First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury (1723)
The church/meetinghouse was erected in 1721-1722 in the approximate location of the current First Congregational Church. The meetinghouse had no steeple or bell, and while the ornamentation was simple, it was artistic both inside and out. The first pastor, Rev. Job Cushing, served for 37 years until his sudden death on August 6, 1760. In June of 1762, the Rev. Joseph Sumner was invested as the new pastor. He was a popular preacher, and growing attendance required the building of a larger church.The meetinghouse was taken down in July 1766 and the boards were included in the construction of a new church, which opened that same month. A steeple was added to the building in 1807, followed by a bell in 1808, and later a clock. The building was moved in 1834, rotated by 90 degrees and moved 50 feet south, by rolling it on logs.Fun FactsThe meetinghouse was built as a requirement of the General Court of the Crown granting the residents’ petition to form a new township.The meetinghouse cost £210, which amounted to £5 per family in Shrewsbury.Parishioners were originally summoned to services by the beating of a drum.When the meetinghouse became a church in 1766, the builders ordered a barrel of rum brought all the way from Boston to mark the occasion.In 1938, a hurricane blew the original steeple off the church and through its own roof. A new one was built on the ground and hoisted into place.In 1965, a three-story addition was built, including the church’s first elevator.The First Congregational Church of Shrewsbury celebrated its 300th year in 2023.
Mountain View Cemetery (1731)
Located on Boylston Street, the Mountain View Cemetery is the final resting place for many of the Town’s earliest and most notable residents. It is the town’s largest cemetery with over 10,000 interments, the earliest of which were many years before the Revolutionary War.When it incorporated in 1727, the town of Shrewsbury was required under Crown Law to provide a “burying ground” for its residents. In 1730, the town voted to make the cemetery official, clearing the land and fencing it in. The cemetery was situated on what was called Meeting House Hill Land. Now called “Old Corner” (Sections 1-9 on the Cemetery map), the land is part of Shrewsbury’s Historic District and is on the National Register of Historic Places. You can find it just behind the First Congregational Church.Recently the town has sought grants to clean up the older gravestones in the Historic District that have fallen over or need repair.Some of the wonderful historic gravestones can be viewed online among the Farber Gravestone Collection of the American Antiquarian Society.To find the grave of a particular person, you can visit the Find A Grave website for numerous records from the Mountain View Cemetery.
1830 Schoolhouse
The 1830 Brick School is probably one of the earliest surviving schoolhouses in the Worcester County area. It started out as a schoolhouse in 1830, and later hosted Civil War Veterans’ events and meetings, and offices of the Superintendent of Schools and the Shrewsbury Credit Union. The building was also used as a temporary police station while their existing facility was being renovated.In the late 1990’s the Shrewsbury Historical Society initiated the leasing of the 1830 Brick School from the Town of Shrewsbury. Thorough comprehensive presentations and financial reports were conducted by members of the Society. The second floor (Central Hall) was used as their meeting hall.After extensive improvements and renovations to the existing building by the Shrewsbury Historical Society, it became their permanent home. With grant money, individual donations and much hard work, the Society converted the second floor into the Town History Museum which houses the Society’s collection of historical artifacts. The meeting room was relocated to the first floor. With additional renovations to the building, including a new roof, replacement windows and signs, the Society continues its stewardship of this important historical resource as part of its mission to preserve the history of the town of Shrewsbury.Located on Church Road near the Congregational Church and Town Common, the 1830 Brick School is part of Shrewsbury’s Historic District, which was established in 1972.The 1830 Brick Schoolhouse and other locations in the Shrewsbury Historical District were officially added to the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior on October 8, 1976.For additional information visit www.shrewsburyhistoricalsociety.org.
Sumner House (1797)
The Sumner House was built in 1797 and was the home of the Reverend Joseph Sumner, the town's second minister. The house stayed in the family for about 200 years before it was sold as a private residence in the 1980s. It was turned into a bed and breakfast several years later. In 2010, the house became the Chiampa Funeral Home, and still operates in that capacity today.
Town Common and Civil War Memorial (1721)
At the center of the Historic District is the Town Common, which was laid out in 1721 at what are now Main and Boylston Streets. William Taylor, one of the founders of the Congregational Church, donated to the town proprietors the 17 acres which is now the Common and Mountain View Cemetery. Mr. Taylor’s gravestone is in the historic section of the cemetery.The Commons serves as a focal point of the community and hosts a variety of seasonal events, including the annual Light the Common event organized by the Shrewsbury Town Center Association each December and the Scarecrows on the Common display sponsored by the Shrewsbury Garden Club for the town’s Fall Festival.The visual focus of the Common is the First Congregational Church, located at the north end. On the west side of the Common is the town’s main fire station and the Sumner House. To the east, across Boylston St, sits the Shrewsbury Public Library. At the south end of the Common rests the Civil War Memorial.The Civil War Memorial was erected in 1869 by Thomas E. Tateum of Worcester and his company Tateum & Horgan Marble Works, the monument was to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. The primary inscription on the monument is “In Honor of Our Soldiers – They Fell in the War of 1861-65 – We Cherish their Memory.” Tateum constructed an identical obelisk in Westborough the same year.The names on the monument are Edward A. Andrews, Albert W. Carey, Horatio A. Cutting, Jas. H. Cutting, Silas N. Cater, Hiram W. Doane, Thos. B. Eaton, Leander Fay, Nathan B. Garfield, Chas. F. Gleason, Frank L. Hapgood, Hollis Holden, Amasa S. Hyde, John F. Howe, Michael O’Laughlin, Alonzo B. Louks, Calvin C. Pratt, Franklin J. Perry, Alfred F. Porter, Chas F. Rice, Edward P Richardson, Geo. W.B. Sawyer, Elija Smith, Geo. E. Sprague, Henry A. Sawtell, Jonas M. Wheelock, W. M. H. Willson, Chas. G. Ward, ADJT, J. J. Witherbee, M.D. The monument was toppled during an ice storm and landed on the watering trough that once stood in front of it. It was repaired, however, and has stood in the same spot ever since.After its repair, the monument was rededicated on October 26, 2019 to commemorate its 150th anniversary.
Shrewsbury Free Public Library (1903)
The Shrewsbury Public Library that now exists on the corner of Boylston Street (Route 140 and Main Street) dates back to 1792, when a group of town leaders established a private, subscription-based “social library” composed of 152 volumes from their personal collections. At the June 22, 1872 town meeting, members voted to provide a room for the first “public” library, the Shrewsbury Free Public Library, at Town Hall. 152 books were donated to this new public library from the old social library. These books are currently stored in the Ward Room, the library’s rare books and local history room.In 1894, the town purchased the Thomas Bond house, which was situated at the library’s present-day location. It wasn’t until 1903 that an official and independent library was built. Jubal Howe, a Shrewsbury resident and a successful watchmaker who, upon his passing, left a portion of his fortune “for the purpose of establishing or maintaining a Free Public Library in said town for the benefit of the inhabitants thereof.”In 1922, the town accepted $25,000 donated by Artemas Ward of New York City, to build an annex in memory of his ancestor, noted Shrewsbury resident and Revolutionary War General Artemas Ward.The library underwent another renovation with an addition designed by architectural firm Anderson, Notter, and Finegold. They broke ground on December 10, 1979 and the library reopened on February 2, 1981.The library underwent another major renovation. In June 2011, the town acquired the former Shrewsbury Federal Credit Union site, funding was approved at the town meeting in May 2013 and Lamoureux Pagano Associates | Architects, Inc. was selected for the building’s design. Groundbreaking took place in November of 2014 and the grand opening was held Wednesday, September 21, 2016.
George Allen House (1825)
This stately home was built in 1825 by the Reverend George Allen who was a minister of the Shrewsbury First Congregational Church from 1823 to 1840. The home is set back from Main Street and features a large front lawn. The front of the house was covered with flat boards instead of clapboardsThe Worcester born Rev. Allen was a graduate of Yale University. He was a social liberal and was ahead of his time. An outspoken abolitionist, he organized a group of likeminded ministers in Worcester to protest against slavery. The home was later purchased by Sea Captain Josiah Richardson in 1843, the same year he married Harriet Goodnow. During his tenure he planted fruit trees. Interestingly, he also had a connection with the First Congregational Church, having served as a Deacon.In December of 1853, he was the commanding officer of the Staffordshire, a clipper ship with 180 passengers that sank when it was returning from Liverpool to Boston. Richardson lost his life.
Jonas Stone House (1822) - Private Residence
Please respect the fact that this is a private residence.The house located at 4 Prospect Street is known as the Jonas Stone House. It was originally built in 1822 for Samuel Haven, though he never lived in the house. After its completion, the property was sold to Henry Baldwin. The home passed to Lucretia Baldwin Stone and her husband, Jonas Stone. Jonas Stone was the steward of Leicester Academy in Leicester and reportedly ran a tavern in Boston. He had previously been married to Lucy Cushing, daughter of Colonel Job Cushing, first minister of the Congregational Church.The Jonas Stone House is a traditional Federal-style building with two-and-one-half-stories capped with a shallow hip roof. It is square in plan and was likely at one time bilaterally symmetrical. The front facade features twelve-over-twelve windows, two chimneys and a roof cornice with intricate dentil work. The original house connects to a carriage house via a series of additions that have been added over the years. Once operating as the Tally Ho Inn, the house is a now a private home.
Philo and Relief Slocomb House (1806) - Private Residence
Please respect the fact that this is a private residence and refrain from taking photos if anyone is outside the home.The Philo and Relief Slocomb House, located at 10 Prospect St, was built in 1806 on land that was part of the original town common. Philo Slocomb was a community leader, a member of the First Congregational Church, and a landowner. He was a carpenter, with his shop originally at this location. He later moved his shop to South Street. Philo also operated a sawmill in town, which was located in what are now woods behind St. John’s athletic fields. The house was originally built as a simple Federal-style home, which featured a central front door, symmetrical windows, and two chimneys at the ridge line. There were a total of five rooms: three on the first floor, including a kitchen ell, and two bedrooms on the second floor. In the late 1800’s the back of the house was expanded, adding rooms both up and downstairs. This gave the home its low falling salt-box design. The house is notable for its nine-over-nine light windows and elegant woodwork.The home’s setting is distinctive as it was built facing due south, and not facing Prospect Street. This orientation was a common practice in the period, taking full advantage of the warmth from sunlight throughout the colder months.The home stayed in the Slocomb family for nearly 100 years. It has gone through several transformations over the years. Many original features are still present.Today the home is a private residence
Samuel Haven House (1816) - Private Residence
Please respect the fact that this is a private residence and refrain from taking photos if anyone is outside the home.The Samuel Haven house is located at the intersection of Boylston and Prospect Streets. Built in 1816 on a piece of the town common sold to Daniel Goddard in 1781, it was the home of Samuel Haven. Haven lived in this house while he operated the Old Cushing Haven Tavern on Main Street. The house was built in the Federal style, and features fine stonework put in place when it was owned by Asaph Andrews. A broad lawn and old trees distinguish the exterior of the property.In the late 1800’s, this Federal style house was purchased by Hiram Loring. He added a three-story addition in 1888 and turned it into a hotel called the Highland House or Highland Farm House. It later became known as the Shrewsbury Inn. Today, that addition is no longer part of the house and it is once again a private home.
