Bedford Center Historic District

Bedford Center Historic District covers roughly 56 acres in the traditional heart of Bedford, Massachusetts. It contains about 100 commercial, religious, cultural and civic buildings, with construction beginning around 1710. Most were built in the 18th or early 19th century. Bedford was incorporated in 1729, and the district's buildings include Fitch Tavern, built about 1710 by Benjamin Kidder, and the Georgian Penniman-Stearns House of 1772 by local architect Reuben Duren. The Federal-style Squire Stearns House, the Greek Revival Jonathan Bacon House and the First Parish Church, modeled on a design by Asher Benjamin, add to the variety. The Old Burying Ground, the town hall and several early schoolhouses also lie within the boundaries, along with war memorials that stress the town's Revolutionary heritage. The area was listed because it remains the center of community life and offers a clear picture of rural New England development, with Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian architecture in excellent condition. About 19 modern buildings are counted as intrusions, though most blend with their older neighbors.