Brewster Memorial Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Brewster Memorial Hall
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | S. Main and Union Sts., Wolfeboro, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.8 acres (0.32 ha) |
| Built | 1888 |
| Architect | James T. Kelley |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001129 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 1983 |
Brewster Memorial Hall is a really important building in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. It's like the main office for the whole town! You can find it right in the middle of Wolfeboro, where South Main Street and Union Street meet. This cool building was built a long time ago, between 1880 and 1890. A kind person from Wolfeboro named John W. Brewster left money in his will to build it. He wanted it to look a bit like another building called Sargent Hall in Merrimac, Massachusetts. Because it's so special, Brewster Memorial Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
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What is Brewster Memorial Hall?
Brewster Memorial Hall is the official town hall for Wolfeboro. It's where many important town decisions are made. The building stands out in the heart of Wolfeboro village. It's located at the corner of South Main and Union Streets.
A Look Inside and Out
The building is made of brick and has a unique L-shape. It has a main part that is two stories tall. There's also a smaller, one-story section that sticks out to the north. A special two-story section with a small tower projects from the east side.
The most noticeable part of the building is its tall tower. This tower is about 101 feet (31 meters) high! It stands at the southwest corner of the building. The hall has a style called "Romanesque." This means it has cool round-arch windows. You can see these windows on the second floor facing Main Street. They are also on the tower.
The top part of the tower has open columns. These are just below the clock faces. The clocks and columns are set inside rounded arch shapes. The very top of the tower has a pointy, pyramid-shaped roof.
How Brewster Hall Came to Be
A famous architect from Boston named James T. Kelley designed Brewster Hall. He had to follow special instructions from John W. Brewster. Brewster was born in Wolfeboro and was a generous person.
Who Was John W. Brewster?
John W. Brewster was a philanthropist. This means he was someone who gave a lot of money to good causes. He also left money for private schools in the area. Brewster wanted the new town hall to look like Sargent Hall in Merrimac, Massachusetts. He also said the building should have shops, town offices, and a public library.
What's Inside Now?
Architect Kelley followed all of Brewster's wishes. He designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. This was a bit different from Sargent Hall, which had a more Gothic look. The building cost about $50,000 to finish. That was a lot of money back then!
Over the years, things inside Brewster Hall have changed. The spaces that used to be shops are now used for town offices. The area that was once the public library has been used for elementary school classrooms.
