Amherst Central Business District facts for kids
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Amherst Central Business District
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South Pleasant Street
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1-79 Main St., 13-31 N. Pleasant St., 1-79 S. Pleasant St., 1-18,30 Boltwood Ave., Amherst, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 9 acres (3.6 ha) |
| Built | 1774 |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Other, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001859 (original) 11000585 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 27, 1991 |
| Boundary increase | August 24, 2011 |
The Amherst Central Business District is a special historic area right in the middle of downtown Amherst, Massachusetts. This important part of town has been the main place for town activities and businesses since the 1700s. It is located around the northern part of the town's long common (a shared open space).
This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This means it's recognized as a place important to American history. A bit later, in 2011, the district was made a little bit bigger.
What is the Amherst Central Business District?
Amherst was first settled in 1661 as part of Hadley. It became its own town in 1768. The very first center of settlement was exactly where the business district is today. This area is at the crossing of Main and Pleasant Streets.
The oldest building still standing in this area is the Strong House. It was built in 1774 by Simeon Strong. Only a few buildings in the district are older than 1838. This is because a big fire damaged the downtown area that year. Other fires happened later too. Because of these fires, most of the business buildings you see today were built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
How did Amherst become a busy town?
Amherst started as a farming area. But it grew a lot when two major colleges were founded there. These were Amherst College and the Massachusetts Agricultural College. The Massachusetts Agricultural College is now known as UMass Amherst. These colleges helped the town become much busier and more important.
What buildings are in the historic district?
When the Amherst Central Business District was first listed as a historic place in 1991, it included many brick business buildings. These buildings were constructed between 1836 and 1930. They are mainly found around the intersection of South Pleasant, North Pleasant, Amity, and Main Streets, and Boltwood Avenue.
Besides the business buildings, there are also some important non-business buildings. These include the Strong House, which is also listed separately as a historic place. You can also find the Grace Episcopal Church, the First Baptist Church, and the Amherst Town Hall here. The district also covers the northern part of the town common, which has a fountain. In 2011, the district was made larger to include the Lord Jeffery Inn at 30 Boltwood Avenue.
