Eagleville Historic District
Why it's listed
Eagleville is a former mill village in the northwest part of Holden, Massachusetts, arranged around the small triangular Morse Square where Main, High and Princeton Streets meet. Its growth began with a saw and gristmill dammed on the Asnebumskit River in 1806, and later a brick textile mill complex was built below the dam. Around the mill grew a collection of worker housing, including three brick Federal-style buildings unusual for rural central Massachusetts, wood-frame Federal houses, and Greek Revival duplexes. Later additions include Italianate, Gothic Revival and Queen Anne houses, among them a mill agent's Gothic Revival home from about 1882. The mill passed from the Morse family to the Jefferson Manufacturing Company in 1893, and the surviving brick buildings date mostly from the early twentieth century. The district has 45 contributing resources, including 39 buildings and 6 structures. Its historic character comes from the close relationship between industrial buildings, the dam and the modest houses built for workers.
Significance in brief: The district shows the growth of a small water-powered textile mill village from the early 19th century into the 20th century. It contains rare brick Federal-style buildings for central Massachusetts, vernacular Greek Revival mill housing, and the mill complex that drove the settlement. The form ties its development to the mill owners, including the Morse family and later the Jefferson Manufacturing Company.
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 10000786, listed September 24, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St, Princeton St, High St, Holden |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | September 24, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000786 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Industry, Engineering |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current functions include domestic use, specialty commerce, and vacant/not in use. Several mill buildings have been demolished, leaving only foundations. |
| Acreage | 17.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.36006, -71.88254 (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 10000786.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q16966472
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.