Farnum's Gate Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Farnum's Gate Historic District
|
|
Farnum Professional Building, also known as the Welcome Farnum House
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Blackstone, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Area | 9.6 acres (3.9 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 95001039 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1995 |
The Farnum's Gate Historic District is a special neighborhood in Blackstone, Massachusetts. It's like a time capsule, showing us how people lived and worked long ago. This area is famous because of the Farnum family, who were very important in the town's history. Many of the old homes here were built in the 1840s. This was a time when the Blackstone River valley was growing and becoming very rich. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. This means it's officially recognized as an important historical place.
Exploring Farnum's Gate Historic District
This historic district stretches along Main Street, also known as Massachusetts Route 122. It starts near Austin Street and goes past the St. Paul Bridge. This bridge crosses the Blackstone River.
Right next to the bridge is the Welcome Farnum House. It was built in 1835. This big building is in the Federal style, which was popular back then. Today, it holds offices. The district gets its name from Welcome Farnum and the bridge. The bridge was like a "gate" for the Farnum family to reach their mills across the river.
Across Main Street, you can see the house of Welcome's brother, Moses. It's a Greek Revival style house. Next to it is the Joseph Southwick house, built in the Queen Anne Victorian style. Further down is the Estus Lamb House, which looks like a Greek temple.
Other Important Buildings
The district also has two important non-residential buildings. One is the Federated Church, built in 1928. It's made of brick and has a Gothic Revival style. The other is the old Blackstone High School from 1920. This building is now home to the public library.
The Farnum Family's Impact
Welcome and Darius Farnum moved to this area in 1825. They came from Uxbridge, Massachusetts. They started a textile mill on the south side of the river. Over the next ten years, they made their business much bigger.
Welcome Farnum was a very powerful person in the local economy. He invested money in the Blackstone Canal and the local railroad. He also helped pay for many improvements in the town. This included churches and schools.
The group of houses near the bridge were built by Farnum family members or their business partners. These homes were on land that Welcome Farnum originally owned. Houses further to the west were usually owned by merchants and other local business people.
 | William L. Dawson |
 | W. E. B. Du Bois |
 | Harry Belafonte |
