Brief History of the Town House

The North Brookfield Town House was constructed in 1864. The building is significant in terms of its architectural style and as a well-preserved example of the work of the historic, locally well-known and very active mid-to-late-19th century architectural firm of Elbridge Boyden & Son of Worcester, MA.

It is the second Town House to occupy the site at Main and Summer Streets in the center of the Town of North Brookfield. The former building was in use from 1847 to 1862 on land deeded to the Town of North Brookfield by George H. Lowe in 1847. The previous building was destroyed by fire. At the time, it was the largest fire the Town had ever seen, taking out two shoe manufactories, two barns housing livery stables and a barn at the rear of the nearby hotel. All Town, bank and school records were destroyed.

At the dedication of the new Town House on February 25, 1864,the Worcester Spy described in its article published on March 2, that, “The hall is beautifully frescoed and is one of the most tasteful in the state.” The building originally served as a meeting Hall with only one room set aside for Town Offices, which was the Selectmen’s Room. The majority of the building was leased for commercial purposes. In the 20th century the building was occupied primarily by family businesses. The Great Hall served as the venue for many municipal and social purposes.

As businesses gradually failed, retail space was converted to Town Office space. There was never enough room for all Town services to reside in the building, and with the lack of accommodations for handicapped persons, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, use of the Town House steadily declined in favor of other venues.

The North Brookfield Town House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The Town House is also listed on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Cultural Information System Inventory here