Haydenville Historic District
Why it's listed
Haydenville is an industrial village in the southeast part of Williamsburg, Massachusetts, centered on a brass works and the buildings its founding family left behind. The district covers about 35 acres and 55 buildings. The brick Brass Works of 1875 replaced the original 1851 factory, which a flood destroyed in 1874. Across the street stand two Greek Revival mansions built for brothers Joel and Josiah Hayden in 1828 and 1839. The Hayden family also built or financed the Congregational Church of 1852, the Center School of 1859, a cemetery begun in 1847, and a Classical Revival library of 1900. In 1867 the Hayden-Gere Brass Works built Gothic-style cottages on High Street for factory employees. The village took its name from the family, and Joel Hayden later served as Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts. Together the buildings show how one family's enterprise shaped a complete nineteenth-century mill community.
Significance in brief: The district is significant as a well-preserved nineteenth-century industrial community developed by the Hayden family. It also contains fine examples of Greek Revival, Gothic Revival and Italianate design. The Hayden brothers' brass industry dominated the area for nearly a century, and their houses, church, school, library, cemetery and workers' housing shaped 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 76000273, listed March 26, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main and High Sts., and Kingsley Ave., Williamsburg |
|---|---|
| County | Hampshire County |
| Listed | March 26, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000273 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | W. F. Pratt of Northampton (attributed, Haydenville Center School); Hayden-Gere Brass Works (built workers' houses, 1867) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Brass Works building is used by Riverside Industries, Inc., which employs handicapped workers; brass production there ended in 1950. The district's condition is marked good, with both unaltered and altered features. |
| Acreage | 35 |
| Coordinates | 42.37589, -72.70401 (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 76000273.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5686421
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.