Institutional District

The Institutional District of Worcester, Massachusetts is an historic district encompassing a significant concentration of civic and municipal buildings north of the city's downtown area. It is centered on Lincoln Square and Wheaton Square, and includes properties on Main, Salisbury, and Tuckerman Streets. It includes the 1840s Worcester County Courthouse, the War Memorial and Memorial Auditorium, and the former Worcester Historical Society building at 39 Salisbury Street. The 1897 Worcester Art Museum is included in the district, as is the c. 1890 armory building at 44 Salisbury Street.[2] The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

Institutional District
Worcester Memorial Auditorium
LocationProperties on Lincoln and Wheaton Squares and on Salisbury and Tuckerman Sts., Worcester, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°16′20″N 71°48′4″W
Built1843
ArchitectYoung, Ammi B., et al.
Architectural styleClassical Revival, Greek Revival, Georgian Revival
MPSWorcester MRA
NRHP reference No.80000554 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 05, 1980

Prior to its institutional uses, this part of Worcester was largely owned by the Salisbury family, whose progenitor, Stephen Salisbury I, opened a store at Lincoln Square in 1772. Salisbury's grandson, Stephen Salisbury III, was a major local industrialist, and began donating and selling portions of the family holdings in the 1880s. His donations included land for the Central Church, Boys' Club, Art Museum, Auditorium, and War Memorial.[2] He was a major benefactor of the museum, bequesting it the family collection. The Salisbury Mansion and Store, now owned by the museum, are located just outside this district.

Contributing properties
  • Worcester Industrial Technical Institute
  • Worcester County Courthouse
  • Worcester Woman's Club (Tuckerman Hall)
  • Worcester Art Museum (interior)
  • Worcester Boys' Club
  • Worcester National Guard Armory
  • Central Church
  • North High School (1889 building)
  • Equestrian statue of Charles Devens
  • "1898" statue in Wheaton Square

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "NRHP nomination for Institutional District". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
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