Envision Christmas On Cape Cod With These Homes

MASSACHUSETTS — Winter is here, which, for residents of New England, means that more nights are spent at home with the sun gone by 4:30 p.m.

It also means that the holidays are here, which brings opportunities for family and friends to gather around the dinner table and fire place.

It also likely means that your real estate searches are growing, specifically looking for homes that you picture as your future hosting quarters.

With our weekly home columns during the month of December, we'll look to a few notable markets in Massachusetts to help in that search — or maybe daydreaming.

For week one, here's a look at three homes made for hosting on Cape Cod:

20 Bridge Rd., Eastham, Mass.

This listing actually features two homes on 3.27 acres on historic Bridge Rd, bordering the Orleans and Eastham town line.

"The 6-bedroom main house built circa 1775, [and] the renovated 2 bedroom cottage are ideally located near two Cape Cod Bay beaches & the CC Bike Trail," a listing said.

"The 2978 SF antique home has been added onto over the years including an open kitchen/dining area w/high ceilings, kitchen island, double wall oven, large fireplace, wet bar & oak floors."

Multiple sitting areas, a formal dining room, a covered porch and large back patio provide plenty of space for hosting the family gathering this holiday season.

504 Old Harbor Rd., North Chatham, Mass.

The beach is certainly a draw for tourists and seasonal residents during the summer months, but locals will tell you that Cape Cod's sandy waterfront is just as big of a joy in the offseason months.,

This eight-bedroom mansion in Chatham is perched on a hill overlooking Chatham Harbor, North Beach and the Atlantic Ocean beyond, featuring almost 300 feet of sandy private beach.

The home, designed by Architect Edward Sears Read, features six fireplaces and plenty of space for getting cozy or hosting this holiday season.

749 S. Main St., Centerville, Mass.

This Centerville home was designed by Helen J. Quinn, the heiress to the Grand Union grocery chain, as her personal estate.

The home was designed for hosting family or guests, with formal spaces on the entry side of the property and sunny, glassed-in rooms the length of the waterside, offering 180-degree views of Craigville River and Nantucket Sound.

With 9 bedrooms in the main house and a full, 1,400 sq. ft. apartment above the separate four-bay carriage house, there's space for everyone during this holiday season.

The listing explains the history:

"Before Cape Cod was a popular vacation destination, Helen J. Quinn, heiress to the Grand Union grocery chain, purchased almost 20 acres of land by the Centerville River. Several homes for her family and even a huge kennel for her dogs were built, but the most magnificent of all was Mrs. Quinn's personal estate, at 749 S Main St., later dubbed 'Sandcastle' for its sandy English stucco exterior," a listing said.