{"nrhp_refnum":"85000981","name":"Black Tavern","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Dudley Center Rd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dudley","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.04569573100008,"lon":-71.92951661199999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-05-09","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A Federal-style tavern on Dudley Hill in the center of Dudley, Worcester County, Massachusetts, built in 1803-1804 by Hezekiah Healy, with additions made around 1810 and 1835 and porches added around 1890.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that the building is one of the best-preserved Federal-period structures in old Dudley and was an important tavern on the Boston-Hartford stagecoach route. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. It also reflects the later development of the community as a summer home and a college dormitory, and it has high archaeological potential.","narrative":"Black Tavern is a Federal-style building at the top of Dudley Hill, built in 1803-1804 by Hezekiah Healy, a militiaman, cabinetmaker and inventor. It began as the Healy Inn and was later called Black Tavern, reportedly because Healy painted it black to reduce maintenance. Facing the village common and meetinghouse, it served stagecoach passengers, horses and local residents on the route between Boston and Hartford. A carpenter shop ell was added about 1810 and a two-story northern ell about 1835. When the Central Turnpike bypassed the hill in 1829, traffic declined. Healy's descendants lived there, and Dr. Charles Goodell used it as a summer home, adding Colonial Revival porches around 1890. It later became a Nichols College dormitory. Its integrity and its place in the early development of Dudley center supported listing under criteria A and C. The interior has deteriorated, though fireplaces, ovens and original doors remain, and a historical society now hopes to restore it.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"Hezekiah Healy, builder","architectural_style":"Federal, with Colonial Revival alterations","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"The interior has deteriorated and the building has been poorly maintained in recent years. It was deeded to a non-profit historical society that hopes to restore it. The form lists its status as unoccupied with work in progress.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:57.283969-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/29/7971/63797129/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/85000981.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000981/b73f3293a8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85000981/b73f3293a8-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DudleyMA_BlackTavern.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DudleyMA_BlackTavern.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100004707","name":"Dudley Hill Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/dudley-hill-historic-district-100004707/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797129","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Tavern","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4921995"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/black-tavern-85000981/"}