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The Town Hall Square Historic District is a 
The Town Hall Square area of Sandwich has been an important civic location since the town was established in 1637. Early in its history the dike was built which impounds Shawme Pond, and a grist mill was established there. It remained an agrarian community, due in part to the lack of a good harbor, until 1825, when glassmaking began to develop as an industry. Two important civic buildings, the town hall, and the First Church of Christ, were built in 1837 and 1847, during this period of prosperity, but many older buildings including several
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from c ...
encompassing the center of Sandwich, Massachusetts
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, and is the oldest town on Cape Cod. The town motto is ''Post tot Naufracia Portus'', "after so many shipwrecks, a haven". The population was 20,259 at the 2020 census.
History
Cape Cod wa ...
. The original district was visually centered on Sandwich Town Hall, Shawme Pond, and the reconstructed Dexter Grist Mill. When first listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1975, it was roughly bounded by Main, Grove, Water Sts., and Tupper Rd. from Beale Ave. to MA 6A. In 2010 the district was expanded, adding another and more than 150 contributing resources.
The Town Hall Square area of Sandwich has been an important civic location since the town was established in 1637. Early in its history the dike was built which impounds Shawme Pond, and a grist mill was established there. It remained an agrarian community, due in part to the lack of a good harbor, until 1825, when glassmaking began to develop as an industry. Two important civic buildings, the town hall, and the First Church of Christ, were built in 1837 and 1847, during this period of prosperity, but many older buildings including several First Period
First Period is an American architecture style in the time period between approximately 1626 and 1725, used by British colonists during the earliest English settlements in United States, particularly in Massachusetts and Virginia and later in ...
houses from the 17th century, also survive in the area. Most of the properties in the district were built after American independence and before 1850.
The expanded district also includes a number of houses from the second half of the 19th century, including several Queen Anne and Shingle style homes. There are four cemeteries in the district, including the original burying ground, whose oldest grave dates to 1663. There are four churches and two schools in the district, including the 1928 Henry T. Wing School at 35 Water Street, which is the largest building in the district.
See also
*National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
__NOTOC__
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Barnstable County, Massachusetts.
This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Barnstable C ...
References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Historic districts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Sandwich, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts