476 Commercial St

Historic District Survey information for 476 Commercial St

Architectural Description: 476 Commercial St. is a 3-story, 5-bay, Second Empire-style dwelling; mansard roof is sheathed in clapboard on the lower mansard portion and asphalt shingles on the upper hipped portion, off-center interior brick chimney, shallow pedimented dormers; exterior is clad in clapboard siding on front facade and wood shingles on secondary facades; building sits on a brick foundation; fenestration includes 6/1 and 2/2 wood DHS, 6/2 wood DHS, 2/6 DHS; 2/1 replacement wood DHS; entrance is sheltered by a flat hood with bracketed eaves and is partially enclosed creating entry vestibule, enclosed vestibule portion has corner quoins; figurehead from stern of ship on roof of entrance; bracketed eaves; large end brackets; west facade has basement windows; rear ell has 1- and 2-story sections.

Historical Narrative: w 116 c1915 As per Mary Avellar (1977): This was the home of Captain Henry Cook, a member of the great Cook family that dominated the entire portion of this section of town. His residence was opposite the H.&>S> Cook pier which formed the eastern line of the "Cook Block" of business. The homes of all the Cook family were clustered in this area. The 1880 map shows the full complex of homes. Captain Sylvanus Cook's house next door at 472 Commercial (see No. 96-P) was another important Cook residence still standing and in excellent condition. The E. Kibby Cook house, later the home of Mary Heaton Vorse (see 94-P) is also still standing, although in poor condition. The "Cook" family amounted to a kind of empire dating from the early 18th century (see Bryant history) and dominating the whaling and fish wholesaling industry for the greater part of the 19th century. In later years the house became the residence of Abbie Putnam, Provincetown librarian extraordinaire who played the trumpet in her front yard when Eisenhower was elected President. As per Tom Boland (1994): "Shown on the 1836 map, the house is listed as being owned by H. (Henry) Cook in 1858. This ownership continued until at least 1880. The house stands opposite the site of the H & S Cook wharf which was owned by Captain Henry Cook. In 1901, the owner was Abbie Cook followed by A.L. Putnam in 1907. The Cooks were one of Provincetown's foremost seafaring families. They built massive fortunes in the whale trade and constructed several houses in this area of Commercial Street."

Bibliography and/or References: Barnstable County Atlas., 1880. Barnstable County Atlas., 1907. Cape Cod Directory, 1901. The Extremity of Cape Cod. Map, 1836. H.F. Wallings Co. Map of Provincetown Village. Atlas, 1858. Report of Town Officers. 1870, 1872. Provincetown. Resident Directory. W.F. Richardson & Co., 1886. Resident Directory. W.H. Hopkins, 1886. Vorse, Mary Heaton. Time and the Town.

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

 (Mass. Historical Commission Form B)