National Register of Historic Places

Buttrick, Francis, Library

Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 27, 1989
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
89001547

About this property

The Waltham Public Library is the public library of the city of Waltham, Massachusetts. Its main location is in the Francis Buttrick Library, an architecturally significant Georgian Revival building built in 1915, funded by a bequest from Francis Buttrick, a major landowner in the city. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. The Buttrick Library building is located on the north side of Main Street, between Exchange and Spring Streets. The front portion of the building, its historic portion, is a tall single-story brick structure, with round-arch windows and a projecting semicircular entry pavilion. The building is topped by a balustrade. Additions extend the building to the rear, providing space for modern stacks and services. The Waltham Public Library was established in 1865 with a gift of 3,700 volumes from the Rumford Institute for Mutual Instruction, an 1826 organization established by the proprietors of the Boston Manufacturing Company as a service to its employees. It grew over the rest of the 19th century by the gifts of other collections, and was at first housed in the Welch Building at Charles and Moody Streets. In 1894, Francis Buttrick, then the city's largest landowner, bequested funds for the construction of a permanent home. The oldest portion of the building was designed by the Boston firm Loring & Leland, and was completed in 1915, it having taken twenty years to locate and acquire a suitable parcel of land. A gallery space was added in 1933, and a modern addition made to the rear later in the 20th century. National Register of Historic Places listings in Waltham, Massachusetts

Location

741 Main St.
Waltham, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
42.37645, -71.23933

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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

First Congregational Church
Early Republic
0.1 mi
Christ Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
US Post Office-Waltham Main
Industrial
0.1 mi
Swasey, James, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
French, Daniel, School
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Lexington Green — Parker's Stand
1775Revolutionary War
4.9 mi
Skirmish at Menotomy (Arlington)
1775Revolutionary War
5 mi
Battle of Lexington
1775Revolutionary War
5 mi
Battle of Lexington – Parker's Stand
1775Revolutionary War
5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Buttrick, Francis, Library listed on the National Register?

Buttrick, Francis, Library was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 27, 1989.

What type of historic resource is Buttrick, Francis, Library?

Buttrick, Francis, Library is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Buttrick, Francis, Library?

The period of significance for Buttrick, Francis, Library is recorded as the industrial era.

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