{"nrhp_refnum":"06000401","name":"West Brookfield Center Historic District (Boundary Increase)","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Central, Milk, Mechanic, Sherman, Front and Ware Sts., Long Hill, Old Long Hill Rd., Railroad, Freight House Ave.s","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Brookfield","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.23038900000006,"lon":-72.14531764661962,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2006-05-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce","Community Planning and Development","Industry","Transportation"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A boundary increase to the West Brookfield Center Historic District in West Brookfield, Worcester County, Massachusetts, covering a mostly residential area south of the existing district, with a railroad and small commercial/industrial cluster. It contains 58 contributing and 25 noncontributing resources, dating mainly from the mid to late 19th century.","why_significant":"The area grew in response to the opening of the Western Railroad in 1839 and to the town's industrial growth in the later 19th century, and it closely relates to the southern section of the existing district. Its railroad buildings, including two depots, a freight house and an overpass bridge, are a focal point. Nearby factories made boots, heels, corsets and other goods, and the surrounding houses were home to middle- and working-class residents.","narrative":"This addition to the West Brookfield Center Historic District covers the area just south of the town center, between Lake Wickaboag, Coy's Brook and the Quaboag River. It grew after the Western Railroad arrived in 1839 and as local industry expanded in the second half of the 19th century. Railroad buildings anchor the area: an 1847 Gothic Revival passenger depot moved to Ware Street in 1884, an 1847 brick freight house still on its original site, an 1884 Richardsonian Romanesque depot of granite and brownstone designed by E. C. Gardner, and a 1955 steel overpass bridge reused from another location. Small factories and shops clustered near the tracks, and the history of the area includes boot, heel and corset manufacturing. Most buildings, however, are modest mid-to-late 19th century houses on tree-lined streets, built for middle- and working-class families. The district includes 58 contributing and 25 noncontributing resources, and its character reflects the town's railroad-era growth.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"E. C. Gardner (designer) and W.N. Flynt & Company of Palmer (builder) of the 1884 Boston & Albany Passenger Depot","architectural_style":"Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Richardsonian Romanesque, and mid-20th century ranch, Cape Cod and astylistic","criteria":[],"status_note":"The 1884 depot has been used as a senior center since the 1990s. The 1847 depot is in commercial use, and a parking lot and municipal yards occupy nearby land.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.813589-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/44/7972/63797244/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/06000401.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000401/145e0b53b8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/06000401/145e0b53b8-1600.webp","licence":"CC0","author":"Daderot","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Brookfield_Family_Practice_-_West_Brookfield,_MA_-_DSC04738-001.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Daderot</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:West_Brookfield_Family_Practice_-_West_Brookfield,_MA_-_DSC04738-001.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797244","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Brookfield_Center_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7984601"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/west-brookfield-center-historic-district-boundary-increase-06000401/"}