Hubbardston Public Library facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hubbardston Public Library
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Massachusetts Show map of Massachusetts Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Area	less than one acre
Built	1874
Architect	E. Boyden & Son
Architectural style	Italianate
NRHP reference No.	98000989
Added to NRHP	August 19, 1998

The Hubbardston Public Library is a public library in Hubbardston, Massachusetts. You can find it at 7 Main Street. This library helps the town by offering many different books, movies, and events. It also provides internet access and connects to a system called CWMARS. This system lets people share resources from many libraries.

A Special Building for the Community

The Hubbardston Public Library is located in one of the town's most important buildings. This building was constructed in 1874. It has a unique style called Second Empire/Italianate. This means it combines two popular building styles from that time. The building is made of brick and also houses the town offices.

How the Library Building Was Built

A man named Jonas G. Clark helped make this library possible. He was born in Hubbardston. Mr. Clark gave money and gifts to build the library. He also helped get many of the first books for its collection. Jonas G. Clark later founded Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The building was recognized as very important in 1998. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings that are special because of their history or design.

Design of the Hubbardston Library

The library building is in the center of Hubbardston village. It is on the west side of Main Street. This street is also known as Massachusetts Route 68. The building is the most detailed and fancy one in the village. It has two stories and is made of red brick. It also has white wooden decorations and a slate roof.

The middle part of the front of the building sticks out. It has a steep, colorful slate roof on top. This part used to have iron decorations, but they are gone now. The windows on the first floor are rounded. They have special granite tops. The windows on the second floor are shaped like arches. They have decorative brackets above them.

The main entrance is in the middle of the building. It is set back in a round archway. Above it, on the second floor, are two more round-arch windows. A small gable roof sticks out below the main tower roof. Below this gable, there is a stone panel. The name of the person who donated the building, Jonas G. Clark, and the year it was built are carved into this stone.

History of Public Buildings in Hubbardston

Before this library building was constructed, the town of Hubbardston did not own any public buildings. Town meetings were held in the local church. This library building was the only public building in town for a long time. It remained the only one until the police station was built in the 1980s.

The building was designed by an architect named Elbridge Boyden. He was from Worcester. Jonas G. Clark hired him for the project. Mr. Clark bought three house lots to build the library. He probably brought in special materials and skilled workers from outside Hubbardston. Other brick buildings in the town from that time were much simpler.

Since it was built, the building has always been home to the town's library. It also houses the town offices. Plus, it has a space for community meetings.