The Historic Core

The historic core is the walkable heart of the village and the most sought-after housing in it. On Main Street, Madison Street, Union Street, Howard Street, Hampton Street, and the lanes between them you will find Greek Revival and Federal houses from the whaling era, Victorians from the period after it, converted commercial buildings, and cottages on small lots, most of it inside the National Register historic district. What you buy is the walk: the harbor, the theater, the library, and dinner are all on foot. What you accept is a smaller lot, a stricter review process for exterior work, and summer foot traffic outside the door. Renovated village houses have commonly run from about $2.5 million to $6 million, with the best historic houses on larger village lots higher and unrenovated projects lower and fiercely competed for.