Shelburne Falls Historic District

Shelburne Falls is a compact village center on both banks of the Deerfield River, split between the towns of Shelburne and Buckland in Massachusetts. The 26-acre historic district holds 43 buildings and structures, mostly two- and three-story brick or frame commercial blocks lining Bridge Street, along with churches, town halls, a library and two bridges. Its growth followed the 1830s use of the falls to power metal-working shops, with Lamson and Goodnow becoming the major employer. Shops, banks and a hotel arose to serve the workforce, including the Thayer Block of 1837 and the granite Hotel Block of about 1852. Styles range from Greek Revival and Italianate to Gothic Revival and Georgian Revival. The Bridge of Flowers, built in 1908 as a streetcar bridge, is also included. Economic decline after the Great Depression limited new development, so the village keeps a largely intact late-19th and early-20th-century commercial character.