Wilson, Capt. John, House and Bates Ship Chandlery
Also known as: Cohasset Historic Society Museum
Why it's listed
Two historic buildings share a lot at 4 Elm Street in the center of Cohasset, Massachusetts, and both now serve as museums. The Captain John Wilson House, built in 1810, is a 2½-story Federal-style wood-frame house with twin interior chimneys and a rear second-story addition of about 1830. Its first floor was reportedly used for commerce while the family lived upstairs. Wilson was a ship master who sailed fishing and trading schooners and made voyages to Spain, the Caribbean and France. Next door, the Bates Ship Chandlery dates most likely to the mid-18th century and was built by Samuel Bates as a supply store and office for his wharf and schooner fleet. It was moved to Elm Street in 1957 and restored. Its exposed post-and-beam frame and king-post roof trusses survive. It is described as the only known extant 18th-century structure built expressly as a chandlery in Massachusetts. The Wilson House was donated to the Cohasset Historical Society in 1936.
Significance in brief: The Bates Ship Chandlery is described as the last relatively unaltered structure from Cohasset's early commercial maritime era and the only known extant 18th-century building expressly built as a chandlery in Massachusetts. The Wilson House is a Federal-era house tied to a sea captain's career and to the later commercial evolution of the village center. It also became the first home of the Cohasset Historical Society and the town's first historical museum.
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 02001614, listed December 27, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 Elm St., Cohasset |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | December 27, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02001614 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Bates (Chandlery, most likely constructed by him); William Hamilton McGaw is named only as a later owner and contractor |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal; Colonial/Georgian |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Commerce, Maritime History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Both buildings are owned by the Cohasset Historical Society and used as museums; the Wilson House has interior deterioration from water and insect damage. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.23385, -70.80056 (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 02001614.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5036447
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.