A Provincetown Icon, Two Centuries In The Making

A Provincetown icon. Two centuries of art, history, and extraordinary design. Featured in ELLE DECOR, 72A Commercial Street is a single family home that presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to own one of Provincetown’s most distinctive and storied properties. Originally built around 1800 as the workshop of noted shipbuilder Sol Nickerson, the historic structure evolved over the next two centuries from workshop to artist’s studio to an extraordinary private residence, its history intertwined with Provincetown’s own evolution from seafaring village to legendary artists’ colony. Set back off Commercial Street’s west end along one of Provincetown’s rare grass lanes, the setting feels almost impossibly romantic. The house and its spectacular garden have become among the most photographed and painted scenes in Provincetown, appearing in artwork throughout town and even serving as the backdrop for a Gucci campaign. Beyond the gate, layers of flowers and greenery provide color through every season, enveloping the house in a private, ever changing fairy tale setting just steps from the waterfront, restaurants, shops, and galleries. The home has been completely and meticulously overhauled, marrying its historic soul with the comforts of modern living. The structure was raised three feet and placed on an entirely new foundation, with all new systems and central heating and air conditioning. A private rear patio surrounded by additional gardens extends the living outdoors, while coveted off street parking for one car is accessed from Nickerson Street, just across the grass lane. Glimpses of the water appear throughout. Inside, acclaimed interior designer David Cafiero has brilliantly reimagined the residence while preserving the history, eccentricity, and soul that make it irreplaceable. Original architectural details mingle effortlessly with rich color, vintage furnishings, collected objects, and exceptional artwork. Every room feels layered, intimate, sophisticated, and entirely original. Most extraordinarily, 72A is being offered completely turnkey, including its carefully curated furnishings and remarkable collection of art, with works painted in this very house over the last 100 plus years. The home itself once served as the painting studio of noted artist F. Coulton Waugh, adding another extraordinary chapter to its artistic provenance. There are beautiful houses, and then there are houses that could exist nowhere else. 72A Commercial Street is the latter. Shaped by more than two centuries of Provincetown history, transformed for modern living, and lovingly assembled into a home unlike any other, this is more than a remarkable residence. It is a living piece of Provincetown history, offered intact and ready for its next steward.