Worcester County MA

Keyes Homestead // c.1753

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Tucked into the hills below Mount Wachusett, the Keyes Homestead in Princeton, Massachusetts, dates to the colonial era, and is part of a well-known local legend. Robert Keyes, his wife Martha, and their young family settled in present-day Princeton in 1751, and built this home to withstand rough New England winters. Within years of the family settling in Princeton, tragedy struck. Legend states that on April 14, 1755, Martha Keyes sent her two older daughters to collect sand from the banks of Wachusett Lake. Unbeknownst to the sisters, little Lucy, just four years old, followed them. She vanished into the woods and was never seen again, despite search parties combing the forest for years. Mr. Keyes was driven to near poverty in his efforts, selling portions of land and even petitioning the government for financial assistance in 1765. Mrs. Keyes is said to have been driven to near insanity, crying her daughter’s name into the woods for years after her disappearance. Two main theories emerged as to what happened to little Lucy. One grim legend says that the Keyes’ mountainside neighbor, Tilly Littlejohn murdered the young girl. According to a 1827 letter now in possession of Cornell University, a man in the New York area thought to be an elderly Tilly Littlejohn confessed on his deathbed to the brutal murder of the little girl whose father he had quarreled with. The man allegedly said that after the murder, he hid the child’s body in a hollowed-out log. The second theory is that a nearby Native American tribe found, captured and fostered the lost little girl. Reports say that many years later, two travelers came across a white woman living among a tribe near the Canadian border who knew little to no English, but recalled once living near what she called “Chusett Hill”. The old Keyes Homestead remains a well-preserved Colonial residence and tells the story of early heartbreak and the difficulty that was early settlement in New England.

Harrington Farmhouse – Pine Hill Farm // c.1770

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

In 1769, Abijah Harrington (1743-1821) moved from Weston and settled in present day Princeton, Massachusetts, where he purchased land on Pine Hill and built this Georgian farmhouse soon-after. He built a home 38’x30′ and a barn and farmed here with his family upon the outbreak of the Revolution. Harrington enlisted with his fellow Princeton militiamen, where he was appointed Corporal. After the war, Abijah and his wife, Sarah, raised their seven children and maintained their farm, having a happy life until 1786. It is not clear what plagued the farm, but within a month, six of their children, ranging in age from 15 years to one year old, died. Abijah and Sarah paid for ornate gravestones for their six children and buried them in the spring at the Meetinghouse Cemetery in the center of town. Their one surviving son, Benjamin Harrington, would inherit the family farm and remained here until his death in 1851. In the late 19th century, the farm was purchased by brothers, Joseph and Edward Brewer of Milton, who seemingly operated it as a summer retreat and gentleman’s farm. It was known as Pine Hill Farm and today remains a private home.

Bagg Hall – Princeton Town Hall // 1884

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Rising from the northwestern corner of the town common, Bagg Hall is the red-brick centerpiece of Princeton, Massachusetts, and it has shaped civic life in the village for well over a century. Funding for the structure came from wealthy businessman, Edward A. Goodnow. Born in Princeton, Edward Augustus Goodnow (1810-1905) was a storekeeper and manufacturer of shoes in Princeton before moving to Worcester where he made his fortune. He became the President of the First National Bank of Worcester and oversaw immense growth for the institution. Goodnow married four times in his 94 years of life, with his first two wives, Hariett Bagg and Mary Bagg (sisters) dying at just 28 years old and 31 years old respectively. In his later years of life, Edward began spending his fortune on charitable causes, including inveting in his hometown which lacked a proper Town Hall or Library. He donated funds for the Goodnow Memorial Library and in 1884, he funded Bagg Hall as the new Town Hall in Princeton, namedbagg in honor of the lives of his first two wives and his son, Henry, all of whom died prematurely. Mr. Goodnow hired Worcester architect, Stephen C. Earle, to design the building which resulted in this handsome brick structure in the fashionable Romanesque Revival style. The only stipulation was that the old Congregational Church was in the way. The solution: Goodnow paid to have the church moved from its site to the eastern edge of the town common. The Bagg Hall building is notable for its strong arched entrance beneath the gable, rounded corner tower with conical roof, and trimming in brownstone and terracotta accents. Today, the building is home of the town’s administrative offices and was restored by 2020.

East Princeton Mechanic’s Hall & Schoolhouse // 1852

Buildings of New England1 Comment

Suffering from neglect, the grand East Princeton Mechanic’s Hall & Schoolhouse stands on Main Street in East Princeton, Massachusetts, as a lasting landmark of the once thriving industrial village. The site was originally home to a one-room schoolhouse built in 1843. Originally a schoolhouse built in 1852 for $600 with timbers from the original schoolhouse that was built in 1843. After about 10 years, the village’s growth necessitated a larger District school. A committee was established to oversee construction and funds for a new schoolhouse, which the committee decided should also include a meeting hall on the top floor, above two classrooms on the ground floor. The Greek Revival style structure is said to have been partially built with timbers salvaged from the earlier building, hence the 1843 date in the pediment. The building operated as a public school until it closed in the 1940s as district schools consolidated. For decades, the meeting hall was used occasionally by the Princeton Farmers and Mechanics Association and later by the East Princeton Village Improvement Society and local American Legion Post until the building was vacated entirely. The building has been left to decay by the town, who own the building, letting this become yet another example of a demolition by neglect.

What would you like to see this building become?

East Princeton Congregational Chapel // 1885

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

In the 1880s, members of the First Congregational Church of Princeton, Massachusetts, who lived in the area of East Princeton Village, petitioned their minister Reverend Archibald Love, to consider the possibility of building a small church to accommodate them. Prior to this, members had to travel over three miles every week and sermon, to the Town Center, where the Congregational Church was located. Reverend Love permitted the erection of a small Congregational Chapel in East Princeton, which broke ground on Main Street in 1885. The Queen Anne style chapel features a steeply pitched roof, offset entrance set within a tower with a belfry above, and bands of decorative shingles breaking up the massing of the building. Services in the East Princeton Chapel ceased in 1960 and the chapel was sold by the congregation and was converted to a private residence, while retaining its unique architectural quality.

Stuart Barn – J. H. Stuart Chair Factory // c.1850

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The small village of East Princeton, Massachusetts, developed in the mid-19th century due to its location along a fast running stream that could power small industrial buildings and mills. Chair manufacturing in the village began in 1841 in a shop built by Benjamin Stuart on the edge of Keyes Brook. Benjamin Stuart and his son, Joseph, started a factory where they made high-quality wooden chairs, which were sold in markets all over central Massachusetts. The business expanded and John H. Stuart converted this building, a c.1850 barn that he owned, into a factory/warehouse for the company. In 1904, the business was incorporated under the name of Temple Stuart Company, which moved to Baldwinville, Templeton, to an expanded factory. The barn-turned-factory was converted into a private residence in the middle of the 20th century, a use that remains today.

Parker Farmhouse // c.1777

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The enchanting town of Princeton, Massachusetts, was incorporated in 1759, created out of land that was previously part of nearby Rutland. The town was named after Rev. Thomas Prince, a prominent clergyman, scholar and historian. Known as the Parker Farmhouse, this Georgian-era residence in Princeton dates to 1777, when Thomas Parker (1727-1799) of Lexington, purchased farmland here and began constructing the family homestead soon-after. Thomas resided in the home with his wife, Jane, and their only child, Ebenezer Parker (1750-1839). The Parker’s laid out a family cemetery near the homestead, now known as West Sterling Cemetery, where many generations of the family are buried. Thomas and Ebenezer seem to have run the homestead as a tavern by the late 18th century. The farmhouse remained in the family for generations, and maintains much of its original character.

Nash-Wood House // 1858

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The finest Gothic Revival style residence in Milford, Massachusetts, can be found tucked away on Claflin Street, and it features the iconic hallmarks of the style. With its steeply pitched roof, blind lancet windows, drip moulds at the windows, and intricate barge boards with hanging pendants, the Nash-Wood House does not disappoint! The residence was built in 1858 and owned at different times by men who worked in the local shoe and boot manufacturing companies in Milford; William Nash and Peleg E. Wood. The property, with its playful paint colors, has been lovingly preserved my subsequent owners.

Ambrosoli Block – Stone Castle // 1890

Buildings of New England1 Comment

The Ambrosoli Block, also known as the Stone Castle, is a stunning four-story building constructed of locally quarried Milford granite and brick, that has ties to the early development and history of Italians in Milford, Massachusetts. As local granite quarries in Milford prospered, many Italian-born immigrants settled in the community near their place of employment. Bernardo Ambrosoli (1843-1896), a well-known hotel proprietor in Boston’s North End, owned this structure in Milford, which served as a residential building and meeting and social hall for the local Italian community. The building was constructed by Giovanni Battista Giacomuzzi (1857-1919), a local stone cutter and builder. Bernardo Ambrosoli had connections to Milford as he also operated a hotel there, and owned this building which became a hub of early Italian-American life in town. The Stone Castle also served as the early meeting place for congregants of what would become the Sacred Heart Church of Milford. Bernardo Ambrosoli tragically died in 1896 when he was shot and killed by a bartender at his North End hotel. The Stone Castle, when built, was three stories tall with a one-and-a-half-story four-gabled roof on top, which burned in 1900. The present fourth floor in stone was added soon after with the brick banding showing the location of that addition. Today, the building is residential use.

Thayer Block – Home National Bank of Milford // 1912

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Thayer Block and its twin, the Claflin Block, on Main Street in Milford, Massachusetts, stand as prototypical early 20th century commercial blocks commonly found in nearly any city in New England. The two-story commercial block was built in 1912 and was long the location of the Home National Bank of Milford. The bank added the iconic clock on the facade, which is one of the remaining clocks made by the McClintock-Loomis Clock Company or successive company, O.B. McClintock Co., which specialized in sidewalk clocks for banking and financial institutions. The green marble storefront was likely added in the 1950s or 1960s and is an eye-catching change to the building. Today, the bank space is occupied by the Rail Trail Flatbread Co., a local restaurant and bar.

Benjamin D. Godfrey House and Stable // 1854

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

Benjamin Davenport Godfrey (1813-1888) was a wealthy boot and shoe manufacturer and inventor who built this stately mansion and detached stable in Milford, Massachusetts. The residence was built in 1854 in the Italianate style and was once one of the largest properties in the community, a true show of his success and wealth. Benjamin Godfrey would eventually retire and move to Newton, selling the property to Frank Harvey, a medical doctor, who resided here and operated a private hospital next door. The property would sell again in 1944 and has operated as a funeral home ever-since. The stately residence and stable echo similar architectural similarities, including the boxy forms, hipped roof, flushboard siding, and bracketed cornice and windows.

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, Milford // 1927 & 1941

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Milford, Massachusetts, was formed in 1905 as a local Catholic church that was the Italian response to the Irish, Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church nearby. The congregation struggled to build an edifice that could compete with its Irish counterpart a few blocks away, that was until 1927, when funding was secured and construction began on the church. Architect, John W. Donohue was selected by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Springfield Diocese, to furnish the plans for the building, which was delayed by the Great Depression. The church, which was long unfinished as a one-story building with basement, was ultimately constructed after plans were finalized in 1941 by architect, Anthony J. DePace, but construction did not begin until after WWII. Work on the upper church began in 1946 and it was dedicated in 1947. With its iconic Roman brick walls, red tile roof, bell tower, and entry staircase built of locally quarried Milford granite, the building showcases the Italian-American culture through its architecture.

St. Mary’s Academy – Landmark Place Apartments // 1924

Buildings of New EnglandLeave a comment

As the St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church of Milford expanded, the diocese determined that an academy building was warranted to educate the pupils affiliated with the growing congregation. In 1924, Massachusetts ecclesiastical architect, John W. Donohue was hired to furnish plans for a new parochial school building. The two-story Colonial/Classical Revival style edifice was constructed of brick with limestone trim and follows the form of many school buildings constructed in New England in the early decades of the 20th century. In 1954, the building became the St. Mary’s Catholic High School and it was expanded in 1962 with a Modern addition. When the two local Catholic churches merged schools in the 1970s, this building was sold to the Town of Milford, who converted it to use as a public middle school, a use that remained until a new middle school was built elsewhere in town. With its future uncertain, in 2018, the Town of Milford sold the school building to developers, who demolished the 1960s additions and constructed a new addition to the rear, converting the entire building into elderly housing named, Landmark Place Apartments. Adaptive reuse is a great way to build additional housing while retaining local history and meet sustainability goals!

Irish Round Tower, St. Mary’s Cemetery // 1894

Buildings of New England2 Comments

Thought to be the only example of an Irish Round Tower in the United States, the obscure Irish Round Tower in the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Milford, Massachusetts, stands as a piece of local history and an architectural landmark. The tower was envisioned by Father Patrick Cuddihy (1809-1898), the pastor of the St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church of Milford, who was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, and oversaw a largely Irish-born congregation here in the States. In 1893, Father Cuddihy sought to expand the existing St. Mary’s Cemetery which had been running out of space for the ever-growing Catholic population of Milford. For the cemetery, he envisioned an Irish Round Tower as a symbol of the Emerald Isle, his land of birth and that of most of his parishioners. Irish Round Towers were historically used in Ireland as bell towers, but for the cemetery in Milford, it would serve the purpose of beautification of the new grounds of the cemetery. Local workers began construction on the tower in 1894. Constructed of locally quarried Milford granite, the tower stands 73.5′ with a conical roof and walls two feet thick. The Milford tower is said to have been modeled after the tower on Devenish Island in Ireland and stands just 10 feet shorter than its inspiration.

Saint Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Milford // 1870

Buildings of New England1 Comment

The grand St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in Milford, Massachusetts, was built in 1870 and is tied to the period of great growth and prosperity for the community. After the Civil War, the quarrying and sale of the iconic local Milford “pink” granite boomed, and thousands of immigrants moved to the area for work, many of them Irish-born, bringing their traditions and religion. The local Catholic church was led by Father Patrick Cuddihy, who oversaw a building campaign and expansion of the church here in Milford. In the 1860s, Father Cuddihy hired architect, Patrick C. Keely to design the edifice, built of local granite quarried by many congregants. Once the foundation was laid for the church Keely was tasked to oversee the design of the new Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, so he abandoned work in Milford, leaving the remainder of the overseeing of construction to ecclesiastical architect, James Murphy, who often worked alongside Keely. Original plans for a towering belfry were uncompleted for over a decade until 1887, when work began to erect the iconic Victorian Gothic tower, it was completed by 1888. The church remains an architectural and cultural landmark in the community which offers masses in English, Spanish and Portuguese, showing the rich cultural diversity in Milford.