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Final Study Report Mashpee Historic District ' Page 1 of 15 Introduction The Town of Mashpee has a unique history in which the cultures.and heritage of the Native American Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the European settlers have been intertwined for several hundred years. The Wampanoag heritage is reflected in the town's seri i-rural landscape, low density development until well into the 20th century, and modest buildings. Mashpee Indians gained citizenship in 1869, and the Town of Mashpee incorporated in 1870. Tourism in Mashpee began in 1917 with the formation of The Greater Cotuit Shore Company and grew along the coast, but differed from other Cape Cod towns, in that few businesses were owned by Mashpee residents. Mashpee's traditional town center located inland grew into a loose collection of public, commercial, residential, and institutional buildings by the .middle of the 19a' century, and continued to develop at a modest rate throughout the 20'h century. It continues to capture the essence of Mashpee's heritage today: The area being considered for local historic district protection is the traditional town center of Mashpee. In recent years, new development along Main Street has be to erode the historic character of the built environment and its landscape setting. In addition, the Town's current zoning is unable to protect the existing historic structures and the character associated with the traditional town center. The creation of a local historic district has been identified by the town as the most appropriate and beneficial tool that can assure the preservation of the historic integrity of the Town in the present and for the future. The Mashpee Local Historic.District Study Committee has concluded that a local historic district is essential to protect Mashpee's traditional i town center, and has prepared this report. i In a local historic district, any proposed changes to exterior architectural features visible from a public way are reviewed by a locally appointed Historic District Commission. For example, if a building addition were proposed in a local historic district, the property owner would submit an application to the Historic District Commission. The Historic District Commission would hold a public hearing and make a determination on whether the new addition was appropriate. If the addition was appropriate, the Historic District Commission would issue a Certificate, allowing the work to progress. Historic District Guidelines provide specific guidance to property owners contemplating alterations to their buildings in the historic district. In a local historic district, there is no review of interior features. In addition, a variety of exterior features are exempt from review. In.Massachusetts, Local Historic Districts were first established in 1955. There are now over 220 local historic districts in 100 communities, including most of the towns on Cape Cod. Local historic districts can be credited with protecting significant resources, maintaining community character, sustaining tourism-based economies, and providing positive support to our quality of life: This Final Study Report follows a Preliminary Study Report that was submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC) and the Town of Mashpee under the requirements of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 40C. The report was prepared by the Mashpee Local Historic District Study Committee with the assistance of Tom Fudala, Town Planner, and the historic preservation consultant,Virginia H..Adams, Senior Architectural Historian at PAL.