Barre Common District
Why it's listed
Barre Common District is the historic center of Barre, Massachusetts: thirty commercial, municipal, cultural, religious and residential buildings facing a large open common of just over 15 acres. Greek Revival architecture dominates, including the Congregational Church of 1849, the Town House of 1838-39 designed by E. Lamb, and two buildings of 1836 attributed to Elias Carter. Other styles appear too, such as a late eighteenth-century Federal house, a bracketed house of 1865, and the Richardsonian Romanesque Barre Savings Bank of 1894. Only five twentieth-century structures intrude. The Common itself has been a gathering place for militia training, a July 1840 speech by Daniel Webster, and summer band concerts that earned Barre the nickname "Band Concert Town of New England." The Town House briefly housed the Barre Normal School. Many properties trace to the Caldwell and Woods families, who gave the North Park, the church and the library.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant for its large common and the well-preserved, mainly nineteenth-century buildings around it. It has long been the center of town life, with fine Greek Revival buildings, two of them attributed to Elias Carter, and with homes of citizens important to the town's development. The Common also hosted events such as Daniel Webster's 1840 oration and militia training.
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 76000298, listed May 4, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Bounded roughly by South, Exchange, Main, Pleasant, Broad, School and Grove Sts., Barre |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | May 4, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76000298 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799, 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Elias Carter (attributed, Barre Historical Society Building and Lawrence-Holman-Graziani House); E. Lamb of Princeton, Massachusetts (Barre Town House) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, with bracketed and Richardsonian Romanesque examples |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as retaining its primarily nineteenth-century character, with five twentieth-century structures and a few exterior alterations to commercial buildings. Summer band concerts continue on the Common. |
| Acreage | 22 |
| Coordinates | 42.42282, -72.10531 (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 76000298.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4863279
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.