253A Commercial St

Historic District Survey information for 253A Commercial St

Architectural Description: 253A Commercial St. is a 1-story, 3-bay, astylistic shed converted to commercial use; flat roof has a built-up roof surface; exterior is clad in wood shingles with wood corner boards and trim; building sits on a wood foundation; fenestration includes 6/6 wood DHS windows, 2/2 wood DHS, 36-pane wood picture window flanked by 4/4 wood DHS; primary entrance is accessed by paired wood pane-and-panel doors.

Historical Narrative: "This property is very important from many aspects of community development. As indicated above, the original building was the ship's chandlers of Captain Charles Cook's wharf and is typical of many wharf buildings of that period. It is similar in dimension to the old Trap Shed, for instance, on Cold Storage wharf, demolished two years ago. Subsequent uses of the building were a boat building workshop in which the famous Race Point surfboat was originally built by Charles Gardner. The designer of this boat was George Bickers, father of Arthur Bickers who was, for many years, the curator of the Pilgrim Monument Museum and formerly of the Historical Museum on Commercial St. (see newspaper clipping, Aug. 21, 1969, Appendix Newspaper File). George Bickers was chief of the Wood End Coast Guard Station for thirty years. In 1924 Ross Moffett and Heinrich Pfeiffer began a school of painting in the building called "The Panting School" which continued for a limited period of time. The property passed to the Provincetown Playhouse from Heinrich Pfeiffer about 1940. The three persons who began the original Playhouse company at he time were: Catherine Huntington, Virginia Thoms, and Edwin Petit. Because of the varied aspects of community life that this building represents and the ongoing theater tradition which the company has carried on since the traditional was made famous by the plays of Eugene O'Neill this building is worthy of Landmark status." The associated Playhouse Theater burned down in 1977.

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

 (Mass. Historical Commission Form B)