Colrain Center Historic District
Why it's listed
Colrain Center is the village core of Colrain, Massachusetts, where Main, Greenfield and Jacksonville Roads meet at a small triangular common. The district holds 91 resources on about 30 acres, including houses, churches, stores, a library, a school, and war memorials. Most buildings are vernacular versions of 19th century styles, ranging from Federal to Queen Anne and Neoclassical, and slate roofs and weatherboard siding are common. Two 1830s brick churches, one Greek Revival and one Gothic Revival, anchor the common. Memorial Hall, built in 1895 for Civil War veterans, and the 1908 Griswold Memorial Library, designed by McLean and Wright of Boston and given by a local cotton manufacturing family, are the main civic landmarks. The village grew with farming, textile mills and an electric railway opened in 1896. Several hotels once stood beside the common, but fires destroyed them, and that site remains vacant. Some buildings beside the common are condemned.
Significance in brief: The district keeps its 19th century village appearance, with a mix of institutional, civic, commercial and residential buildings in Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival and Neoclassical styles. It includes the architect-designed Griswold Memorial Library and buildings tied to the town's farming, textile and civic history.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 06001057, listed November 15, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main, Greenfield, Jacksonville Rds., Streeter Ln, River and Coburn Sts., Colrain |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | November 15, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06001057 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | McLean and Wright of Boston (Griswold Memorial Library, built by Robert E. Pray and Co. of Greenfield); M.R. Drew (third Colrain hotel, no longer standing) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Politics/Government |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most buildings are in fair to excellent condition; four buildings beside the common (Brick Store, Tin Shop, Horace Winchester House, Clark Chandler Store) are condemned and vacant, and Memorial Hall has been vacant since 2004. |
| Acreage | 30.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.67342, -72.69794 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 06001057.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5149359
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.