Colonial Revival

Amory-Richards House // 1865

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Built in 1865 along with its neighbor and later renovated in the Colonial Revival style, the Amory-Buckingham House on Colchester Street stands as an altered, yet historically significant residence in Brookline’s important Longwood neighborhood. A large lot on Colchester Street was purchased by Dr. Robert Amory (1842-1910), who in 1864, married Marianne Appleton Lawrence (1843–1882), daughter of Amos Adams Lawrence, a major developer of the nearby Cottage Farm neighborhood of Brookline. This stone cottage, one of two neighboring homes built at the same time for Dr. Amory was likely his main residence when not residing at his Boston townhouse or summer residence in Bar Harbor, Maine. The property was sold by the end of the 19th century to Edwin Buckingham and in 1902 to George L. Richards, who had the home expanded with an additional floor added with gambrel roof. A detached stable was also constructed around this time.

Lawrence School // 1929

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The Lawrence School in Brookline, Massachusetts, is a stunning example of a public school building built in the interwar period in the Colonial Revival architectural style. Constructed in 1929, the building replaced an earlier, Stick/Queen Anne style school designed by the firm of Peabody & Stearns. The school is named after Amos A. Lawrence (1814-1886) a prominent local landowner in Brookline. When the earlier school building was outgrown and deemed obsolete, planning began for a new, modern school building for the community. The new Lawrence School was designed by R. Clipston Sturgis a notable local architect who specialized in the Colonial Revival style, and opened in September 1930. The handsome brick building is in the form of a long rectangular block with two perpendicular wings at each end. At the center of the main block is the principal entrance with its columned portico on a projecting pavilion all in cast stone, a cheaper alternative that resembles limestone.

Blenheim Apartments // 1898

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As Brookline, Massachusetts, saw rapid development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, developers redeveloped lots formerly occupied by single-family residences and built large, multi-family triple-deckers and apartments, specifically in neighborhoods in close proximity to train stations into Boston. This building, constructed in 1898 by local builder, John H. Pineo, for owner, Walter H. Whittemore as an investment property. The building contained six apartments as a double triple-decker with two units on each floors accessed by a central entry and stairwell. The building has been known as the Blenheim Apartments and blends Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles into a single, eclectic composition. The large massing is broken up by both the undulating facades and roof with projecting bays, dormers and corner towers, along with the applied ornament of panels, dentils, corbels and broken pediment motifs. If all multi-family housing looked like this, people would not complain about density as much!

Second Unitarian Church of Brookline – Temple Sinai // 1916

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An excellent example of an early 20th century church designed in the Colonial Revival style, the former Second Unitarian Church of Brookline (now Temple Sinai), was built when much of the surrounding neighborhood was developed and as a result, is tucked away off main streets, creating a unique viewshed for passersby. Brookline’s second Unitarian Church was formed in 1896, with the congregation holding its first meetings at Sears Chapel in the Longwood neighborhood nearby. Decades later, the Second Unitarian Society was urged to find another place for its congregation as the Longwood church wanted full access of their building. The Unitarians purchased a lot of land adjacent to their Parish House in Coolidge Corner (no longer standing) and gathered funds to hire architect, Edwin J. Lewis Jr., who is said to have designed the new edifice as a contemporary take on Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia. The church features a monumental portico supported by four Ionic columns, round arched windows, and a center tower that (at the time) was surmounted by a golden dome, visible for miles. Since 1944, the former church has been home to Temple Sinai, a reform synagogue that was established in 1939. The Jewish congregation here has maintained the building making slight changes to meet its needs. 

Former Pleasant Street High School // 1910

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The former Pleasant Street High School in Sharon, Massachusetts, is an excellent example of early 20th century school architecture and adaptive reuse in a small Massachusetts town. The square, two-story, Colonial Revival style school building replaced an earlier school and was designed in 1910 by the firm of Adden & Parker. As with many communities, the school was outgrown and outdated after WWII and a new, consolidated high school was built in town. The former Pleasant Street school closed by 1981 and was subsequently converted to housing by the Sharon Housing Authority. The building is part of a local historic district, ensuring its preservation in perpetuity.

First Church of Christ Scientist, Sharon // 1928

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Located on North Main Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, the community’s Christian Science Church was built in 1928 and is a great example of a diminutive chapel designed in the Colonial Revival style. Before it was completed, the Sharon Christian Science Society had been meeting and holding Sunday services in rooms at the Town Hall and other churches until funding was secured for their own house of worship. Customary of all Christian Science churches, the Christian Scientist in Sharon needed to have the building completely free of debt before being dedicated. The church was designed by architect Prescott A. Hopkins, who was likely the first person to receive a master’s degree in architecture at MIT before moving to Atlanta to became the first head of the Architecture Department at Georgia Tech. The building features a large Palladianesque window at the facade and twin curved entry porches at the facade.

Former Sharon Public Library // 1914

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Built with funds donated by Andrew Carnegie as part of his push to expand access to libraries and books to millions of Americans, the former Sharon Public Library in Sharon, Massachusetts, stands as a great example of an early 20th century library built in the Colonial Revival style. Planning for a public library in the town of Sharon began in the 1870s when the town voted to appropriate money gained from charging dog licenses into a fund for a free public library. Additional funds were later added and a collection was set aside in the old Town Hall where the library occupied two rooms. By the 1910s, the circulation and use grew to a point that a new, purpose-built library was needed for the community, but funding was short and Sharon did not have any major benefactors to fund its library like so many other communities in New England at the time. As a result, an application is made to Andrew Carnegie for assistance. Months later, the sum of $10,000 was offered for the planning and construction of the library, costing the community nothing. Boston architect C. Howard Walker was selected to furnish plans for the Sharon Library, which was such a success that the building would be featured in numerous architectural publications after completion. The former Sharon Public Library remains one of a large number of Carnegie Libraries in New England and was subsequently expanded by rear additions in the late 20th century before a new library nearby was completed in 2025. It is not clear what will become of the 1914 library, but it remains in great condition and a lasting landmark on the town’s Main Street.

George P. Lawrence Summer House // 1897

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On the eastern shore of Lake Massapoag in Sharon, Massachusetts, the George P. Lawrence Summer House is an excellent and rare preserved example of a late 19th century Victorian summer house in the suburban town. The residence was built in 1897 for George Pelton Lawrence (1859-1917) and his wife, Belle, as a summer retreat from their primary residence in North Adams in Western Massachusetts. George P. Lawrence was an attorney who was appointed as a district court judge before entering the political arena where he became a state senator. The couple spent summers at this beautiful Shingle/Colonial Revival style residence until Congressman Lawrence’s death in 1917. On November 21, 1917, Lawrence jumped out of his eighth-floor New York City window at the Hotel Belmont , committing suicide. In his room, he left a note saying that he “could not stand the pressure anymore”. The Sharon property remained in the family until the 1940s and has been modernized, while maintaining its character. 

Wrentham State School // 1910

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The Wrentham State School (also known as the Wrentham State Hospital) was authorized in 1906 as a school for the “feeble-minded”, and the campus is comprised of a few dozen buildings largely from the early to mid 20th century. The school was founded to house and treat developmentally disabled children and was the first in the state of Massachusetts to employ a standardized plan for wards and employee housing. A site occupied by farmhouses just north of Wrentham Center was selected and purchased by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The school officially opened in 1910 and brick structures were built to house students and workers. In its first year, 217 pupils were admitted to the facility, roughly half boys and girls. A majority of the early ward buildings were constructed in the early years of the school, with most designed by the Boston architectural firm of Kendall, Taylor & Stevens, who also designed many other similar facilities around the country in the early 20th century. Most buildings are examples of the Arts & Crafts and Colonial Revival styles built of brick. Today, the campus is comprised of roughly half, deteriorating historic buildings and half are used as part of the Wrentham Developmental Center, which continues the important (and under-funded) work of treating psychiatric and developmental disorders of patients.

Philander P. Cook House // 1847

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Built in 1847 as a residence for local Postmaster and storeowner, Philander P. Cook, this historic house off West Street in West Wrentham, Massachusetts, showcases the evolution so many New England farmhouses have experienced, from working farm, to country retreat, to suburban residence. Philander Perry Cook (1816-1880) purchased this land in 1845 from prominent Massachusetts State Senator and local government official, Alan Tillinghast, and shortly after purchase, he began construction of this Greek Revival style, two-story residence with attached stable. At the turn of the century, wealthy Wellesley College graduate, teacher and published author named Lucy Freeman, purchased the property from Cook’s heirs (as well as a residence nearby where she took up residence) and she rented the Philander P. Cook House to friends during the course of her ownership. In 1910, she modernized the house, likely adding the fanlight transom in the Colonial Revival mode, and had the grounds landscaped as a country retreat. Throughout the 20th century, a number of owners have preserved and modernized the home, while retaining its unique charm and character, and it now is a large, single-family home. 

Former Fiske Public Library – Old Fiske Museum // 1896

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The former Fiske Public Library building in Wrentham, Massachusetts, is an excellent example of a civic building in the Colonial Revival style. The building was funded and dedicated in the memory of the late Josiah Jones Fiske, a Wrentham-born lawyer and businessman, by his heirs. The family selected plans by Boston architect, William York Peters, who designed the building with a symmetrical facade with central projecting portico supported by Corinthian columns, and tall windows set within slightly recessed arches. The library was eventually outgrown, and instead of building an addition, the town decided to build a contemporary library elsewhere. Now, the former library is home to the Wrentham Historical Commission and the Wrentham Arts and Cultural Commission as the Old Fiske Museum, where the commissions feature local artifacts, art, and showcase the town’s ever-changing history and culture.

Richmond Congregational Church // 1903

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The Richmond Congregational Church is a stellar example of an early 20th century, wood-frame church building in the small town of Richmond, Vermont. Designed by prominent Burlington architect, Walter R. B. Wilcox in 1903, the building blends many styles that were popular at the time, namely the Shingle, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival styles, into a single composition. The parish hall addition was built in 1984, and is in a sympathetic Colonial Revival style, designed by Burlington architect Donald Albertson. The congregation remains active and maintains the church building, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

The Larches // 1910

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George Otis Draper (1867-1923) was born in Hopedale and attended MIT to prepare to help run the extremely successful family business, the Draper Corporation in town, which was experiencing a period of rapid growth and expansion of factories. With his position at the company, his wealth afforded him the ability to build a massive country estate known as The Larches. The shingled Colonial Revival style home featured a massive crenelated tower and appeared like a castle in the countryside. George O. Draper sold this home to his aunt Hannah Thwing Draper Osgood in 1909, and within a month, the home burned to the ground. She began construction on the “new Larches“, a shingled mansion with a stunning blending of Colonial Revival and Craftsman styles. The home was likely designed by Robert Allen Cook, who was based out of nearby Milford, MA. The property today is run by Crossroads Clubhouse, an employment and recovery center that offers people with mental health conditions opportunities to achieve their full potential.

General Draper High School // 1927

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The General Draper Memorial High School is one of the many civic and institutional buildings in Hopedale Village that were donated to the small industrial community by members of the wealthy Draper Family, who operated the Draper Corporation Factory in town. The school was built in 1927 on land donated to the Town by Princess Margaret Bonocompagni, the youngest child of the late William F. Draper, who married Prince Andrea Boncompagni of Italy in 1916. The marriage ended in divorce by 1924 and years later, she had no need for the family home in Hopedale, and bequeathed the site to the community for a new high school in memory of her late father. General William Franklin Draper (1842-1910) was a Civil War veteran who became a politician and managed the Draper company in Hopedale, where he built a massive mansion for his family. The mansion was demolished and replaced by this Colonial Revival style High School, designed by New Hampshire-based architect, Chase R. Whitcher, the handsome structure has since been expanded at the rear to service the growing student population in town.

Hopedale Community House // 1923

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Hopedale in the 1920s saw a civic building campaign led by George A. Draper (1855-1923), then treasurer of the Draper Corporation. Draper often talked about the need for a community center in Hopedale for his workers, and in 1919 decided to build one at his own expense. He commissioned architect Edwin J. Lewis, Jr. of Boston to design the Hopedale Community House which was intended to serve as a social and civic center for all Hopedale residents, as well as Draper Corporation employees residing in other towns. The building was opened in 1923, but sadly George Draper died before he could see it used. Colonial Revival in style, the building’s facade is dominated by a portico along the entire elevation with double-height Ionic columns. The slate hipped roof is capped by a square clock tower at the crest. The Community House included an assembly hall, a banquet hall that doubled as a gymnasium, a kitchen, rooms for smoking and cards and billiards, a ladies’ social room, the Knights of Pythias club room, and candlepin bowling lanes in the basement, all of which exist to this day.