North Village Historic District

North Village is a small rural settlement along Main Street and Otis Street in Lancaster, Massachusetts, about a mile north of the town center. Twenty-two buildings make up the district, including twenty-one private residences and a former tavern now divided into apartments. Settlement began in 1717 when Captain John Bennett built his house, which later served as an inn, a tavern and, after 1830, a station on the underground railroad. The area, once called Union Village, grew quickly after about 1800 and supported a tannery, store, machine shop, inn and tavern. Most houses were built before 1900 and are wood frame with clapboard siding, multiple-paned windows and shutters. Their vernacular designs carry Federal and Greek Revival details. Three later buildings, from the 1900s and 1920s, include a store and a house. The district was listed for the age and unified character of its buildings and its rural setting.