Powers Institute Historic District
Why it's listed
Two lots facing each other across Church Street in Bernardston's center village hold a group of mid-19th-century buildings tied to local education. The Powers Institute, built in 1857, is a clapboarded Italianate school with a gabled main block, two small projecting wings, a slate roof and a belvedere. Its plan, with large recitation rooms and specialized spaces, was uncommon for rural Massachusetts, where schools were usually small one-room buildings. Nearby are the brick Cushman Library of 1862 and Cushman Hall of 1860, a boarding house and dormitory, with Cushman Park opposite. The school was funded by a bequest from Edward Eppes Powers, a Bernardston native who made his career in Georgia, and supported by land and gifts from Henry W. Cushman. Carpenter Virgil Woodcock of Swanzey, New Hampshire, is associated with the Institute building. The school stopped serving as the high school in 1958 and now houses the historical society, while a 1975 fire station is the only new building.
Significance in brief: The district is tied to the founding of Bernardston's secondary school through a bequest by Edward Eppes Powers and to gifts of land and buildings by Henry W. Cushman. The Institute's complex Italianate massing was unusual for rural Massachusetts schools because the exterior expressed the larger and more specialized interior. The grouping also forms an important educational and civic part of the village.
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 93000127, listed March 18, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Church St. between South and Library Sts., Bernardston |
|---|---|
| County | Franklin County |
| Listed | March 18, 1994 |
| Reference number | 93000127 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Virgil Woodcock (carpenter associated with the Powers Institute) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Powers Institute ceased serving as the town high school in 1958 and now houses the Bernardston Historical Society collections. Cushman Library remains a library, and Cushman Hall has been divided into apartments. |
| Acreage | 6.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.67143, -72.55219 (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 93000127.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7236822
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.