Massachusetts State Armory

Massachusetts State Armory
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Massachusetts State Armory in Wakefield
42°30′5″N 71°4′13″W / 42.50139°N 71.07028°W / 42.50139; -71.07028
Built	1913
Architectural style	Classical Revival
MPS	Wakefield MRA
NRHP reference No.	89000707[1]
Added to NRHP	July 6, 1989

The Massachusetts State Armory is a historic armory in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Built in 1913, it is a fine local example of Classical Revival architecture, and a symbol of the town's long military history. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.^[1] It presently houses the Americal Civic Center, a local community center.

Description and history

The armory is located on the west side of Main Street, at its southwest corner with Armory Street. It is a two-story Classical Revival brick building, whose front facade is dominated by a Classical portico with four columns extending the full height of the building. It has a stone water table and modillioned cornice. Windows have stone sills, and those on the first floor have stone keystones.^[2]

Wakefield's military history dates to the 17th century, when it was part of Reading. Its first militia company was raised in 1644, and had a continuous history extending to 1840. The Washington Rifle Greens were organized in 1812, and survived until 1850. In 1850 Dr. Solon O. Richardson, a prominent local businessman, organized the Richardson Light Guard, which served in the American Civil War. The town's first armory, a former town hall, was opened in 1873, with a new one built in 1894 on Main Street. That building burned down in 1911, and the state built the present building two years later.^[2] In 1975 the building was turned over to the town, and it was adapted for use as a community center.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Wakefield, Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

References

• v
• t
• e

Wakefield, Massachusetts

• Incorporated in 1812
• Based in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
• Population 27,090

General information

• Wakefield
  • photos
• History
  • Crimes
  • Massacre
• Geography
• Climate
• Demographics
  • 2010 Census
  • 2000 Census
• Government
• Education
• Neighborhoods
• Transportation
• Media
• Points of Interest
• Annual events
• Sports
• Notable residents
• Suggested reading

Government	Board of Selectmen (BOS)/Town Council Finance Committee (FinCom) School Committee/Wakefield Public Schools (WPS) Board of Health (BOH) Board of Appeals (ZBA) Fence Viewers WWII Memorial Committee Full list of governmental positions

Institutions

• Camp Curtis Guild
• Center for Applied Special Technology
• Daily Item
• Daily Times Chronicle
• Hockey East (headquartered in Wakefield)
• Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
• MBTA bus routes
• MBTA stations
  • Wakefield
  • Greenwood
• Nazareth Academy
• Our Lady of Nazareth Academy
• Paul K. Guillow, Inc.
• Wakefield High School (WHS)
• Wakefield Savings Bank
• Xura, Inc.

Attractions

• Pleasure Island (defunct)
• Lake Quannapowitt
• Saugus River

Notable residents

• Lucius Beebe
• Elizabeth Boit
• Bruce Brown Jr.
• Scott Brown
• Joe Cannata
• Carleton S. Coon
• David Dellinger
• Anthony Fabiano
• Israel Horovitz
• Mark Kumpel
• Dave Lapham
• John Lilley
• A. David Mazzone
• Marcia Pankratz
• Jimmy Pedro
• Buffy Sainte-Marie
• Louis Sullivan
• Richard Tisei
• John Anthony Volpe

National Historic Places
(Houses)

• 18A & 20 Aborn Av.
• 6 Adams St.
• 380 Albion St.
• Avon St.
  • 23
  • 25
• 5 Bennett St.
• E. Boardman House
• Elizabeth Boit House
• Chestnut St.
  • 15
  • 21
  • 95
• 39 Converse St.
• 28 Cordis St.
• Cowdry Houses
  • Jonas
  • Nathaniel
• 40 Crescent St.
• Emerson-Franklin Poole House
• 26 Francis Av.
• Captain Goodwin-James Eustis House
• Samuel Gould House
• Capt. William Green House
• Deacon Daniel Green House
• 118 Greenwood St.
• 20 Hancock Rd.
• 42 Hopkins St.
• Dr. Charles Jordan House
• Deacon Thomas Kendall House
• 15 Lawrence St.
• Lawrence St.
  • 20
  • 23
• 556 Lowell St.
• Main St.
  • 190
  • 196
• 1 Morrison Av.
• Morrison Rd.
  • 20
  • 32
• 2 Nichols St.
• 509 North Av.
• 52 Oak St.
• Oliver House
• Park St.
  • 8
  • 18
• 22 Parker Rd.
• Prospect St.
  • 88
  • 90
• Richardson Avenue Rowhouses
  • 35–37
  • 38–48
• Dr. S. O. Richardson House
• Salem St.
  • 7
  • 19–21
  • 38
  • 113
• Sheffield Rd.
  • 13
  • 30
• Dr. Thomas Simpson House
• 54 Spring St.
• William Stimpson House
• Sweetser Houses
  • Daniel
  • Michael
• D. Horace Tilton House
• 193 Vernon St.
• 12 W. Water St.
• Wave Av.
  • 11
  • 15
• 9 White Av.
• 28 Wiley St.
• Suell Winn House
• Charles Winship House
• 1 Woodcrest Dr.

National Historic Places
(Buildings and Districts)

• Beacon Street Tomb
• Beebe Homestead
• Center (or Centre) Depot
• Church–Lafayette Sts. Hist. Dist.
• Common District
• Flanley's Block
• Greenwood Union Church
• Col. James Hartshorne House
• Item Building
• Lakeside Cemetery Chapel
• Lynnwood
• Massachusetts State Armory
• South Reading Academy
• St. Joseph School
• Temple Israel Cemetery
• Main Post Office
• Wakefield Park
• Wakefield Rattan Company
• Wakefield Trust Company
• Wakefield Upper Depot
• H.M. Warren School
• West Ward School
• Woodville School
• Woodward Homestead
• Yale Avenue Historic District

Neighboring towns
Reading (Template) North Reading Lynnfield (Template) I-93/ Woburn (Template) Wakefield Breakheart Reservation Stoneham (Template) Melrose (Template) Saugus (Template)

• Media related to Wakefield at Wikimedia Commons