National Register of Historic Places

South Lancaster Engine House

South Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 21, 1976
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
76000307

About this property

The South Lancaster Engine House is a historic fire station at 283 South Main Street in South Lancaster, Massachusetts. Built in 1888, it is the town's oldest operating firestation, and a distinctive example of period Victorian architecture. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It presently houses engines 3 and 4 of the Lancaster Fire Department. The South Lancaster Engine House is located in the village center of South Lancaster, on the east side of South Main Street (Massachusetts Route 70) just north of its junction with Bolton Road. It is a 2-1/2 story wood frame structure, with a hip roof and exterior finished mainly in wooden clapboards. Its front facade has two equipment bays with overhead doors (replacements for original swinging doors), and two horse stalls. The walls are flared between the first and second floors, with decorative cut shingles on the flaring. The center of the front facade has three round-headed windows, rising into a wall dormer beneath a short bell tower with an open belfry topped by a curved hip roof. The fire station was built in 1888, and is one of the oldest fire stations in the area still in active service. Although the town had funded a municipal fire service since 1848, this was the first structure built by the town for storage of fire equipment. Early equipment housed here included an engine, wagons, and a sleigh, some of which were designed to be pulled by manpower and others by horses. National Register of Historic Places listings in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Location

283 S. Main St.
South Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts
42.44333, -71.68465

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Founder's Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Middle Cemetery
Listed
0.6 mi
Thayer, Nathaniel, Estate
Industrial
0.6 mi
Atherton Bridge
Industrial
0.7 mi
Old Settlers' Burying Ground
Listed
0.7 mi

Nearby Battles

First Lancaster Raid
1675Colonial
0.8 mi
Attack on Lancaster 1676
1676Colonial
1 mi

Questions about this property

When was South Lancaster Engine House listed on the National Register?

South Lancaster Engine House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 1976.

What type of historic resource is South Lancaster Engine House?

South Lancaster Engine House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for South Lancaster Engine House?

The period of significance for South Lancaster Engine House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near South Lancaster Engine House?

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