Goodspeed House


The Goodspeed House is a historic house in Barnstable, Massachusetts. Built c. 1653, the 1-1/2 Cape style house is the oldest house in the Marstons Mills area of Barnstable, and is one of the oldest in the entire town. It is believed to have been built by Roger Goodspeed, Marstons Mills' first settler. The house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

Description and history

The Goodspeed House is set on the west side of River Road, just north of its junction with River Ridge Road. It is a 1-1/2 story wood frame structure, five asymmetrical bays in width, with a side gable roof and central chimney. Exterior trim is minimal, with simple surrounds around the windows, and a lintel shelf above the main entry. An ell extends to the rear of the house toward a barn.
The house is claimed to have been built by local settler Roger Goodspeed in about 1653, making it the oldest house in the village. The house remained in the hands of Goodspeed's descendants for five generations. Its asymmetrical facade suggests that it was at first built as a "half house", only three bays wide.