Hubbardston Public Library
Also known as: Library Building; Town House
Why it's listed
Dominating the civic cluster on Main Street in Hubbardston, this brick and granite library was given to the town by Jonas Gilman Clark and finished in 1875, with a stone plaque on the cornice recording his name and the date 1874. Elbridge Boyden of Worcester designed it in a Second Empire and Italianate manner, with a tall central tower, round-headed windows, bold granite voussoirs and a marble-columned entrance porch. Inside, a central hall separates the library rooms from a former post office, while a large upstairs room served community groups and now holds a historical museum. Town offices have occupied the basement since the start. Clark, a Hubbardston native who became a successful businessman, later founded Clark University in Worcester, and this gift was his first act of educational philanthropy. The building keeps much of its original woodwork and moldings and remains the centerpiece of the town's historic center, surrounded by Federal and Greek Revival buildings.
Significance in brief: It is presented as an example of post-Civil War educational philanthropy and as the civic center of Hubbardston. It is tied to Jonas Gilman Clark, a native son who later founded Clark University. It is also a fine example of 1870s Second Empire and Italianate architecture by Elbridge Boyden, and the earliest and most intact example of a style Clark used in later buildings.
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 98000989, listed August 19, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7 Main St., Hubbardston |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | August 19, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000989 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1874-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Boyden, Elbridge (architect); Mellen, Henry (mason); Mann Bigelow & Gosling (stonecutters) |
| Architectural style | Second Empire / Italianate (also listed: Greek Revival, Gothic, Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival, Colonial Revival, Beaux Arts, Italian Renaissance) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still houses the public library on the main floor, town offices in the basement, and the Hubbardston Historical Society Museum upstairs. Some water damage and alterations are noted. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.47507, -72.00723 (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 98000989.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5926915
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.