Head of the River was one of the principal points of early development by colonial settlers in what is now Acushnet, and saw its first significant period of growth after the American Revolutionary War. Acushnet was originally part of Dartmouth, then New Bedford and Fairhaven, before incorporating in 1860. The oldest surviving buildings in Head of the River date to the 1780s, including the 1-1/2 story Swift House (10 Mill Road) and the Dillingham House (19 Main Street) as examples of this early period. The building at 17 Tarkin Hill Road, built c. 1800, is a rare commercial building from this period. The finest house from the period is the c. 1817 Hawes House at 17 Main Street. There are also several Greek Revival houses, but development languished in the area until the 20th century, when the Queen Anne house at 28 Main Street was built (c. 1900), along with a number of Craftsman and Dutch Colonial houses between then and about 1935.
