Centerville, MA Homes for Sale

CENTERVILLE
A VILLAGE OF BARNSTABLE

HISTORY

Centerville was originally called “Chequaquet” by the Wampanoag Native Americans. Myles Standish purchased the large piece of land that included Chequaquet in 1648. In the early 1700s, Lake Wequaquet was a popular site for settlers to build their homes as the lake provided food, good soil and fresh water. The early 1800s was a period of growth for Chequaquet and the village was renamed “Centreville.” By the early 19th century, the spelling had been changed to “Centerville.”

GEOGRAPHY

Centerville is located on the south side of Barnstable – one of the town’s seven villages. Centerville beaches, which include the popular Craigville Beach, meet Nantucket Sound. A number of inlets, bays, rivers and creeks dissect the coastal landscape and include Bumps River, Centerville River and Herring
River. Closer inland sits the large Wequaquet Lake as well as smaller bodies of water like Long Pond and Shallow Pond.

CHARACTER

Centerville is known as one of the most beautiful of Barnstable’s seven villages, featuring plenty of picturesque waterfront landscapes. The village’s rich history is well-preserved and there are many sea captains’ homes along Main Street. Many other structures raised in the 19th century still stand today, including the 1856 Country Store, 1834 post office and the 1880 elementary school. Even older is the South Congregational Church, constructed in 1717.

EDUCATION

As part of the town of Barnstable, Centerville is part of the Barnstable Public School District. Elementary school students attend one of the following schools: Centerville Elementary, Barnstable Community Horace Mann Public Charter School, West Village Elementary, Hyannis West Elementary, Barnstable United Elementary, and Barnstable/West Barnstable Elementary. Barnstable Middle School and Barnstable High School serve middle and high school students, respectively.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, the regional arts agency for Barnstable County, is located in Centerville and promotes visual arts and music across Cape Cod in the form of exhibits and concerts. Centerville’s history is represented by preserved houses and structures around town, including the 1856 Country Store. The Centerville Historical Museum, founded in 1952, has 14 rooms featuring maritime and military artifacts, decorative arts and paintings from as early as the 18th century, and a collection
of historic costumes.

POINTS OF INTEREST

1856 Country Store
Centerville Pie Company
Centerville Playground
Craigville Beach
Craigville Historical
Society Museum
Four Seas Ice Cream
Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery