Sharon Historic District
Why it's listed
Nine buildings along a single block of North Main Street make up this district in the center of Sharon, Massachusetts. Two white Greek Revival churches, the Unitarian Church of 1842 and the First Congregational Church of 1839, are the visual focal points. Nearby are the Dennett House of 1753, built as a parsonage and the oldest surviving building in the area, and the Morse House of about 1805, reputedly built of brick brought from England as ship ballast. Colonial Revival houses from 1898 and 1905, two further houses from 1910 and 1911, and a 1914 Georgian Revival library complete the group. The library was funded by Andrew Carnegie and designed by C. Howard Walker. The district sits where the Second Precinct of Stoughton first developed in the 1740s, and it is described as the only cohesive group in town that represents Sharon's historic development, set apart from modern commercial and residential surroundings.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as the only contiguous, cohesive group of buildings representing the historic development of Sharon. The buildings show a variety of eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth century styles on the site of the original Second Precinct center. The Carnegie-funded library, designed by C. Howard Walker, was published as an example of outstanding library architecture.
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 75000296, listed August 22, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Both sides of N. Main St. from Post Office Sq. to School St., Sharon |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | August 22, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75000296 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | C. Howard Walker (Sharon Public Library) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Georgian Revival, Colonial Revival and Colonial |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good and altered; the district is occupied, with buildings in use as churches, a library and private residences. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 42.12448, -71.17853 (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 75000296.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7490093
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.