National Register of Historic Places

Main Street Historic District

Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 12, 1988
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
88001908

About this property

The Main Street Historic District encompasses the civic core of Greenfield, Massachusetts, the county seat of Franklin County, Massachusetts. The district includes several blocks of Main Street extending roughly from Chapman Street in the west to Franklin Street in the east, as well as a number of properties facing the common along Bank Row, south of Main Street, and is architecture reflective of the city's 19th-century growth as a major crossroads and county seat. The district includes the town hall, county courthouse, several 19th-century bank buildings, and three properties previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Garden Theater Block, the Leavitt-Hovey House (which houses the public library), and the 1915 Post Office building. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Greenfield was settled in the 17th century as part of Deerfield, and was incorporated as a town in 1775. The town center was by then already established on Main Street, with a variety of businesses and residences, none of which have survived. Major travel routes, both north–south and east–west, where developed in the late 18th century that met there. The town became the shire town of Franklin County when it was established in 1811, and a series of civic buildings took shape thereafter in the Bank Row/Court Square area. Commercial development extended east from that area as the 19th century progressed, although a few older homes survived this process, including the Leavitt-Hovey House. Further development was spurred by the arrival of railroads in the mid-19th century, and the late 19th century was the town's period of greatest industrial and economic growth.

Location

Greenfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts
42.58775, -72.60052

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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Everything a full report reveals about Main Street Historic District

This page lists Main Street 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

Garden Theater Block
Industrial
0 mi
Leavitt-Hovey House
Industrial
0.1 mi
US Post Office-Greenfield Main
Industrial
0.2 mi
East Main-High Street Historic District
Listed
0.2 mi
Weldon Hotel
Industrial
0.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Turners Falls May 19 1676
1676Colonial
2.3 mi
Battle of Peskeompskut (Falls Fight / Turner's Falls)
1676Colonial
2.4 mi
Battle of Turner's Falls (Peskeompscut)
1676Colonial
2.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Main Street Historic District listed on the National Register?

Main Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 12, 1988.

What type of historic resource is Main Street Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Main Street Historic District?

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

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

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