National Register of Historic Places

Hardwick Village Historic District

Hardwick, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
December 19, 1991
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
91001849

About this property

Hardwick Village Historic District is a historic district on Petersham, Barre, Greenwich, Ruggles Hill and Gilbertville Roads in Hardwick, Massachusetts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The town of Hardwick was incorporated in January 1739 after a group of settlers from Roxbury purchased land from the local Nipmuc Indians. The town was named in honor of Lord Hardwicke, an English nobleman, and became very prosperous before the American Revolutionary War. In 1762, one of its most prominent citizens, General Timothy Ruggles, established an annual market fair, a tradition that continues in the Hardwick Community Fair. Water from its many nearby streams powered saw and grist mills, making the area an early source of manufactured goods as well as agricultural products. The growth of railroads during the 1800s also boosted the local economy by permitting those goods to be transported to larger markets.

Location

Hardwick, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.34932, -72.19692

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTCOMMERCEAGRICULTUREARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
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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Everything a full report reveals about Hardwick Village Historic District

This page lists Hardwick Village 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.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge
Industrial
2.8 mi
Gilbertville Historic District
Listed
2.9 mi
Kensington Park Historic District
Listed
4.2 mi
Dana Common Historic and Archaeological District
Early Republic
5.3 mi
West Brick School
Industrial
5.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hardwick Village Historic District listed on the National Register?

Hardwick Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Hardwick Village Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Hardwick Village Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near Hardwick Village 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 Hardwick Village Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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