Holbrook Square Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Holbrook Square Historic District
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Holbrook Town Hall
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Holbrook, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Architect | Faxon, John Lyman; Hartwell, Henry Walker |
| Architectural style | Gothic, Stick/Eastlake |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000359 |
| Added to NRHP | May 10, 2006 |
The Holbrook Square Historic District is a special area in Holbrook, Massachusetts. It's like the historic heart of the town, where important public buildings are located. This district includes three main buildings: the Holbrook Town Hall, the Winthrop Congregational Church, and the Central Fire Station.
These buildings were all built around the same time, between 1878 and 1881. They stand around a green space called Mary Wales Holbrook Park, also known as Holbrook Square. This historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 because of its importance to the town's history and architecture.
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What is the Holbrook Square Historic District?
The Holbrook Square Historic District is a small but important area in Holbrook. It covers about 2 acres (0.8 hectares) and shows how the town grew and developed in the late 1800s. The buildings here are great examples of different architectural styles from that time.
How did Holbrook Square become important?
Holbrook used to be part of a bigger town called Randolph. Over time, the people of Holbrook wanted their own community. In 1818, they formed their own church group, which was a big step towards becoming a separate town.
Later, in 1873, Holbrook officially became its own town. They built their first town hall next to the church. However, a big fire in December 1877 destroyed both buildings. After the fire, the town decided to rebuild even better. They constructed a new town hall, church, and fire station all in the central square. This created the historic district we see today.
The Holbrook Town Hall
The Holbrook Town Hall is a very grand building. It was designed by an architect named John Lyman Faxon. It was built between 1878 and 1879. This building is a great example of High Victorian Gothic architecture. It has two stories and is made of brick with fancy granite and sandstone decorations. It was built by a famous construction company called Norcross Brothers.
The Winthrop Congregational Church
The Winthrop Congregational Church is another important building in the district. It was designed by the Boston firm of Hartwell and Tilden. Like the town hall, it was also built by the Norcross Brothers, between 1878 and 1880. This church is the best example of a 19th-century church in Holbrook that is still well-preserved. It shows off the Stick style of architecture, which uses lots of decorative wooden elements.
The Central Fire Station
The Central Fire Station was built in 1881. It's the only building in Holbrook that shows the Panel Brick architectural style. It's a two-story brick building with a sloped roof. It used to have two large openings for fire trucks. This building shows how important fire safety was to the growing town.
