Gillon Block
Also known as: Ring & Welch Building
Why it's listed
Rising four stories along Main Street in downtown Milford, this red brick commercial block was built in 1888 for Patrick Gillon, who made his fortune in the liquor business. Architect Rinaldo V. Carey designed a symmetrical seven-bay facade with a central pavilion, a curved mansard roof and an onion-shaped dome. Local materials feature prominently: Milford granite, Longmeadow brownstone, terra cotta panels and brick corbelling. Inside, two large third-floor meeting halls, first known as Temperance Hall and Red Men's Hall, kept their original woodwork and much of their stencilled decoration. Fraternal groups met there, and in the 1920s the halls became dance rooms. The Blue Room drew big band and jazz acts, and the building earned the nickname "the Jazz Building" among musicians in southern New England. Its architecture, its intact interiors and its link to Milford's granite and shoe-manufacturing prosperity underpin its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the block is Milford's most outstanding example of eclectic, late Victorian commercial architecture and is closely tied to the town's late 19th century prosperity. Its largely intact interiors are described as a rare survivor of the period. It also gained note in the 1930s and 40s as a jazz and big band venue and rehearsal site known as "the Jazz Building."
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 82000488, listed October 21, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 189 Main St., Milford |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | October 21, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82000488 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Rinaldo V. Carey |
| Architectural style | Eclectic, late Victorian commercial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied; first-floor stores and a barroom, with offices on the upper floors. All first-floor storefronts were remodelled in the twentieth century. |
| Acreage | 0.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.14061, -71.52032 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 82000488.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5562417
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.