The Herman Isham House is a historic house located in the Osterville area of Barnstable, Massachusetts.

Herman Isham House
Herman Isham House
Herman Isham House is located in Cape Cod
Herman Isham House
Herman Isham House is located in Massachusetts
Herman Isham House
Herman Isham House is located in the United States
Herman Isham House
Location1340 Main Street,
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Coordinates41°38′27″N 70°23′34″W / 41.64083°N 70.39278°W / 41.64083; -70.39278
Area57 acres (23 ha)
Built1747
Architectural styleGeorgian
MPSBarnstable MRA
NRHP reference No.87000295[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 13, 1987

Description and history

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The 1+12-story Cape house was built c. 1747, and is a well-preserved example of a Georgian cottage. It is five bays wide, with a detail central entry flanked by heavy pilasters and topped by a transom and console. The house was probably built by Samuel Isham, whose grandson sold it to Seth Weeks in 1841. Weeks was the last survivor of the famous whaler Essex, which a sperm whale rammed and sank. Herman Melville immortalized the story in his book Moby-Dick.[2]

The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1987.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "MACRIS inventory record for Herman Isham House". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-04-30.