Hopkinton Supply Co. Building
Also known as: Framingham Motor Parts-Hopkinton Branch
Why it's listed
Built in 1906 at 26-28 Main Street in downtown Hopkinton, this one-story store is clad in galvanized, pressed sheet metal. It was made from a catalogue storefront system sold by George L. Mesker & Company of Evansville, Indiana. The facade has plate glass windows, a recessed entrance, stamped metal pilasters and a cornice in the Mesker "Morning Glory" pattern. Inside, stamped metal wainscoting and ceiling carry a rosette design. The site had held two earlier groceries, destroyed by fires in 1882 and 1900. The Charles L. Claflin family built the present grocery, which housed the Hopkinton Supply Company until 1928 and then an A&P branch until 1954. The nomination values it as a rare, well-preserved example of mail-order commercial architecture; only 27 such structures were built in Massachusetts by 1910. A recent rehabilitation repaired the cornice, reproduced the original door and transom, and restored missing roof ornaments.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is locally significant as an example of early 20th-century "mail order" commercial architecture. It is one of few intact surviving Mesker storefronts in Massachusetts, where only 27 had been built by 1910. It also illustrates modular construction, standardized design, catalogue sales and the imitation of costly materials in stamped metal.
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 83000810, listed March 10, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 26-28 Main St., Hopkinton |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | March 10, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83000810 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1906 |
| Architect / builder | George L. Mesker & Company |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in commercial use; recently rehabilitated, with original features restored and reproduced. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.22877, -71.52055 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83000810.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715556
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.