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Remote, historic Cape Cod 'dune shacks' offered for lease by National Park Service

Remote, historic Cape Cod 'dune shacks' offered for lease by National Park Service
A SECOND RESIDENCE, ONE SPOT. YOU WON’T HAVE TROUBLE RENTING, THOUGH THE HISTORIC DUNE SHACKS ON THE CAPE. THESE ARE IN PROVINCETOWN AND TRURO. THEY’RE SMALL, WEATHERED AND REMOTE. THERE IS LIMITED RUNNING WATER, PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL FIXTURES IN MOST EIGHT OF THE HISTORIC STRUCTURES ARE AVAILABLE. THEY RANGE IN COST FROM $2,100 TO 16,000 A YEAR. AND THEY’RE BEING RENTED THROUGH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WITH A LEASE TERM OF TEN YEARS. PROPOSALS TO RENT ARE DUE TO T
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Remote, historic Cape Cod 'dune shacks' offered for lease by National Park Service

For those who want to get way, way off the grid, eight of Cape Cod's historic "dune shacks" are coming on the market.

The National Park Service is seeking bids for 10-year leases on the rustic shacks located within the Peaked Hill Bars National Register of Historic District in Provincetown and Truro.

The National Park Service has set up a competitive process to determine which bidders will win the deals.

Each of the properties is unique, small, weathered, remote and only accessible by foot or a 4X4 vehicle. There are limited running water, plumbing and electrical features within the shacks.

The National Park Service warns interested bidders that the shacks may need repairs, including roof replacement or carpentry work, before the properties can be occupied. Routine maintenance is a requirement for the lease winners.

Potential bidders can make an appointment for a tour, which will be offered on June 15, the NPS said. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on July 3.

Descriptions and photos of the shacks, provided by the National Park Service:

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dune shacks
NPS

The Fearing Dune Shack

The Fearing Dune Shack is currently located within the Peaked Hill Bars Historic District that is listed on the National Register. The Fearing Dune Shack is located on a high peak behind the fore dune approximately 300 feet from the ocean. A small parking area is located on the south side of the fore dune near the shack. The Fearing Shack is 3.5 miles east of the Race Point Coast Guard Station in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

dune shacks
NPS

The Kemp Dune Shack

The Kemp Dune Shack is currently located within the Peaked Hill Bars Historic District that is listed on the National Register. The Kemp “Tasha” Shack is located close to the northern lip of the fore dune in the middle of a cluster of shacks that includes the Margo, Fowler, Fearing and Chanel Dune Shacks. It is 3.4 miles east of the Race Point Coast Guard Station in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

dune shacks
NPS

Watson‐Schmidt Dune Shack

The Watson‐Schmidt Shack is located high on the southern slope of the fore dune in a heavily vegetated area approximately 300 feet from the ocean. It is 2.5 miles northwest of High Head Road in Truro, Massachusetts. The Watson‐Schmidt Shack is a rectangular one‐story, balloon-framed, gable-roofed structure with an enclosed screened shed-roofed porch.

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dune shacks
NPS

Braaten Dune Shack

The Braaten Shack is a one‐story balloon frame building set on a foundation of posts sunk deep below grade. The shack consists of a main gable roofed section with a shed roof kitchen addition extending half the width of the structure to the rear. An enclosed porch runs along the front elevation.

dune shacks
NPS

The Jones Dune Shack

The Jones Dune Shack is currently located within the Peaked Hill Bars Historic District that is listed on the National Register.

The Jones Dune Shack is located approximately 200 feet from the ocean just beyond the southern leeward side of the fore dune on the north side of the inner dune. The Jones Shack is a small rectangular one‐story, one room balloon‐frame structure. A well with an old pump is located about 35 feet north of the shack. A small photovoltaic panel is fastened to the south‐facing roof.

dune shacks

The Adams Dune Shack and Guest Cottage

The Adams Dune Shack is a one‐story, gable roof structure with two shed roof wings. The shack rests on wood piers and is oriented on a north/south axis with a central gable roof running east to west. The exterior is wood shingle siding with plain corner boards. A simple wood deck surrounds the building on the north, west and south elevations. The footprint of the building is a simple rectangle. A brick chimney for the interior fireplace projects above the south slope of the gable roof.

The Adams Guest Cottage is located just below the crest of the fore dune on the southern slope 1.7 miles east of the Race Point Coast Guard Station. The shack is oriented with its north gable and facing the ocean. It is one of a cluster of structures that includes the Adams Shack approximately 200 feet to the east, the Fleurant Shack approximately 400 feet to the west and the Champlin Shack approximately 525 feet to the east. It rests on wood post footings. A wood deck is located across the north end of the structure and wraps around the west elevation

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dune shacks
NPS

The Fleurant Dune Shack

The Fleurant Shack consists of a central gable roofed, one‐story section. rectangular one‐story structure with an enclosed screened shed roofed porch. Decks are located along 2/3 of the front/east elevation and along the entire rear/west elevation. The shack rests on a foundation of wooden posts. The footprint of the building is rectangular with low pitch roofs. The shack is approximately 650 square feet. The total acreage for the Fleurant Shack is 0.90 acres