National Register of Historic Places

Brookfield Common Historic District

Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 23, 1990
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
90000161

About this property

The Brookfield Common Historic District encompasses a historically significant portion of the town center of Brookfield, Massachusetts. It is focused on the town common, which extends south from Main Street (Massachusetts Route 9) to Lincoln Street, and includes a dense cluster of houses on roads to its east, as well as properties on Main Street and the Post Road. The district includes more than 100 properties, including the Colonial Revival Town Hall (designed 1904 by Worcester architect George H. Clemence), Banister Memorial Hall (an 1883 Queen Anne building designed by Wait & Cutter of Boston, which now houses the Merrick Public Library), and Romanesque Revival Congregation Church (built 1857 to a design by Boyden & Ball). The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The town of Brookfield was one of the first English settlements in what is now southern Worcester County, dating to 1665. What is now Brookfield is the result of the division of the community in the 1750s, separating North Brookfield and West Brookfield. The original town center was located in what is now West Brookfield; the present town center is organized around a common established in 1735 as a militia training ground, and where the town's Third Parish Congregational Church was established. The oldest surviving buildings in the village are houses built in the 1790s in the Federal style. The Brookfield Inn was originally established in one of these early houses, but was replaced in the 1860s after the original house was destroyed by fire.

Location

Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.21499, -72.10228

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Brookfield Common Historic District

This page lists Brookfield Common Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Brookfield Common Historic District report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Brookfield Cemetery
Colonial
0.6 mi
Elm Hill Farm Historic District
Listed
0.9 mi
Foster, Jedediah, Homesite
Listed
1.8 mi
West Brookfield Center Historic District
Listed
2.4 mi
West Brookfield Center Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brookfield Common Historic District listed on the National Register?

Brookfield Common Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1990.

What type of historic resource is Brookfield Common Historic District?

Brookfield Common Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brookfield Common Historic District?

The period of significance for Brookfield Common Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Brookfield Common Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Brookfield Common Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Worcester County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Worcester County.

Explore WorcesterCounty ›

More historic places in Massachusetts

Browse all historic places in Massachusetts.

View Massachusettshistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Massachusetts history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Massachusettshistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Brookfield Common Historic District will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report