Washburn Square-Leicester Common Historic District (Additional Documentation)
Why it's listed
Leicester's town common and the streets around it form a compact historic district on high ground once called Strawberry Hill. The 2.3-acre common is bordered by Washburn Square, Main Street and Paxton Street. Along the north side stand the First Congregational Church, the Town Hall and the Unitarian Church, while stately houses face the common from the south side of Main Street. The oldest buildings date to the late 1700s, including the 1789 Darius Cutting House and the 1791 Col. Thomas Denny, Jr. House. Brick Federal buildings such as the 1813 David McFarland House and the 1809 Daniel McFarland Store show the wealth of early residents. The present arrangement of the common and its institutions came from an intentional town-planning effort between about 1826 and 1831. Because Route 9 bypassed this stretch of Main Street in 1931, the area keeps a quiet, mid-19th century appearance. Several buildings now serve Becker College, and newer college buildings are excluded or counted as noncontributing.
Significance in brief: The district is the institutional and civic heart of Leicester, with a planned common and square laid out between about 1826 and 1831. It preserves a large collection of Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and later houses and institutional buildings that give it a strong mid-19th century character. It also reflects the town's early development around its meetinghouse, academy and card-manufacturing wealth.
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 06000062, listed February 22, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Washburn Sq., 3 Paxton St., Leicester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 22, 2006 |
| Reference number | 06000062 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Buildings are in mixed use: houses, town hall, churches, stores, and several buildings used by Becker College as dormitories, offices and library. |
| Acreage | 21 |
| Coordinates | 42.24645, -71.90552 (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 06000062.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7971460
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.