Old Douglas Center Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Douglas Center Historic District
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First Congregational Church
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Douglas, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 192 acres (78 ha) |
| Architect | Dudley, Paul A.; Dudley, Walter J.H., et al. |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001186 |
| Added to NRHP | October 28, 2001 |
The Old Douglas Center Historic District is like a special time capsule in the town of Douglas, Massachusetts. It's a protected area that shows what the town looked like long ago. This historic district spreads out from the old town common, which is like the town's main square. It's surrounded by farms and newer buildings from the 1900s.
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Discovering Old Douglas Center's History
This district covers about 192 acres (78 hectares) and has 50 important old buildings and places. Most of these buildings are homes built in the Federal and Greek Revival styles. These styles were popular for architecture in the United States during the late 1700s and early 1800s.
What Buildings Can You See?
You can find several important buildings here. One is the First Congregational Church, built in 1834. It's a great example of Greek Revival style. There's also the Douglas Pastime Club building from the Craftsman style, located at 22 Church Street. Another very old building is the Dudley Tavern, which was built around the 1770s.
The very heart of the district is the town common. Right next to it is the Center Cemetery. Both of these important places were created when the town of Douglas was officially started in 1746.
How Douglas Center Began and Grew
Douglas was first settled in the 1730s. The land for the town was taken from a nearby area called Sherborn. Douglas officially became a town in 1746. The town common quickly became the main spot for everything happening in town. Roads were built from other towns leading right to this central area.
An important meeting house was built in 1747. Parts of this old building were later used to build the house at 1 SE Main Street. The Dudley Tavern, which you can still see today, was built in the 1770s.
Changes Through the Years
During the 1800s, the importance of the town center changed. New factories and businesses started to grow along the Mumford River in East Douglas. This area also got a boost when the railroad arrived. Because of this, not many new buildings were constructed in the old center during the second half of the 1800s. Only two new houses were built during that time.
In the early 1900s, a few more important buildings were added to the center. Besides the Douglas Pastime Club, a two-room schoolhouse called the Douglas Center School was built in 1921. Some new homes were also built in the Colonial Revival style at 8 and 16 Church Street, and at 1 Main Street. The steeple of the church was damaged by a very strong storm called the New England Hurricane of 1938. It had to be rebuilt after the storm.
Why This District is Special Today
The Old Douglas Center Historic District was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This means it's recognized as a very important historical area in the United States. It helps us remember and learn about the past of Douglas, Massachusetts.
 | Calvin Brent |
 | Walter T. Bailey |
 | Martha Cassell Thompson |
 | Alberta Jeannette Cassell |
