National Register of Historic Places

Municipal Group Historic District

Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
Listed
November 10, 1987
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
87000288

About this property

The Municipal Group Historic District is a historic district encompassing a cluster of five municipal buildings in the Hyannis village of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Included are the library (c. 1800), old town hall (1926), two buildings currently housing town offices that were originally part of the Hyannis Normal School, and the Crowell/Guyer Barn, a 19th-century structure now used by the local public works department. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The library is housed in a former residence, built c. 1800, which was owned for many years by the Hallett family. It was purchased in 1908 for use as a library, and continues to fulfil that role, albeit with a modern addition to the rear that greatly expands its capacity. The Crowell/Guyer Barn is a 1-1/2 wood-frame structure with a front-gable roof that has decorative brackets under the eaves. It was built c. 1865, and its earliest documented owner was Captain Sidney Crowell, a ship master active in the coasting trade. The "Old Town Hall" is a neo-Federal two story brick building, with a five-bay main block flanked by symmetrical single-story wings. Its entry is distinguished by a semi-circular portico supported by Corinthian columns. It was built in 1926 to replace the previous town hall, located in West Barnstable, that was built in 1899. It served as town hall until 1979, when the former buildings of the Hyannis Normal School were acquired to house town offices. The two surviving buildings (out of three originally built) of the Hyannis Normal School were designed by Hartwell, Richardson and Driver, and built in 1897 after the state awarded Hyannis the location of a new normal school. The main building and former dormitory are large brick three-story buildings (one is eleven bays wide, the other thirteen), with slate hip roofs. They were used (along with the training school, an elementary school building that has not survived) until the school closed in 1944. After serving a variety of other purposes, they were acquired by the town in 1979. The former school's open space in front of these buildings now serves as the town green.

Location

Barnstable, Barnstable County, Massachusetts
41.65219, -70.28353

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTEDUCATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
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
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
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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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

Bearse, Capt. Oliver, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Baxter, Capt. Rodney J., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Canary-Hartnett House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Building at 237-239 Main Street
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pleasant-School Street Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Municipal Group Historic District listed on the National Register?

Municipal Group Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Municipal Group Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Municipal Group Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near Municipal Group Historic District?

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