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Townsend House
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Townsend House

Also known as Bittersweet

On the National Register since 199828 years
Early 19th CenturyListed 1998Wellfleet
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Townsend House

Townsend House, at 290 Paine Hollow Rd., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, 1998. It was among the first 9 of Wellfleet’s 18 listings, with two others the same day. The Register lists it for its architecture, at the local level. It describes its style as Early 19th Century, as it does for 3 other Massachusetts listings. Two more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isHistoric house in Massachusetts, United States. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 100 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1804 to today

  1. 1804Built
  2. 1998Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 28 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 4 landmarks in about 15 minutes

290 Paine Hollow Rd., Wellfleet · about 0.5 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Townsend HouseStart here
  2. 2Saunders-Paine HouseEarly 19th Century · next door
  3. 3Paine Hollow Road South Historic DistrictEarly 19th Century · 0.2 mi on
  4. 4Hinckley's Corner Historic DistrictEarly 19th Century · 0.3 mi on
Around it

3 more Register listings within 2 miles

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BPond Hill SchoolMid-19th Century · Built 18570.7 miSMarconi Wireless Station SiteBuilt 19012 miDWellfleet Center Historic DistrictColonial2 mi
More like it

Early 19th Century style, nearby

Other National Register listings within 25 miles described as Early 19th Century.

Saunders-Paine House0.1 mi away
Paine Hollow Road South Historic District0.2 mi away
Hinckley's Corner Historic District0.5 mi away

Memories of Townsend House

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

Town Square →
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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Townsend House

Is Townsend House on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on May 20, 1998 (Register number 98000542).

Is Townsend House a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Louis Brandeis House, 16.6 miles away.

Can you visit Townsend House?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Townsend House?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 100 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 63793944 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.