Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

ORIGINS

The present North Brookfield Town House was built in 1863-1864 on the site of an earlier Town House, which was destroyed by fire in 1862. Although the Civil War was still in progress, a group of North Brookfield citizens recommended the immediate construction of a new Town House, which would serve future generations as a center for business, civic, political and social activities. The cost of the new Town House was $20,000---a considerable sum in 1864. At its dedication, the new building was recognized throughout Massachusetts for its elegant style and proportions.

ARCHITECT

Elbridge Boyden, a prominent Worcester architect, was selected to design the new Town House by a Committee of local citizens. Boyden also designed Mechanics Hall in Worcester in 1856-57, now recognized as one of the finest concert halls in the United States. Many of the design features of the Great Hall of the North Brookfield Town House are similar to those of Mechanics Hall. The acoustics of the Great Hall remain outstanding.

ITALIANATE / SECOND EMPIRE STYLE

The Town House is one of only four Town Houses in Massachusetts, which were built, in the elegant Italianate/Second Empire style, a departure from the usual neo-Georgian or colonial style favored at the time. The Town House also may be one of the earliest examples of a public building constructed in this style in the United States.

SIZE AND PURPOSE

The Town House consists of almost 14,000 square feet and was designed for mixed use---for business, political, and social gatherings, and for entertainment, on three levels.

ARCHITECTURALLY UNIQUE

The Town House is architecturally unique. Boyden designed the façade of the building to accommodate a Great Hall on the second level, and placed the bell tower to the left of the façade rather than in the center. He then created the illusion of another tower on the right side to make the building appear symmetrical. This design created needed space in the interior, and created an elegant exterior. It also makes the North Brookfield Town House architecturally significant.

BELL TOWER

The bell in the Town House tower was cast by E.A. and G.R. Meneely at the West Troy Bell Foundry in West Troy, New York. Meneely was an important bell maker. The bell is dated 1863.

WEAR AND TEAR

The Town House was utilized for civic, political, and social activities by citizens of North Brookfield for over a century. By the 1960’s, however, many of these activities were relocated to other facilities, including the new school buildings, in part because of the inaccessibility of the Great Hall. This decline continued through the end of the Century, when structural problems were discovered. Although repairs were made to the building immediately, Town Offices were moved from the building and the Town Hall was closed.

RESTORATION

The Town House is now structurally sound. Almost all of the exterior remains as it was in 1864. The Great Hall is also largely intact. The first level has been remodeled many times since the building opened in 1864, and little remains of the original interior except the grand staircase and foyer. But, the building can be restored and made accessible for all. Restoration will make the Town House what it was originally intended to be---the centerpiece of downtown North Brookfield.