Old Centre Historic District
Why it's listed
Old Centre Historic District covers about forty-four acres on top of Meetinghouse Hill, the highest ground in Winchendon, Massachusetts. It was the town's first village center, laid out around a common, a fifteen-acre training field and the first burial ground. Today it holds thirteen buildings, nearly all white frame houses with ells and barns, dating from about 1752 to 1870. They include the Richard Day House, said to be the oldest house in town, and the Greek Revival First Congregational Church of 1852, built partly with materials from an earlier meetinghouse. Old Centre was the heart of the community until around 1830, when roads, mills and later the railroad shifted growth to a manufacturing village along the Millers River. Because that growth passed it by, the hilltop kept its early layout and architecture with little change. The district was listed for its architecture and its role in the town's early settlement, and it is also considered rich in archaeological potential.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be a surviving example of a typical early New England agricultural hilltop village, planned around designated lots with the meetinghouse and common at its center. It was bypassed by nineteenth-century industrial growth along the Millers River and so stayed largely intact. Its buildings are well-preserved Georgian, Federal and Greek Revival examples, and it has high archaeological potential.
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 87000901, listed September 18, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly Old County and Baldwinsville Rds., Hale St., and Teel Rd., Winchendon |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | September 18, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87000901 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1737-1870 |
| Architect / builder | various |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as occupied, in excellent condition and largely unaltered; mostly private residences plus a church and cemetery. |
| Acreage | 44 |
| Coordinates | 42.66257, -72.03817 (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 87000901.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7083631
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.