Hallett, Capt. William, House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Standing on the north side of Main Street at the west end of Hyannis's commercial district, this full Cape cottage dates from about 1800. It has five bays, one and a half stories, a low granite foundation, a gable roof and a center chimney. Clapboards cover the front and shingles cover the other sides. Around 1900 it received Queen Anne style changes: a bay window on the east side, a porch with turned balusters on the south, and a shed dormer with an eyebrow curve over the central windows. In the mid-19th century it was occupied by Captain William Hallett (1805-1872), a master of deep water schooners. Shortly after 1907 it became the home of Dr. Charles Harris, a village physician who wrote Hyannis Sea Captains in 1939. The house was listed for its ties to the town's seafaring past and for its blend of Federal and Queen Anne elements. It has since been converted to commercial use.
Significance in brief: It is associated with Hyannis's maritime era through Captain William Hallett, a master of deep water schooners, and later with Dr. Charles Harris, a village physician and author of Hyannis Sea Captains. It is also an example of a Federal period Cape cottage with Queen Anne features. It was accepted 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 87000296, listed September 18, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 570 Main St., Barnstable |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | September 18, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000296 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Federal/Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; originally residential, now converted to commercial use. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 41.64995, -70.28956 (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 87000296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5036483
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.