Paine Hollow Road South Historic District
Why it's listed
Paine Hollow Road South is a small residential district in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, where seven mid-19th-century houses and their outbuildings sit among trees along the road leading toward Blackfish Creek. Most are 1 1/2-story, gablefront dwellings in the Greek Revival or Cape Cod tradition, with sidehall plans, cornice returns, and clapboard or shingle siding. Many were built around 1850 for members of the Paine family, who worked as fishermen, mackerel captains, and fish inspectors connected to the local wharf. One house, the Whorf-Paine House of 1867, was built by Zoeth Sparrow, and another was moved to the road from across the creek in 1866. The district was recognized for its architecture and for what it shows about the community's development, with family ties and shared stylistic details giving the group its unity. The form also points to a high likelihood of archaeological remains, including earlier house sites and privies and wells.
Significance in brief: The district is significant under Criteria A and C for architecture and community development. Its Cape Cod and Greek Revival houses share stylistic details and were built by related Paine family members, many of them fishermen and mariners tied to Blackfish Creek. The form also notes a high potential for prehistoric and historic archaeological resources.
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 98000540, listed May 20, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly along Paine Hollow Rd., and Raywid Way, Wellfleet |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | May 20, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000540 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1834-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Zoeth Sparrow; Eldad Hopkins |
| Architectural style | Early 19th century; Cape Cod; Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current use is domestic, single dwellings and secondary structures. Some houses have later additions and alterations, and several late 20th-century outbuildings are noncontributing. |
| Acreage | 13 |
| Coordinates | 41.91421, -70.00618 (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 98000540.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7124866
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.