The Peabody Civic Center Historic District encompasses a well-preserved portion of the historic center of
Peabody, Massachusetts
Peabody () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 54,481 at the time of the 2020 United States Census. Peabody is located in the North Shore region of Massachusetts, and is known for its rich industrial histo ...
. Extending along Chestnut and Franklin Streets south of
Peabody City Hall
Peabody City Hall is the historic city hall of Peabody, Massachusetts. It is located at 24 Lowell Street, near Peabody Square.
History and architecture
City Hall was built in 1883 as Town Hall, becoming City Hall when Peabody reincorporated as ...
, the district includes a small residential area built in the mid-19th century, as well as the city hall and St. JOhn the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, two monumental structures defining the town's civic heart. The district was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1980.
Description and history
The city of Peabody was originally part of
Salem
Salem may refer to: Places
Canada
Ontario
* Bruce County
** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie
** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce
* Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
, and was, after a series of political divisions, incorporated separately as South Danvers in 1855. It was renamed Peabody, after philanthropist
George Peabody
George Peabody ( ; February 18, 1795 – November 4, 1869) was an American financier and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as the father of modern philanthropy.
Born into a poor family in Massachusetts, Peabody went into business in dry go ...
, in 1868, and was reincorporated as a city in 1911. The area where the city center developed was settled as early as 1634, when a grist mill was built on Proctor Brook north of what is now Lowell Street. A church was built on the south side of Lowell Street in 1711, and open land to its south was used as a commons and militia training ground. The area developed residentially in the 1840s, when Lowell Street (not part of the district except City Hall) was lined with small businesses such as shoe shops, resulting in a collection of Greek Revival and Italianate houses. The area's significance as the city center was cemented with the construction in the 1870s of St. John's, an imposing Victorian Gothic brick building, and the 1880s construction of City Hall, a 3-1/2 story Second Empire building.
The historic district is anchored at its northeastern corner by City Hall, and is roughly L shape extending south and then west from there. It includes housing along Chestnut Street between Lowell and Franklin Street, and along Franklin between Chestnut and School Streets. To the west of City Hall, it includes the main St. John's edifice, as well as the associated rectory and convent.
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See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Historic districts in Essex County, Massachusetts
History of Peabody, Massachusetts
National Register of Historic Places in Essex County, Massachusetts
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts