78 River St MACRIS 2018Massachusetts Cultural Resource information System
Scanned Record Cover Rage
Inventory No: YAR.331
Historic Name:
Common Name:
Address: 78 River St
City/Town: Yarmouth
Village/Neighborhood: South Yarmouth Village; Bass River
Local No:
352
Year Constructed:
c 1770
Architect(s):
Architectural Style(s):
Colonial
Use(s):
General Retail Store; Post Office; Secondary Dwelling
House; Single Family Dwelling House
Significance:
Architecture; Recreation
Area(s):
YAR. H: South Yarmouth - Bass River Historic District
Designation(s):
Nat'l Register District (05/2911990)
Building Materials(s):
Wall: Wood; Wood Clapboard
Foundation: Brick
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This file was accessed on: Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 12:23 PM
FORM B - BUILDING
MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION
Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston
4. Map. Draw sketch of building location
in relation to nearest cross streets and
other buildings. Indicate north.
/ K,
ltb0 t�
N@
IV
rot
ary
R
i
V
e
r
S
t
r
e
e
t
Willow Street
T (Seven
Chimneys
L
Private drive
In Area no. Form no.
33!
Yarmouth
own (Bass River)
78 River Street
ddress
me
sent use Summer residence
esent owner John Douglas Clark
scription.
to c. 1770
Source Sight
le Georgian
Architect
Painted red
Exterior wall fabric clapboard
Outbuildings (describe)
Cape type struct. w/
Other features door to extreme side
of 3 windows in front face. Morti
tenon const. --brick found. and 9/
windows; w/ adjacent smaller wins
on gable ends. Front windows sit
Continu
Altered X Date ously
Prior t
Moved X Date 1880
5. Lot size..
One acre or less X Over one acre
Approximate frontage 30'
Approximate distance of building from stree
30,
6. Recorded by Don Elrick
Yarmouth Historical
Organization Survey
Date January 1980
* well below cornice and main house
(over)appears wider than typical Cape. There
a large l story extension leading to 2
small additio~+s, one also w/ chimney.
7. Original owner (if known)
Original use
Post office and creneral store, mics 19t�li centu.
Subsequent uses (if any) and dates su imer residence after 20th century
8. Themes (check as many as applicable)
Aboriginal
Conservation
Recreation
Agricultural
Education
Religion
Architectural
X Exploration/
Science/
The Arts
settlement
invention
Commerce
_X Industry
Social/
Communication
X Military
humanitarian
Community development
X Political
Transportation
9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above)
Although the exact date and original spot from, which it came are not
known it is thought that this old red house was moved to its present site
sometime after the mid 19th century. The property on which it now sits
was owned, in 18581 by Joseph B. Honer and there is a house depicted on
the map of that _near. However, between that date and 1350 the Brown
family, represented by a Mrs. Brown on the Barnstable Atlas, acquired
the property and held on.
This Mrs. Brown was the wife of William Henry Brown who died in 1874 and
it is probably in this house that the couple raised their family. Their
children included William Jr., Allen, Alfred and John Picket
The last sore, John Pickett, seems to have been the one to inherit the
house from his widowed mother who in turn had obtained ownershiv via
William Henry's will. The will signed with a very shake hand gave the
wire, whom he obviously respected, full control of the estate.
Son John Pickett became :postmaster and harbormaster and it �•ias during
his tenure that this house served as the post office for the Lower Villacr
Captain John ( for he was also the master of the tow boat "Blue Jay") died
in 1935, but his house, with all its numerous additions, continued as it
had for all of the last two centuries.
Where it came from, when and who moved it may never be known, but the
house has enough history at its present site to interest us.
10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records,
early maps, etc.)
A. 1658 Tri County Map, Walling, Boston
B. 1.880 and 1907 Atlases of Barnstable County, Walker, Boston
C. Probate of William Henry Brown
D. "Yarmouth Vital Records', Society of Mayflower Descendants, .-Marwick,
Rhode island, 1975
E. Robert Philla of 87 River Street, Bass River