Town Hall
Why it's listed
Lakeville Town Hall, on the northwest corner of Bedford and Precinct Streets, is a small Greek Revival meeting hall built in 1856. The wood-frame building measures 30 feet wide and 40 feet long and follows a temple form, with white clapboard walls, pilaster-style cornerboards that carry the gable returns, and a simple entablature along the sides. The symmetrical facade has two doors with a window above each, all topped by cornice caps, and the original notice board still hangs between the doors. Inside are one large meeting room and an enclosed room above the entrance that held the first town offices. A false ceiling is the main change. From 1856 to 1952 the hall hosted Lakeville's annual town meetings, and it also housed the selectmen's offices and the town's first public library. After the town offices moved to a larger building in 1952, local organizations took over the hall, and residents have planned its restoration.
Significance in brief: The building has been central to the political and social history of Lakeville. Annual town meetings were held there from 1856 to 1952, and it also housed the selectmen's offices and the town's first public library. Local residents continue to use it for civic purposes.
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 76000955, listed October 22, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bedford St., Lakeville |
|---|---|
| County | Plymouth County |
| Listed | October 22, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000955 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; used as a meeting hall for local organizations since the town offices moved out in 1952, with the town planning a restoration. |
| Acreage | 0.7 |
| Coordinates | 41.84589, -70.95007 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 76000955.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7829958
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.