474 Commercial St

Historic District Survey information for 474 Commercial St

Architectural Description: 474 Commercial St. is a 1-1/2-story, 3-bay, Greek Revival-style sidehall cottage; gable-front roof is sheathed in asphalt shingles, shed dormer on side roof slope; exterior is clad in clapboard siding with wood trim; building sits on a brick foundation; fenestration includes 6/6 wood DHS with operable louvered shutters; sidehall entrance is accessed by a wood panel door, door surround includes entablature, pilasters and sidelights; Greek Revival details include partial cornice returns, trim around windows, door surround with entablature, pilasters and sidelights; front entrance details same as Cook Street entry; the partial facade 2nd-story porch wraps around the west side of the building; full facade 1-story deck; a lattice screen is located at each level, obscuring some of the features of the building; a window in the gable end has been converted to a door, which opens to the 2nd-story deck; west facade contains a 3/4 cottage that faces Cook Street with 6/6 DHS, operable louvered shutters, a deck wraps to front, a door surround with pilasters and large entablature, sidelights, panel door, large brick ridge chimney, address marked as 1 Cook Street, rear (north) facade contains a 1-story side-gable addition with skylights and steps/porch to double door entry facing Cook Street.

Historical Narrative: As per Mary Avellar (1976): "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 Comm (96-P) was another important Cook residence sill standing and in excellent condition. The E. Kibby Cook house, later the home of Mary Heaton Vorse (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's history) and dominating the whaling and fish wholesaling industry for the greater art of the 19th century. In later years this house became the residence of Abbie Putnam, Provincetown librarian extraordinaire who played the trumpet in her front yard when Eisenhower was elected President."

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

 (Mass. Historical Commission Form B)