Chester Factory Village Historic District

Chester Factory Village Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Chester Elementary School
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Location	Chester, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°16′52″N 72°58′54″W / 42.28111°N 72.98167°W / 42.28111; -72.98167Coordinates: 42°16′52″N 72°58′54″W / 42.28111°N 72.98167°W / 42.28111; -72.98167
Architect	Unknown
Architectural style	Mid 19th Century Revival, Early Republic, Late Victorian
NRHP Reference #	89000145
Added to NRHP	March 16, 1989

89000145

The Chester Factory Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the historic village of Chester Factories in Chester, Massachusetts. Chester was settled in the 1760s, and the factory village was a location where water power was harnessed at an early time for grist mills and sawmills. The village got its name from the Chester Glass Factory, which operated in the area through the War of 1812. It benefited from the construction of a turnpike leading to Chester Center in 1804, and was transformed by the arrival of the railroad around 1840. The village became an important provisioning stop for trains, and the village further benefited by the fact that the railroad bypassed Chester Center. The economic and civic life of the town gradually shifted, and Chester Factories is where the town hall and library were built.

The district is roughly bounded by Middlefield Road, River, Main, and Maple Streets, US 20, and Williams Street. It contains mid-19th Century Revivals, Early Republic architecture, and Late Victorian architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.