in Marstons Mills and one of the oldest in Barnstable, tied to Roger Goodspeed, considered the village's first settler. It is also valued as an intact example of vernacular architecture and for its long association with the Goodspeed family. It is marked as meeting criteria A, B 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 87000235, listed March 13, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 271 River Rd., Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | March 13, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000235 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular cottage |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National, State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is a dwelling; condition is described as good, with no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 41.65914, -70.41897 (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 87000235.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5583616
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.