{"nrhp_refnum":"86001403","name":"Ware Town Hall","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Main and West Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Ware","county":"Hampshire County","state":"MA","lat":42.26016997500005,"lon":-72.24253540299998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1986-06-26","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Politics/Government","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A red brick and sandstone Romanesque Revival town hall with a square tower, at the southeast corner of Main and West Streets in Ware, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It was built in 1885-1886 and enlarged in 1904 and 1935.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an excellent local example of the town hall form, with public meeting space and administrative offices, rendered in the Richardson-influenced Romanesque Revival style. It also reflects the lasting importance of participatory local government in New England towns. Its exterior and main hall retain very good integrity, and it contributes to the village streetscape.","narrative":"Ware Town Hall is a red brick and reddish sandstone building at Main and West Streets, topped by a tall square tower with clock gables. Boston architects H.W. Hartwell and William C. Richardson designed it in 1885, and the local H.P. Cummings company built it for about $40,000. It replaced a town hall that burned in 1867 on the same site. Its Richardsonian Romanesque character shows in low-arched doorways, round-arched windows and rugged rock-faced stone trim. An octagonal stair tower and new entrances were added in 1904 to meet state exit requirements for theatrical use. After a 1935 fire, the rear was rebuilt and extended about 40 feet under local architect Thomas E. Madigan. Both additions were kept compatible with the original. The main hall, once seating 767, remains the core of the interior. The hall was listed for its architecture and for its role in local government, and it contributes strongly to Ware's altered Main Street.","period_of_significance":"1885-1935","architect_builder":"Hartwell & Richardson (1885); Hartwell, Richardson & Driver (1904); T. E. Madigan (1935); H.P. Cummings Co. Construction","architectural_style":"Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian influence)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Occupied and in good condition; owned by the Town of Ware and used for government. The basement offices are substantially altered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:02.253108-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/69/7954/63795469/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/86001403.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001403/827f44fc1f-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/86001403/827f44fc1f-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Pmeleski","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ware_Town_Hall.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Pmeleski</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ware_Town_Hall.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795469","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ware_Town_Hall","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7969258"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/hampshire-county/ware-town-hall-86001403/"}