637 Commercial St

Historic District Survey information for 637 Commercial St

Architectural Description: Address is 637 Commercial Street in the field; 637 Commercial St. is a 1-1/2-story, 4-bay dwelling; side-gable roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles; large shed dormer with paired windows; interior brick chimney; exterior is clad in wood shingles with wood trim; fenestration includes 6/1 wood DHS windows and fanlight in gable end; primary entrance is accessed by a wood pane-and-panel door; entrance on side facade contains original arched wood panel door sheltered by a gable-roof porch hood with Doric supports and wood shingle siding.

Historical Narrative: As per Mary Avellar (1976): "For nearly forty years, the house at 645 Commercial was the summer residence of Hudson D. Walker, a nationally known patron of the arts, art collector and gallery owner who was at one time President of the American Federation of the Arts, and for several years President of the Provincetown Art Association. One of the founders of the Fine Arts Work Center, he devoted his last years to this fledgling organization, which named its exhibition gallery in his honor." Per local resident, hyphen built to connect two houses added in 1930s. Family lived in 635 Commercial Street and 637 Commercial Street was an in-law house where they also ate meals. Currently a wall separates the hyphen and the dwellings.

Bibliography and/or References: Fine Arts Work Center Newsletter Nov. 1976.

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Commercial Street (Provincetown, Mass.), Dwellings, and Historic Districts--Massachusetts--Provincetown

 (Mass. Historical Commission Form B)