Port Royal House
Also known as: Nickerson Homestead
Why it's listed
Port Royal House is a two-story wood-frame residence at 606 Main Street in Chatham, built in 1863 in the Tuscan Villa style. It sits on its original site, set back from the street on three low terraces, overlooking a busy intersection and Veterans Park. The flat roof, full-length front veranda, heavy horizontal trim and carved paired brackets give it a strong horizontal character. Inside, inlaid floors, graining, tin ceilings and a dumbwaiter survive. Sea captain Seth Eldridge had it built after admiring a house in Port Royal, Jamaica, and obtaining its plans. In 1872 Emma Nickerson bought it from his estate, and the Nickerson family, local merchants, have owned it since. After an 1877 storm eroded the shore near the Twin Lights, much of Chatham's center shifted to the Main Street area where the house stands. It was listed for its association with notable families and as a well-preserved regional example of its style, one that has changed little in over a century.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a remarkably intact representation of Cape Cod's nineteenth-century maritime prosperity. It is associated with several distinguished families and is one of the clearest examples of the Tuscan Villa style on Cape Cod. It was nominated under criteria 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 82004943, listed April 15, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 606 Main St., Chatham |
|---|---|
| County | Barnstable County |
| Listed | April 15, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82004943 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1863 |
| Architectural style | Tuscan Villa |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed in excellent condition, occupied as a private residence, with some alterations noted; original porch and roof balustrades and a balustraded fence have been destroyed. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.68236, -69.95956 (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 82004943.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7230905
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.