53 Bradford Street

At the Race Run Sporting Center, housed in this modest structure (c1940), “you could rent a bike, fix a flat, buy a hook and the bait to put on it, as well as get advice on where the bass and blues were running on any given day,” Susan Leonard said. The proprietors were Joseph Smith and his wife, Marilyn Smith. More recently, before moving to the old Eastern School, ArtStrand was here.

54 Bradford Street

Shank Painter Condominium

The Shank Painter Condominium, as its name suggests, is oriented largely to Shank Painter Road, though it has the street address 54 Bradford Street. A small cottage colony has stood here since 1940. In the 1960s, was known as the Brown Cottages, which were evidently superintended by Clayton F. Enos (b 1927). A 1965 narcotics raid on the cottages netted 11 young men and women, one of whom was charged with “lewd and lascivious cohabitation.” Seventeen condo units were listed on this lot in 2008. In the late 1950s, a photo studio called Candids by Carter did business at 54 Bradford Street. The longtime commercial tenant of recent years is Salon 54. [Updated 2012-05-14]

67 Bradford Street

9 Court Street, the Captain’s House of the Brass Key Guesthouse, 67 Bradford Street, by David W. Dunlap (2011).

The deluxe Brass Key Guesthouse has grown by accretion into a large compound. The expansion was the work of Michael MacIntyre and his husband, Bob Anderson, who died in 2004. They also refurbished Land’s End Inn. Thomas Walter, Kenneth Masi, and David Sanford, the owners of Crowne Pointe, acquired the property in 2007. It includes:

8 Carver Street, the Queen Anne House of the Brass Key Guesthouse, by David W. Dunlap (2008).

¶ The Queen Anne House, 8 Carver Street. This eclectic confection was the Cottage Inn in the 19th century. It was later home to Moses Nickerson Gifford, president of the First National Bank and son of James Gifford, namesake of the hotel up the street. Andrew Turocy III bought the house in 1981 and operated it as Roomers.

10 Carver Street, the Victorian House of the Brass Key Guesthouse, by David W. Dunlap (2014).

¶ The Victorian House, 10 Carver Street, was built around 1865 in Second Empire style. It belonged to William Henry Young, the first president of the Provincetown Art Association and founder of what is now the Benson Young & Downs Insurance Agency. His wife, Anna (Hughes) Young, was a founder of the Research Club. It is for their son, Lewis A. Young, who died in World War I, that the Veterans of Foreign Wars post was named. Subsequent owners included Arthur and Martha (Alves) Roderick, who raised four children here before selling it in 1978.

¶ The Gatehouse and Shipwreck Lounge, 12 Carver Street, was home in the 1960s to Joseph and Virginia (Souza) Lewis, proprietors of the Pilgrim House. Lewis was a founder of the Portuguese-American Civic League. This building and 10 Carver were known together in the 1970s and ’80s as Haven House, run by Don Robertson.

Gus McCleod at George’s Inn, by David Jarrett (1971).

¶ The Captain’s House, 9 Court Street, was built in 1830 in the Federal style and is the most imposing building in the complex. It played an important role in the development of the gay and lesbian business community as George’s Inn, opened in 1964 by George Littrell. In the late ‘70s, it explicitly sought gay patrons only. Littrell was an early leader in the Provincetown Business Guild; in effect, the gay Chamber of Commerce. The inn closed in 1982. Littrell died in 2000.

67 Bradford Street

Brass Key Guesthouse

The deluxe Brass Key Guesthouse has 42 rooms and multiple entries, since it’s grown by accretion into a large compound. The expansion was the work of Michael MacIntyre and his husband, Bob Anderson, who died in 2004. (They also refurbished Land’s End Inn at 22 Commercial Street.) Thomas Walter, Kenneth Masi and David Sanford, the owners of Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa, acquired the property in 2007.

68 Bradford Street

Carl’s Guest House

Carl’s Guest House occupies a structure that was built between 1840 and 1860. It was known as the Ocean Breeze Guest House in the 1950s, but later returned to private use. Carl Gregor reopened the house to the public, with 14 guest rooms, on 14 July 1975. He still runs it, extending a special welcome to guests who are “gentler, friendly, easy going.” On town records, it carries the address of 17 Court Street. • Historic District Survey • Assessor’s Online Database ¶ Updated 2012-11-28

70 Bradford Street

Bradford-Carver House

Captain Joseph Enos ran the Bradford Market in this house (c1850) in the 1940s. Twenty years later, it was the home of Irving T. McDonald, author of a trilogy of books on life at Holy Cross College, broadcast on WEEI radio in Boston. He also taught a “Communist Conspiracy” course at Provincetown High School. Formerly Steele’s Guest House, it is now the Bradford-Carver House, with six rooms.

70 Bradford Street

70 Bradford Street, the Bradford-Carver House, by David W. Dunlap (2014).

Capt. Joseph Enos ran the Bradford Market in this mid-19th-century house in the 1940s. Twenty years later, it was the home of Irving McDonald, who wrote three novels, intended for Catholic boys, that charted the adventures of Andy Carroll at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He taught a “Communist Conspiracy” course at P.H.S. The property was later Steele’s Guest House and is now the Bradford-Carver House, operated by Kenneth Nelson.

72-82 Bradford Street

70-82 Bradford Street, Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa, by David W. Dunlap (2014).

The Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa occupies a commanding spot in what appears to be giddy Queen Anne style, though the turret is actually a much later addition. Known in the 1950s as Lynn House and in the ’80s as the Dusty Miller Inn, it was reopened in 1999 and is owned by the proprietors of the Brass Key: Thomas Walter, Kenneth Masi, and David Sanford. The Crowne Pointe, too, is a compound: the Mansion, 82 Bradford; the Abbey and Garden Residence, 80 Bradford (formerly the Sea Drift Inn); the Wellness Spa, 78 Bradford; and the Captain’s House, 4 Prince Street.

78-82 Bradford Street

Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa

The 40-room Crowne Pointe Historic Inn and Spa, known in the 50s as Lynn House and in the 80s as the Dusty Miller Inn, occupies a commanding spot with great, giddy Queen Anne style. Opened in 1999 and owned by the proprietors of the Brass Key — Thomas Walter, Kenneth Masi and David Sanford — it, too, is a compound: the turreted Mansion (c1870/80) at 82 Bradford; the Abbey and Garden Residence at 80 Bradford (once home to the town librarian, Penelope V. Kern and, for a time, the Sea Drift Inn); the Wellness Spa at 78 Bradford; and the Captain’s House at 4 Prince Street. It includes the Bistro at Crowne Pointe restaurant. ¶ Posted 2011-05-07

83 Bradford Street

† 84 Bradford Street

 

While searching for a place to park, have you ever wondered for whom the Grace Hall Parking Lot was named? Or supposed that Grace Hall was a building that once stood at Prince and Bradford, with some connection to St. Peter’s? (Or do you confine yourself to wondering why it’s so hard to find a parking space?) In any case, Mrs. Hall (±1867-1948) was a founding member of the Research Club, progenitor of the Provincetown Museum, which was born here in 1910.

85 Bradford Street

E. Jane Adams (d 2005) picked up her lessons in running a rooming house from her mother, Christine Cabral, who ran Christine’s Lodge. Here, at 85 Bradford Street, she was the proprietor of Adams’ Rooms. She was also known for her hooked rugs, her beach plum jelly and, The Banner said, a “famous chocolate cake that was in demand at many bake sales.”

87 Bradford Street

88 Bradford Street

Gull Cottage

89 Bradford Street

Grace Gouveia and Mary Goveia, 89 Bradford Street, courtesy of Susan Leonard.

Grace Gouveia, pictured at No. 89 with her mother, Mary Goveia, was born in Olhao, Portugal. Her father, Charles, was a Grand Banks fisherman. She recalled: “My mother would get word that the vessel was sighted off the back side, and without stopping for anything, she’d grab me by the hand, and take me down to the beach, where other women were gathered. They waited in silence … to see if the boat was coming in at half-mast. Once they saw it was not half-masted they knelt and blessed themselves, and went home to prepare for their men. If the ship came in at half-mast, as it often did, there was weeping and wringing of hands, and prayers were offered.” Gouveia taught for 27 years, joined the Peace Corps, and helped establish the Council on Aging, which was housed until recently in the Grace Gouveia Building. The house was built in 1847.

89 Bradford Street

 
Sundeck Condominium
(Includes 10 and 12 Masonic Place)

The old Gouveia home at 89 Bradford Street is the centerpiece of this complex, multilevel condominium whose several entrances conform to the abrupt grade change at Bradford and Masonic Place; a change so steep that it is closed to vehicles, but open to pedestrians over a short flight of steps. It’s almost impossible to tell from the street that the Gouveia house is connected with 12 Masonic Place and 10 Masonic Place (known as Tower House). In the hearts of longtime residents, though, No. 89 is a cherished landmark as the home of Graciette “Grace” Leocadia (Gouveia) Collinson (±1910-1998), a teacher and community organizer whose memory is honored at the municipal Grace Gouveia Building, 26 Alden Street.

90 Bradford Street

90 Bradford Street, the Fairbanks Inn, by David W. Dunlap (2008).

Other inns may come across like museums, but Eben House actually was one. The Federal-style, brick-sided home was built in 1776 by Capt. Eben Snow. It was purchased in 1826 by David Fairbanks, a founder of the Seamen’s Bank, and in 1865 by a tin merchant, Charles Baxter Snow Sr., and his wife, Anna (Lancy) Snow. It passed to their daughter, Gertrude (Snow) DeWager, and her husband, Dr. E. A. DeWager, staying in the family until 1953. Stan Sorrentino, the owner of the Crown & Anchor and a collector of American folk art, reopened it in 1975 as the David Fairbanks House, filled with more than 1,000 examples of antique folk art. From 1985 to 2014, it was the Fairbanks Inn, run by Alicia Mickenberg and Kathleen Fitzgerald. At press time, it is being transformed into a luxury property by Kevin O’Shea and David Bowd of the Salt House Inn, renamed in its builder’s honor.

90 Bradford Street

Fairbanks Inn

Other inns may come across like museums, but this actually was one. The Federal-style house was built in 1776 by a sea captain, Eban Snow. It was purchased in 1826 by David Fairbanks, a founder of the Seamen’s Savings Bank, and in 1865 by a tin merchant, Charles Baxter Snow Sr., and his wife, Anna (Lancy) Snow.

91 Bradford Street

95 Bradford Street

This was that increasingly rare thing: a plain old house (1836/58) in a conspicuous part of town. David “Dixie” Federico — the longtime manager of the Post Office Café, a founder of Sisters in the Name of Love and two-time Selectman candidate — died here in 2008, after which it underwent a troubled renovation.

† 96 Bradford Street

Marine Hall

Village Hall was built in 1832 as a secular meeting place, but was renamed Marine Hall after Marine Lodge No. 96 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was chartered here in 1845. They bought the building the next year. The Masons met here from 1845 to 1870 and the structure also served as Mrs. Stearns’s private school. In 1870, John Atwood Jr. convened a meeting to organize the Board of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce). In 1886, The Provincetown Advocate began printing here on steam-driven presses. The Odd Fellows built a new headquarters next door in 1895. After the 1950s, Marine Hall was demolished and replaced by a parking lot.

94 Bradford Street

94 Bradford Street, Marine Hall, courtesy of Salvador R. Vasques III (ca 1929).

Village Hall was built in 1832 as a secular meeting place. It was renamed Marine Hall after Marine Lodge No. 96 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was chartered here in 1845. They bought the building the next year. The Masons also gathered here. The first meeting of the Board of Trade (now the Chamber of Commerce) was convened here in 1870 by John Atwood Jr. In 1886, The Advocate began printing here on steam-driven presses. The Odd Fellows built a new headquarters next door in 1895, after which this served as a Christian Science Church. It was demolished decades ago. The graves of Odd Fellows are often carved with three links, for friendship, love, and truth.

96 Bradford Street

 
AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod

Within 14 years of its first appearance in Provincetown in 1982, AIDS had claimed more than 385 lives — one-tenth of the town’s permanent population — Jeanne Braham and Pamela Peterson wrote in Starry, Starry Night. To the extent that patients, survivors and caregivers formed their own cohort, it’s fitting that they should have situated one of their oases in an old fraternal hall. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows dedicated the Queen Anne-style Odd Fellows Hall on Oct. 15, 1895.

96-98 Bradford Street

96-98 Bradford Street, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod, by David W. Dunlap (2008).

Detail of Provincetown AIDS Support Group sign, 96-98 Bradford Street, courtesy of Bill Furdon.

Less than a decade and a half after its first appearance in town in 1982, AIDS had claimed more than 385 lives, one-tenth of the permanent population, Jeanne Braham and Pamela Peterson wrote in Starry, Starry Night. By then, the Provincetown AIDS Support Group had established its front-line quarters in the Queen Anne-style Odd Fellows Hall, used from 1895 to 1955 by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, one of whose missions was visiting and caring for the sick. PASG was founded in 1983 by Alice Foley, the town nurse; Preston Babbitt, proprietor of the Rose & Crown; and others. Its services include case management, transportation assistance, food and nutrition programs, H.I.V. prevention and screening, and housing. By merger in 2001, it became the AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod. Foley died in 2009; Babbitt in 1990, of AIDS.

97 Bradford Street

97 Bradford Street, Romeo’s Holiday, by David W. Dunlap (2009).

97 Bradford Street, Romeo’s Holiday, by David W. Dunlap (2009).

With its pink facade, the eight-room Romeo’s Holiday guest house is easy enough to see from across the street. But it’s worth getting closer to inspect the Ken and Barbie poolside tableaux, staged with dolls around a goldfish pond in the sliver of a front yard. The house was built in the mid-19th century. Stan Klein, the proprietor, said there was once an after-hours club on the property in which Judy Garland “delighted her followers” and that the building had been a guest house at least since the mid-1970s, known for a time as Pete’s Buoy.

97 Bradford Street

Romeo’s Holiday

With its pink facade, the eight-room Romeo’s Holiday guest house (c1850) sticks out, even at a great distance. But it’s worth getting closer to see the Ken and Barbie poolside tableaux, staged with dolls around a goldfish pond in the sliver of a front yard.