Citizens Hall

Citizens Hall is a historic municipal building at 13 Willard Hill Road in Interlaken, a village of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Built in 1870 as a schoolhouse and community meeting center, it is a well-preserved local example of Second Empire architecture. The hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and included as a contributing property in the Old Curtisville Historic District in 1976.[1] It now houses Berkshire Art Center (IS183, INC).[2]

For the historic building in Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, see Citizens' Hall.

Citizens Hall
Citizens Hall
Citizens Hall is located in Massachusetts
Citizens Hall
Citizens Hall is located in the United States
Citizens Hall
Location13 Willard Hill Rd., Interlaken, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°18′58″N 73°19′52″W
Area2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built1870 (1870)
ArchitectCharles T. Rathbun
Architectural styleSecond Empire, Italianate
Part ofOld Curtisville Historic District (ID76000250)
NRHP reference No.72000126[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 19, 1972
Designated CPOctober 29, 1976

Description and history

Citizens Hall is located in the village of Interlaken, on the west side of Willard Hill Road south of its junctions with Interlaken Cross Road and Interlaken Road. It is a two-story wood frame building, with a mansard roof and flushboarded exterior with corner quoining. The roof cornice is adorned with delicately carved wooden brackets. The central portion of the main facade projects, with a three-story tower projecting slightly further forward. The main entrance is located in the base of the tower, which is also topped by a mansard-style roof with an iron railing at the top. Above the entrance is a three-part Palladian style window, each section having a rounded top. Ground floor windows are framed by bracketed cornices and sills.[3]

In 1866 the town of Stockbridge abolished its district school system, opting instead for a scheme in which graded schools were located in each of the town's villages. This The hall was built in 1870 as a school and community center serving what was then a mill village then known as Curtisville, and is now called Interlaken. It was designed by Pittsfield architect Charles T. Rathbun.[3] In 1991 it was adapted for use by the Interlaken School of Art, later named Berkshire Art Center in June 2022.

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. "About Berkshire Art Center". Archived from the original on May 30, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  3. "NRHP nomination for Citizens Hall". National Archive. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
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