{"nrhp_refnum":"82004481","name":"Petersham Common Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"MA 32/122","address_restricted":false,"city":"Petersham","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.49108450000003,"lon":-72.18534460621497,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1982-05-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Exploration/Settlement","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A linear village common district in Petersham, Worcester County, Massachusetts, covering about fifty acres and forty-five structures around a common laid out in 1733, with buildings mostly from the 1760s to 1850 plus some from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.","why_significant":"The district keeps its integrity of setting, design, materials and workmanship, with mostly wood frame buildings and large lots opening to open land. The common has been the focus of town civic, religious and social life since settlement in the eighteenth century. Its primary period of significance is the first half of the nineteenth century, and it is also considered likely to hold historic archaeological resources.","narrative":"Petersham Common is the historic center of a small hill town in northwest Worcester County, Massachusetts. The common was laid out in 1733 with 72 settling lots, and the surrounding district takes in about fifty acres and forty-five structures along Common Street, North and South Main Streets and parts of Athol Road and North Street. Most buildings are wood frame and date before 1850, and many are Greek Revival, with a few Federal houses, including one from 1768. Public buildings around the green include the Unitarian Church, Town Hall, the Brick Building and the Memorial Library. Late nineteenth century additions such as the Nichewaug Hotel and the Fiske House reflect the arrival of summer visitors. The common was the site of the first meeting house in 1736 and of gatherings in 1773 and 1775. Residents have worked to protect it since 1878, and local historic district protection began in 1967. The district is significant for its intact village setting and its architecture.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Multiple, including Joseph G. Parmenter, Edmund Wilson, William G. Rantoul, Charles Frederick Bosworth, Arthur H. Brook, Jr., Samson Wetherell and Benjamin F. Hamilton","architectural_style":"Predominantly Greek Revival, with Federal, Georgian, Queen Anne, Shingle Style, Richardsonian Romanesque and Colonial Revival buildings","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Described as retaining the character of a New England village with few intrusions; the common is still used for civic, religious, social and recreational activities. Buildings remain in occupied use as homes, a store, a library, churches and a town hall.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.23433-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/37/7971/63797137/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/82004481.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004481/5f59508d96-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/82004481/5f59508d96-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"John Phelan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Congregational_Parish,_Unitarian,_Petersham_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797137","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petersham_Common_Historic_District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7178220"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/petersham-common-historic-district-82004481/"}