Milford Town Hall
Why it's listed
Milford Town Hall occupies a small plot in the center of the Main Street business district in downtown Milford, Massachusetts. Designed by Thomas W. Silloway and built between 1853 and 1858, it is a two-story wooden building on a brick foundation, finished in white clapboards. Pilasters, a modillioned cornice, triglyph-and-patera frieze, a Palladian window in the gable and an ornate cupola nearly 50 feet tall give it a rich Renaissance Revival character. A cross-axial rear section was added in 1900 as the town grew. Inside, the basement holds jail cells, the ground floor holds town offices, and the main floor has a large meeting room with a stage and balconies. The building replaced an older Town House and originally housed a market in its basement. It was listed for its architecture and its long service as the meeting place for local government. Its wooden construction sets it apart from the town's other public buildings, which are made of Milford's pink granite.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a landmark for its Renaissance Revival architecture and for its long role as the meeting place of Milford's local government, about 125 years. It is also unusual among the town's public buildings for being built of wood rather than the local pink granite.
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 77000200, listed September 22, 1977. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 52 Main St., Milford |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | September 22, 1977 |
| Reference number | 77000200 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Thomas W. Silloway |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still serving as town hall: the basement holds jail cells, the ground floor holds town offices, and the main floor has a large meeting room with stage and balconies. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.14250, -71.51664 (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 77000200.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6851759
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.