Wellfleet dates to 1763, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 94% of U.S. towns · #100 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
18 places in town are on the National Register, among them four historic districts with 207 buildings between them. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1887 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1797.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Wellfleet’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Wellfleet is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #100 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Wellfleet’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Wellfleet’s 520 sits above most of its state (92% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 229 historic buildings outnumber those of 94% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1763.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.2 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Wellfleet’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area was originally settled by Europeans in the 1650s as Billingsgate (after the famous fish market in East London). In 1717, the pirate Samuel Bellamy was sailing nearby when his ship, the Whydah, sank offshore, together with over 4.5 short tons (4.1 tonnes) of gold and silver and all but two of its 145 men. The wreck was discovered in 1984, the first of only two confirmed pirate shipwrecks ever to have been discovered.
Wellfleet was part of neighboring Eastham until 1763 when it achieved town status after nearly 30 years of petitioning. Wellfleet's oyster beds drove the early economy, as did whaling and fishing. The town was home to 30 whaling ships at the time of the American Revolution.
the opinion of said com., necessity and the safety of the town require, any three or more of said com. may go on board any of the said vessels of war with a flag, and there or in tho town of Wellfleet may adjust, settle, and determine on all demands or controversies that may take place between said vessels and the town of Wellfleet : and they may call in to their assistance any of the principal inhabitants of the said town ; or the said com. may request the selectmen to call a town meeting on whatever may
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1637-1686-18901890 · page 792Read the page →
Read the text
to the principal road through the town, and it is so designated by the present residents. It runs northerly into Truro, but is not as much used at the present day as the county road, laid out to Truro from the village of Wellfleet. The old road was used as the stage route from Eastham to Provincetown, and was the continuation of the county road of two centuries ago, as laid along the Cape in the early settlement of the town.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Barnstable County, Massachusetts, 1620-1637-1686-18901890 · page 971Read the page →
Read the text
In the meantime the railroad displaced the stage, for in 1S73 the extension of the Cape Cod railroad from Wellfleet afforded Provincetown the long coveted rapid transit by land. The town contributed largely to the attainment of the railway by subscribing $98,300 toward the stock issued for the extension, aud received in return 727 shares of the capital stock of the Old Colony Railroad Company, which were sold from time to time for $72,696.25. The railroad was opened for traffic July 22, 1873, and has proved, as had been anticipated, an im-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
In 1827, application was again made by sundry inhabitants to be set off to Wellfleet ; and, in 1828, sundry inhabitants applied to be set off, with their estates, to Provincetown. The town was also bereft of their minister, Nov. 23, Rev. Jude Damon.1 In 1829, Mr. Damon was succeeded in the pastorate by Rev. Stephen Bailey.2 In 1832, Mr. Bailey was succeeded by Rev. Silas Baker, who was ordained
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Wellfleet, 1730 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1763, according to Wikidata. Wellfleet’s post office opened in 1797, and the first U.S. census counted 1,117 people here in 1790.
How does Wellfleet rank for history?
Wellfleet is more historic than 94% of U.S. towns, #100 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Wellfleet?
18 listings: 13 buildings, 4 historic districts with 207 contributing buildings, and 1 site. 229 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Wellfleet?
14% of Wellfleet’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.2 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1975.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), Wikidata (7), the National Register of Historic Places (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1898
c. 1900
1903