Classical Revival

Chester Public Library // 1907

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The Chester Public Library in Chester, Connecticut, was formed from a private library when in 1875, a Library Association was formed with members paying fees to take out books. The library grew throughout the 19th century and was housed in rented spaces, including in the Old Stone Store, until the early 20th century, when the collection grew to a point a purpose-built library was needed. A generous donor stepped forward, Mr. Samuel Mills Ely (1837-1909), who grew up in Chester, but made his fortunes in Binghamton, New York. Samuel Ely donated funds to his hometown as a memorial to his parents, Richard and Mary Caroline Ely. The library opened in 1907 and is built of native granite and trimmed with Indiana limestone and resembles many of the Carnegie libraries built at the time with a central, pedimented entry pavilion and recessed side wings, but no Carnegie funds were allocated for this project. The architect is also not known at this time.

Brookline Public Library // 1910

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The Brookline Public Library in Brookline Village opened in 1910 and was designed by R. Clipston Sturgis, one of the great 20th century architects in the Boston area. Taking his cue from the south facade of the Queen’s House at Greenwich, England, Sturgis designed a modest expression of Palladianism in red brick and limestone. The building is the second library on the site, replacing an 1869 mansard roofed building that was outgrown and demolished for this building. The Brookline Library was expanded in 1974 by Integrated Design Services Group and renovated again by Perry, Dean & Rogers.

Former Derby Savings Bank // 1893

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The former Derby Savings Bank stands at the corner of Main and Caroline streets and is one of the many handsome commercial buildings in Derby, Connecticut, which have been preserved. Designed in the Romanesque and Classical Revival styles, the building is adorned by terracotta, brick, and brownstone, with medallions depicting the date of incorporation (1843) and the date of this building (1893) which flank the Palladian window at the second floor. The bank occupied this structure from the date of its completion in 1893 until it built a new banking facility farther down Main Street in 1923. The bank again built a new building during the period of urban renewal in Derby’s downtown in 1976 when the modern structure at Main and Elizabeth streets was completed. The Modern bank is presently used as the City Hall.

Derby Neck Library // 1907

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The Derby Neck Library in Derby, Connecticut, is a beautiful example of an early 20th century library and one of a few Carnegie libraries in the state. The beginnings of the library began in 1897, when Wilbur F. Osborne and his wife, Ellen Davis Osborne, who lived at the nearby Osborne Farm, donated $50 to the nearby school to begin a small library in the building. After years of growth, Wilbur Fisk Osborne, requested funds from Andrew Carnegie, who was donating money to communities all across the country for such purposes, to build a new library for Derby Neck. In 1906, Carnegie donated $3,400 to the community, and planning began on the building. Sadly, Osborne died around the time the library opened in 1907. The building was designed in the Classical Revival style by architect, Henry Killam Murphy of Connecticut. Osborne’s daughter, Frances Osborne Kellogg, who inherited her father’s farmhouse nearby, directed the library until her death in 1956. The building was expanded in 1972 and again in 1999.

Baker Free Library // 1914

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In 1912, Congressman Henry M. Baker, cousin of Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, left in his will, $10,000 and the land next to his family home to the Town of Bow for the creation of a public library for his hometown. Architect, William McLean formerly of the firm, McLean and Wright, who specialized in library designs of the early 20th century, was selected to furnish plans for Bow’s new library, which employs a sort of Classical Revival/Beaux Arts design, similar to many Carnegie libraries of the time. As the town grew, the library has been expanded.

Thayer Memorial Library // 1868

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One of the four stately brick buildings framing the Lancaster Town Common in Lancaster, Massachusetts, is this brick and brownstone building, the historic town library. The story of the town’s first purpose-built library building began in 1866, when wealthy resident, Nathaniel Thayer offered $5,000 to the town for the erection of a new library in his hometown. Quickly, a committee of residents, led by Mr. Thayer, worked to acquire land from the First Church of Christ in Lancaster and hire architects Ryder & Harris of Boston to furnish plans for the new building, which was set to be a library and Memorial Hall dedicated to the 39 Lancaster men who died fighting in the Civil War. Nathaniel Thayer ultimately donated two-thirds of the final cost of the building, believed to be nearly $30,000, in addition to his already established $5,000 for books. The building was updated later with the addition of a children’s room in 1929, a gift of Mrs. Bayard Thayer in memory of her son, another Nathaniel Thayer. The Classical/Renaissance Revival style building stands out for its unique central brownstone pedimented bay with engaged columns and balcony over the main entrance. 

People’s Savings Bank // 1913

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Built in the mode of a Greek temple, the former People’s Savings Bank was built in 1913 on a prominent site overlooking Market Square in the East Side neighborhood of Providence. Designed by the Providence-based architectural firm of Clarke & Howe, the handsome marble-faced two-story bank showcases the bold, yet clean proportions found in many Classical Revival style institutional buildings of the early 20th century. The People’s Savings Bank was established in 1851 and after decades of growth, built this structure to show customers the prosperity and stability of their institution. After a series of bank acquisitions and mergers in the 20th century, the building was eventually acquired by the Rhode Island School of Design, who had the building converted into studio space and later into the college’s hardware store. Yes, you heard that right… Talk about adaptive reuse!

Woodrow Wilson School // 1932

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The Woodrow Wilson School, now Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School, is located at 18 Croftland Avenue in the Ashmont neighborhood of Dorchester. The school was built in 1932 to accommodate increased development and population growth in the immediate area in the interwar period and was designed in a blending of Classical Revival and Art Deco styles, both popular at the time for such academic buildings. The building was named for Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), the 28th President of the United States and was designed to comfortably accommodate 1,600 students. Architect, John Matthew Gray designed the building to conform to a plan drafted by the City of Boston in 1923 to standardize all new school construction down to the precise dimensions of windows and hallways. The permitted flexibility for hired architects was strictly on the exterior, where architects were free to create individual character in the designs of entryways, auditoriums, and exterior architectural styles and decoration. The entry of the Woodrow Wilson School depicts Art Deco motifs including lettering and inlaid carved panels over the door of a child reading and a child holding a globe. The school was renamed the Dr. William W. Henderson K-12 Inclusion School after the innovative educator of the same name.


Forbes Public High School // 1924

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The former Forbes Public High School in Westborough, Massachusetts, is an excellent example of a civic building in the Classical Revival style. Built in 1924 for a growing suburban community, the building was constructed as the town’s high school with the grounds and substantial funding donated by Francis and Fannie Forbes, life-long residents of town with Francis having roots going back to the earliest settlers here. The building was permitted in late 1924 and plans were drawn by the firm of Ritchie, Parsons & Taylor. who designed the large school with stone and brick construction, large arched windows, and pilasters breaking up the bays. Inside, the new building had 14 classrooms, a gymnasium, a shop room, and cooking rooms, all with fine carved woodwork. After WWII, Westborough further consolidated its schools, and built a new High School nearby. This building was repurposed as the Forbes Municipal Building, containing city offices and the Police Department headquarters.

Westborough Public Library // 1908

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The Westborough Public Library is a handsome, two-story, masonry building with additions to showcase the growth and importance of the library to the community. This building was constructed in 1908, replacing a small space in the first floor of the old Town Hall (since demolished) as the community’s first purpose-built library. The structure was designed by architect Penn Varney, who specialized in civic buildings in New England. The Classical Revival style building is constructed of buff brick with stone trimmings. Of particular note, the quoined arched entry and pediment with central wreath motif, add much to the design. The library was eventually outgrown, and in 1980, an addition was added to the rear, in a style taking cues from the main building, but clearly of its time. The Town of Westborough about to undergo a restoration and renovation to the library, including a new roof, HVAC systems, interior renovations and the restoration of the 1908 windows.