Palmer Memorial Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Palmer Memorial Hall
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Memorial Hall
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Palmer, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1890 |
| Architect | Robertson, Robert H.; Flynt Building and Construction Comp |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 99001082 |
| Added to NRHP | September 3, 1999 |
The Palmer Memorial Hall is a historic building found in Palmer, Massachusetts. This beautiful building was finished in 1890. It was designed by an architect from New York City named R. H. Robertson. The hall was built to honor soldiers from the American Civil War who had passed away. It also served as a meeting place for a group of Civil War veterans called the Grand Army of the Republic. For many years, the first floor of the hall was home to the town's public library, until 1977. Since then, it has become Palmer's Senior Center. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 because of its important history.
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What is Palmer Memorial Hall?
Palmer Memorial Hall is located just one block away from Palmer's main street. It is a one-and-a-half story building made of red brick. The roof is sloped, and the foundation is made of strong granite. The front of the building has a special section that sticks out, with a pointed roof. This section holds the main entrances, which are two round-shaped doorways. These doorways have cool clay decorations above them.
A Look Inside the Hall
Above the main entrances, in the pointed roof section, there are three tall, round-shaped windows. On each side of this main section, you can see two more round-shaped windows. Above these, dormer windows with sloped roofs stick out from the main roof. When the building was first designed, the ground floor was meant to be a library. The second floor was planned as a meeting space for groups.
Built for a Purpose
The hall was designed by Robert H. Robertson from New York City. It was built between 1890 and 1891. It had three main purposes:
- To be a memorial for the town's Civil War soldiers.
- To be a meeting place for the Grand Army of the Republic, a group of Civil War veterans.
- To house the public library.
The Palmer Memorial Hall is a great example of the Romanesque style of architecture in the city.
A Home for the Library
Palmer's first library started in 1815, but it was a private library. This means people had to pay to use it. Several attempts to keep a library going failed until 1878. In that year, a group called the Young Men's Library Association bought books from a failed library. They opened a public reading room on Central Street. In the 1880s, people started asking for a permanent collection of books and a special building for the library. Around the same time, there were also calls for a war memorial.
In 1890, Dr. W.H. Stowe generously donated the land for the building. The Palmer Memorial Hall was officially opened in April 1891. The library association gave control of the library to the city in 1963. The library then moved to a new building in 1977.
A Place for Veterans
The hall was also very important for the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). This was a group of soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War. They met in the hall to share stories, support each other, and remember their service.
Today's Use
Today, the space that used to be the library on the ground floor is now used as a senior center. This means it's a place where older adults in the community can gather, socialize, and take part in activities. The GAR hall, which was the meeting space on the second floor, is still used for community meetings and events.
