National Register of Historic Places

Gardner Uptown Historic District

Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
June 2, 1999
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
99000660

About this property

The Gardner Uptown Historic District is a historic district encompassing the former civic heart of Gardner, Massachusetts. The 65-acre (26 ha) area includes the old town common, an early cemetery, and a modest number of non-residential buildings among a larger number of houses. The area was the center of civic life from the incorporation of Gardner in 1785 until municipal functions were moved to West Gardner beginning in the late 1920s. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The focal center of the district is the old town green, and the brick Victorian Gothic First Congregational Church. The green is adjacent to a major local road junction, a small rotary where Elm, Pearl, Green, and Central Streets meet. The district radiates along these streets, with additional properties on the adjacent sections of Woodland Avenue and Heywood Street, which abut on the common and the old cemetery. Most of the buildings in the district date to the 19th century, with the majority of houses exhibiting either Greek Revival or Colonial Revival styling. Among the earliest buildings is the First Minister's House at 186 Elm Street, a Georgian/Federal house built in 1792 for Rev. Jonathan Osgood. Prominent architect-designed buildings in the district include the Levi Heywood Memorial Library Building, which was, like the First Congregational Church, designed by Fuller & Delano of Worcester, and the Syndicate Block, one of the district's few commercial buildings, which was designed by George Clemence.

Location

Gardner, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.57838, -71.98469

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMERCECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTEDUCATIONINDUSTRYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTRELIGIONTRANSPORTATION
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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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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
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Elm Street Fire Station
Industrial
0 mi
Heywood, Levi, Memorial Library Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Smith, F.W., Silver Company
Industrial
0.1 mi
First Minister's House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Gardner Uptown Historic District listed on the National Register?

Gardner Uptown Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 2, 1999.

What type of historic resource is Gardner Uptown Historic District?

Gardner Uptown Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Gardner Uptown Historic District?

The period of significance for Gardner Uptown Historic District is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Gardner Uptown Historic District?

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