National Register of Historic Places

Shrewsbury Historic District

Shrewsbury, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 7, 1976
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
76000309

About this property

The Shrewsbury Historic District encompasses the historic early center of the town of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. It consists of the town common, laid out in 1721 at what are now Main and Prospect Streets, and buildings adjacent or nearby. The district was declared locally in 1972, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The town of Shrewsbury was settled in 1721 and incorporated in 1727. Its town common was one of the first parts of the town to be laid out, along what was then one of the Boston Post Roads, connecting Boston to Springfield. The area remained residential and civic in character, with the town's economic center focused on the Post Road (now Main Street) just west of the common. The properties surrounding the common have retained broad lawns and an open character, typical of the 18th and 19th century. The visual focus of the historic district is the First Congregational Church, located at the north end of the common. It was built in 1766, using materials salvaged from the town's first meetinghouse, built on the same site in 1722. West of the church stands the 1830 brick schoolhouse, now housing town offices and the local historical society. On the west side of the common is the town's main firestation, a modern construction, and the much-extended 1797 Sumner House, built for the town's second minister and now converted into a funeral home. Northeast of the church, at the junction of Boylston and Grafton Streets, and across Grafton Street east of the common, stand three early 19th-century houses. At the junction of Main and Grafton Streets stands the Shrewsbury Public Library, built in 1903 and a fine example of Renaissance Revival architecture. National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Location

Shrewsbury, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.29849, -71.71303

Categories

MILITARYARCHITECTURERELIGION
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
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

Ward, Gen. Artemas, Homestead
Industrial
0.9 mi
District No. 5 School
Early Republic
1.5 mi
Barlin Acres
Industrial
2.5 mi
Gough, John B., House
Industrial
3 mi
Worcester State Hospital Farmhouse
Industrial
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Shrewsbury Historic District listed on the National Register?

Shrewsbury Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1976.

What type of historic resource is Shrewsbury Historic District?

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

What is the period of significance for Shrewsbury Historic District?

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

Can I research the history near Shrewsbury Historic District?

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