Built c. 1829 by a ship's captain, it underwent a major transformation into a Colonial Revival mansion in the early 20th century.

[1][2] The Baxter House is set prominently facing northeast at the southwest corner of Main Street and East Bay Road in the Osterville section of Barnstable.

It is a large two story wood-frame structure, seven bays wide, with a stepped hip roof, clapboard siding, and corner quoining.

Its dominant feature is a monumental entrance portico, which rises to form a rounded and dentillated arch at the roof line.

The Colonial Revival alterations, which included extending the width by two bays and construction of the portico, are attributed to J. S. Twombley, who is recorded as the house's owner in 1907.