Unique Homes MA

Original Cape Cod Houses in Massachusetts

The Cape Cod cottage — the most-imitated American house — originated on Cape Cod and the Massachusetts South Shore between 1700 and 1850. Authentic 18th- and early-19th-century Capes survive throughout the region.

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The Cape Cod cottage — the most-imitated American house — originated on Cape Cod and the Massachusetts South Shore between 1700 and 1850. Authentic 18th- and early-19th-century Capes survive throughout the region.
Photo: Swampyank at English Wikipedia · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
An original 18th-century Cape Cod cottage in Yarmouth
An original 18th-century Cape Cod cottage in Yarmouth Photo: Unknown photographer · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

What is a Cape?

The Cape is the small, steep-roofed cottage that became the most copied house in America. It started here, on the Massachusetts coast, around 1700. A true original Cape is roughly three hundred years old: a low, snug house built by hand around a great brick chimney to carry a family through a New England winter. Its close cousin, the saltbox, adds a long sloping roof over a rear lean-to. Most houses sold as “Cape Cod” today are 20th-century copies, so the real thing is rare.

Why it’s special

A Cape was built to last and built to grow. Many families started with half a house, then added on as they could afford it, so you can still read that story in old Capes: a wing here, a room there, each added a generation apart.

Half Cape, Three-Quarter Cape, and Full Cape — the three classical forms
Half Cape, Three-Quarter Cape, and Full Cape — the three classical forms Photo: Federal Home Loan Bank Board / NARA · Wikimedia Commons / National Archives · Public domain

At the center of every Cape is the chimney and its hearth. Before furnaces, the fireplace was the kitchen, the heat, and the gathering place, and the whole house still leans toward that warm middle. Wide pine floorboards, low beamed ceilings, and small wavy-glass windows are the marks of a home made one board at a time.

The massive central chimney anchoring the original Cape's plan
The massive central chimney anchoring the original Cape's plan Photo: Unknown / H. J. Burroughs Co. · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

What it’s like to live in one

Capes are cozy and intimate by design. Ceilings are low, rooms are modest, and the light is soft. The people who love them love exactly that: a house that feels gathered around you, full of character no new build can fake. They sit in some of the most walkable historic villages in the state. Cape Cod has the densest supply, in towns like Barnstable and Chatham, while the South Shore (Hingham, Cohasset) and Cape Ann have their own, often at higher prices. Going in, expect to update the heating, wiring, and plumbing, and to budget for the upkeep an old house asks for.

Is it the real thing?

True Capes are rare and the “Cape-style” look is everywhere, so the difference can mean a large premium on the same street. A genuine original is pre-1850, almost always older in eastern Massachusetts, with the central chimney and a handmade frame. A revival is 20th-century, usually with end chimneys or none. For a listing to be classified as an original Cape on this site, we require a build date before 1850 plus independent evidence: an “original” note in the listing, a historic-survey record, or an assessor record of pre-1850 construction.

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Common questions about Original Cape homes

How do you identify a Original Cape home?
  • One or 1.5 stories, never a full two
  • Steep gable roof running the length of the house
  • Large central chimney serving several fireplaces
  • Symmetrical (or half-symmetrical) front around a center door
  • Small, multi-pane windows
When were Original Cape homes built?

Original Cape homes were built during 1700–1850 (originals); revivals 1920+.

Where in Massachusetts are Original Cape homes found?
  • Cape Cod — Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Chatham, Brewster, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro
  • South Shore — Cohasset, Hingham, Plymouth, Marshfield, Duxbury, Scituate
  • Cape Ann — Rockport, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea
Who designed notable Original Cape homes in Massachusetts?
  • Anonymous master carpenter-builders working in vernacular New England traditions
  • Pattern-book influences appeared late (post-1830): Asher Benjamin's "The American Builder's Companion" (1806) influenced trim on later Capes
  • Royal Barry Wills (1895–1962) — not an original-Cape architect but the most influential Cape Cod revival designer; his work imitated and popularized the form

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Related styles

National Historic Landmark

Federally designated as nationally significant — the highest U.S. historic recognition. Section 106 review applies to federal undertakings affecting the property.

National Register

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Owners may qualify for the 20% federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit on certified rehabilitation work.

State Register

Listed on the Massachusetts State Register of Historic Places.

Local Historic District

Inside a Local Historic District. Exterior changes visible from a public way require approval from the local historic district commission.

Local Landmark

Individually designated by the town as a local landmark. Exterior alterations require commission approval.

MACRIS Inventory

Documented in MACRIS, the state historic inventory. Informational only — no regulatory constraints.

Article 85 (Boston)

Subject to Boston Article 85 demolition-delay review, which can pause demolition of buildings 50+ years old for up to 90 days.

Ch. 91 Waterways License

An active MassDEP permit for a dock, pier, seawall, or other structure on or over a Massachusetts waterway. Many older licenses are not digitized; this record is provided for reference only.

Massachusetts Great Pond

A Great Pond under M.G.L. Ch. 91 — the Commonwealth retains public rights to fish and navigate these state-designated waters. Private docks and other waterfront structures require a Waterways License from MassDEP.

Likely Great Pond

The MLS listing describes this property as being on a Great Pond, which would be a state-designated water body under M.G.L. Ch. 91. GIS data did not independently confirm the pond name — verification needed.