Becket Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Becket Center Historic District
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Colonial Training Ground
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hamilton and YMCA Rds, MA 8, Becket, Massachusetts |
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| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004952 |
| Added to NRHP | August 11, 1982 |
The Becket Center Historic District is a special area in Becket, Massachusetts. It's like a time capsule showing what the town's early center was like. This district is important because it was once the main hub for the town's government and businesses.
You can find it around the spot where Massachusetts Route 8 and YMCA Road meet. This area was the heart of Becket until another part of town, North Becket, became more important because of the railroad. Most of the buildings here were built a long time ago, between the late 1700s and mid-1800s. They show off popular building styles from that time, like Federal and Greek Revival. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, which means it's recognized as a place worth preserving.
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Discovering Becket Center's History
Becket was first planned by settlers in 1737. But people didn't start living there until the 1750s. The town officially became a town in 1765.
What is a Historic District?
A historic district is a special area that has many buildings, places, or objects that are important to history. These places are protected to help people remember and learn about the past. They often show how people lived, worked, or built things a long time ago.
A Look Back: Early Becket Center
Some of the very first buildings and places in Becket are still here. The Center Cemetery, where many early settlers are buried, opened in 1756. It's on the south side of YMCA Road. There was also a training ground for the local militia (like a volunteer army) right where MA 8 and YMCA Road meet. This was a place for drills and parades.
Important Old Buildings
The town's first meetinghouse, built between 1762 and 1764, used to stand north of the parade ground. It's not there anymore, but its spot is marked. There's also a stone animal pound from 1768 on the west side of MA 8. This pound was used to hold stray animals. It's one of the best-preserved animal pounds in Berkshire County.
The current First Congregational Church was built in 1850. It's in the Greek Revival style. It stands across YMCA Road from where the old meetinghouse used to be. Interestingly, the horse sheds from the old meetinghouse, where people would tie up their horses, were kept.
Why Did Becket Center Change?
The village started to become less important after 1841. That's when the Western Railroad was built. The railroad didn't go through Becket Center. Instead, it went through North Becket. This made North Becket the new busy center of town.
Because of this, Becket Center didn't grow much after the railroad came. This is why it still has so many buildings from the Federal and Greek Revival periods. There hasn't been much new construction since then.
Exploring the District Today
The historic district is mainly around YMCA Road, which connects Route 8 to Hamilton Road. It also stretches a bit south along Route 8 and Hamilton Road from their junctions with YMCA Road. Besides the houses and the buildings mentioned earlier, the district also includes an old post office, the former town hall, and an old schoolhouse that is now a home.
