National Register of Historic Places

Hamilton Historic District

Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 12, 1973
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
73000300

About this property

The Hamilton Historic District encompasses the early historic center of Hamilton, Massachusetts. It includes properties at 540-700 and 563-641 Bay Road, extending along the road from Orchard Road in the south to Cutler Road in the north. Numerous Greek Revival buildings are located within the district including the First Congregational Church of Hamilton, built in 1843. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The town of Hamilton was originally a part of Ipswich, with the first documented settlement in the area in 1638, and Bay Road (now Massachusetts Route 1A) laid out in 1640. It was established as a separate parish in 1714 and incorporated in 1793. The parish center, at the junction of Bay and Cutler Roads, became the town center, with the meeting house, cemetery, and village green all early features. The site of the meeting house is now occupied by the Greek Revival First Congregational Church, which performs the same religious function. Hamilton's 1898 Colonial Revival Town Hall also stands in the district. The district has been relatively little altered since the mid-19th century, as evidenced by maps of that and later periods. The historic district extends along Bay Road, from its junction with Cutler Road in the north to Orchard Road in the south. Twenty of its primary buildings are residences, with a few early 18th-century Georgian houses and a larger number of 19th-century Greek Revival houses. The oldest house, a saltbox built c. 1700, stands at 638 Bay Road. Besides the church and town hall, the other non-residential buildings include the village store (c. 1840), and a cobbler's shop that has been converted to residential use. All of the buildings are of frame construction, and almost all are finished in clapboards; one of the most recently built houses (1900) is finished in stucco. National Register of Historic Places listings in Essex County, Massachusetts

Location

540-700 and 563-641 Bay Rd.
Hamilton, Essex County, Massachusetts
42.62157, -70.85370

Categories

ARCHITECTUREPHILOSOPHYAGRICULTURE
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
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
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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

Brown House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Woodberry-Quarrels House
Industrial
0.6 mi
Community House
Industrial
1 mi
Brown, Austin, House
Industrial
1.3 mi
Patch, Emeline, House
Industrial
1.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Raid on Gloucester (Cape Ann)
1775Revolutionary War
9.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hamilton Historic District listed on the National Register?

Hamilton Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 12, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Hamilton Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Hamilton Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near Hamilton Historic District?

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