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Home My WebLink About205 Old Main Street MACRISMassachusetts Cultural Resource Information System Scanned Record Cover Rage Inventory No: YAR.397 Historic Name: Baker, Amos House Common Name; Baker, Maj. Dimmick House Address: 205 Old Main St CityfTown: Yarmouth Village/Neighborhood: South Yarmouth Village; Bass River Local No: 285 Year Constructed: c 1790 Architect(s): Architectural Style(s): No style t.lse(s): Multiple Family Dwelling House; Other Religious; Single Family Dwelling House; Speciality store Significance: Architecture Area(s): YAR.H: South Yarmouth - Bass River Historic District Designation(s): Nat'l Register District (0512911990) Building Materials(s): Wall: Wood; Wood Shingle -,S t iv, 3 The Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) has converted this paper record to digital format as part of ongoing projects to scan records of the Inventory of Historic Assets of the Commonwealth and National Register of Historic Places nominations for Massachusetts. 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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 www.sec.state.ma.us/mhc This file was accessed on: Tuesday, November 7, 2017 at 9:52: AM FORM B- BUILDING ,r In Area no. Form no. -1 "2e-5— MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston Yarmouth wn (cuss Tiver ) dress 211 main Street e me Major Di-mmick Baker House resent use Thrift shod and offices "^ Saint David's Episcopal Church esent owner Saint David's ` �l ` � scripti �•• �� to c • Source Oral, deems, vital ords Ie Georgian 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location Architect in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Exterior wail fabric '"Q°d 'Mies Pond Street: xi a i n S t r e t Crosby Street R Fontneau toad over Outbuildings (describe) Full Cape House type w/ Other features mortise -tenon construc- tion.. Main section has central chimney and 3 story side addition also w/ chimney.. Where is also a small sumiter kitchen type extension towards Main Street. The building Altered_ extensively Date_ Moved Date 5, Lot size-, one acre or less " 0-er one acre Approximate frontage so, Approximate distance of building from street 5 1' 6. Recorded by Don Elric'k Yarmouth Historical Organization Date;ro_=, em�;er-_l 7L1 * faces South, away from Main Street ndicatin;� original p,,)sitionii orior to the road's: e'Xistence 7. original owner (if known) Antos Balker Original use Homestead Antique shop 1940's, two fannily. dwelling befo Subsequent uses (if any) and dates a after 40's and until 1960' church welfa e and rehab center 1970's, thrift shop presently. 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal X Conservation Recreation Agricultural Education Religion Architectural 1 Exploration/ Science/ The Arts settlement 1, ._ invention Commerce Industry Social/ Communication Military humanitarian Community development; Political Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) For years this house has been known as the .Major Dimmick :faker house, and for years no one including its owners have seemed to know why. During - the forties when the place was used as an antique shop, the ente.rnrise t:oQ�,:the above name for its own. Since then, people have used the name, not --knowing from whence it came or whether or not "Major" was a gi-tsen name of a military rank. Until now the facts were not in and the name and the house were only are interesting query. Taking the area nags, vital statistics and deed research together, the truth is finally known; or known as well as an ancient house will allow. it seems, first of all, that this house carte into existence about the time that earlier inquirers have noted. Prior to its Probable construction date of c. 1790, the lard on which it sits belonged to the last retnaininq, smallpox. ridden Indians of Yarmouth, ( see form 4 158) ,. When the land was usurped by the town about that time, people began to move into this area now knot4n as Bass river. one of the earliest was Amos Baker who was re- sponsibl.e, in this researcher's opinion, for the construction of, ( or movement to the land). of this house. Antos Balker was worn in 1750 and married to Acme Coleman of Nantucket 16y 1786. it is thought by some who rely on oral tradition alone that this house may have cote from Nantucket along with Amos' bride. If this is the case then it is older than 1790 and ma,r be even earlier than 1750. What -ever the case we can only pick up the trail from its present site which has served well enough for nearly 20€1 years. Amos and his fir.Tile on!-., hRd two `,Tgars of marriage, or ee _� ,n less, 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as ocal histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc,) A. 1S50 Tri-County Man, George Walling, Boston B. 1880 and 1907 Atlases of Barnstable County, Boston C. Saint David's Episcopal Church of South Yarmouth D. Deed Boot;.- 153 , p. 352 E. Yarmouth Vital Records, Warwick, Rhode Island, 1975 INVENTORY FORM CONTINU`TON SHEET MRSSA USETTS HI STORI CAL C AISSION Office of the Secretary, B.—con Com nMity Fora No: Soak-. Yarmouth (Bf , River) -2a5 Property Name :Major Dimm i ck Baker House Indicate each item on inventory farm which is being continued below. before she died. This did not stop Amos however, who by 1788 had already had his first child by his second marriage. in 1000 another child is born, Major Dimmick Baker. Why anyone would name their child with that given namd1is unknown, but according to "Vitals" it happened. By about 1050 Major Baker had acquired the property from his old dead father and continued to hold it until 1823 when, for, "consideration_ of two dollars a year for the rest of his natural life", he sold it to Russell D. Farris, (see form 4 243). By that time Farris was 55 and six gears later his son William R. Farris took ownership. William R. , (unfortunately for bi s heirs), defaulted on a loan and Bass River Savings Bank took possession in 1901. Since teen the house has seen numerous owners and additions. Twelve gears a7o the St. David's Episcopal Church bought it and renamed it the "mission House". Their uses for the building have been very good. beginning with a two family welfare house, contin- vin_g with a highly successful drug rehab renter and present1v running a thrift shop. one final note should be mentioned, for it has raised speculation. it seems that some 'relieve that originally the road, now 'lain Street ran along the front of the house and was changed later on to its present course as it is laved out today. Perhaps because the front of the house, facing South, is away from the road, false oral tradition may have put the above idea in peoples Minds. But as is common to all older houses, facing South wouldv have been the prop_ er direction to save heat and decrease northern weather. Additional information acquired after the fact, indicates that while this house was owned by Major Baker, (during the year of 1840 to be specific), the town of Yarmouth paid, said Baker, $100.00 for keeping of the alas house. Considering this and also that the house was used later, at different dates, in numerous welfare type capacities, points out that through the continuous history of Bass River there has been help for lost and poor here on Main Street, at the village's heart. Staple to Inventory form at bottom