Centre Village Historic District
Also known as: See Also:First Church of Christ Unitarian
Why it's listed
Main Street in downtown Southbridge, Massachusetts, holds a district of thirty-one buildings, a small park and the oldest section of the town cemetery, spread over roughly four-tenths of a mile. Wood frame houses of former town leaders stand at the southeastern end, civic and church buildings occupy the middle, and three- and four-story brick commercial blocks lie toward the northwest. Italianate and Second Empire styles dominate, with Greek Revival, late Federal and Georgian Revival examples. Southbridge grew from a mill town incorporated in 1816, expanding from 830 residents to 10,000 by 1900, which explains its urban character. The Edwards brothers, merchants, built many commercial buildings, including an 1852 department store. Ebenezer and Holmes Ammidown, a mill organizer and a hotel proprietor, shaped the district as well. Daniel Burnham of Chicago designed the bank and library in the Georgian Revival style. Few intrusions or alterations mar the district, which was listed as the center of the town's commercial and political life.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be significant as the center of Southbridge's commercial development and as the home of the town's major political and commercial leaders. It is visually cohesive, with few intrusions, and retains integrity of design, setting, materials and workmanship. Its urban character is unusual among the surrounding rural towns, and it is tied to the Edwards and Ammidown families.
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 79000379, listed September 7, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Along Main St., Southbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | September 7, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000379 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Daniel H. Burnham of Chicago (Post Office, Worcester County National Bank, Jacob Edwards Memorial Library); Amos Cutting of Worcester (Ammidown and Masonic Buildings, believed); George Pople of Boston (Hartwell Pharmacy); masons C.C. Carpenter and W.B. Potter; carpenter Leonard Cutler |
| Architectural style | Italianate and Second Empire predominate; also Greek Revival, late Federal and Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is marked good. Many former residences have been adapted for commercial or other uses, and only a few post-1929 intrusions are noted. |
| Acreage | 254 |
| Within district | Center Village District |
| Coordinates | 42.45691, -71.67583 (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 79000379.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5062324
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.