105 Commercial Street

(Undated)

J. & L. N. Paine Company Store.

In the large store at the head of J. & L. N. Paine’s Wharf, “full lines of ship stores and groceries are to be had,” the United States Commercial Recorder noted in 1890. Eighteen years later, The Advocate noted the razing of the structure, calling it “another landmark of former long-time Provincetown industry.” But buildings weren’t simply demolished in old Provincetown — the lumber was far too valuable to be discarded. The newspaper reported that this structure was to be reassembled at the Cape Cod Cold Storage site and reused as a storehouse.

¶ Last updated on 11 September 2018. ¶ Images courtesy of the Provincetown History Preservation Project (Standalone Collection), Page 5089. “Mending Nets,” lent by George W. Ferguson.

At the rear of the Paine Company Store, workers are seen mending nets, in this photo from the collection of George W. Ferguson. The home of Capt. Lysander N. Paine can be seen in the background. It’s still standing, at 96 Commercial Street.