The Public Service Building and 1960s Main Street

Constructed in 1928, the Public Service Building became an important center of civic and commercial activity in downtown Hyannis. Its early tenants included the United States Post Office, New England Telephone and Telegraph, the Cape and Vineyard Electric Company, Barnstable County National Bank, F. W. Woolworth and A. W. Grant. Much of the original construction material was supplied by the West Barnstable Brick Company.

After the post office moved, the Puritan Clothing Company opened in its former space in May 1939. Founded on Cape Cod in 1919, Puritan became one of the locally owned stores that helped define Main Street during the years when Hyannis was emerging as the commercial center of Cape Cod.

The building stands along the Kennedy Legacy Trail’s 1960s Main Street section. During John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign, supporters gathered throughout downtown Hyannis while journalists covering the election filled nearby hotels. National retailers stood beside local businesses, theaters, restaurants and jazz clubs, making Main Street an active part of the campaign atmosphere surrounding the Kennedy family.

Rededicated on May 30, 2013, the Public Service Building remains a prominent part of the downtown streetscape and a link to the Main Street that existed during Kennedy’s rise to the presidency.