House - 1795
34-36 Main Street
About 1860, this house was occupied by Wheeler Hakes, a shoemaker. Hakes’ shop was located in the south west corner room which, at the time, had its own entrance near the exterior brick chimney. In the 1940s, this house was occupied by C. Ernest Gray, the postmaster.
This house is a good example of the Georgian style in overall form and details. The symmetrical five-bay façade with a central entrance is typical Georgian style and it is likely a massive central chimney was replaced with the current small off-center chimney. The front entrance portico (with its barrel vaulted pediment and narrow Tuscan columns) is typical of late Georgians and early Federals.
New Town Hall
40 Main Street
A referendum in 1978, that won by only seven votes, resulted in the renovation of an existing brick auto garage into offices for town use. The garage, constructed in the 1950s by Noah Carocari, had replaced an earlier structure that burned. The original building on the site was a stable that belonged to Dudley R Wheeler. His house, which was located across the street, burned on February 13, 1938. That site is now the town parking lot.
Old Town Hall
42 Main Street
The Old Town Hall was built just prior to 1809 by Daniel Packer and Jedidiah Randall. The building was moved from another location on the same lot in the late 19th century. At one time the building housed a jail. It has been said that a frequent use of the jail was to enable men who had overindulged to find sobriety. Since it was heated by wood stoves, some even entered voluntarily on cold nights.
It was a general store [the T. S. & H. D. Wheeler Store] until it was deeded to the town and converted to the Town Hall in 1904. Today it is used for the offices of the selectmen, resident state troopers, and some town officials. This building is vernacular in style with a Federal entrance and early window configurations (12/8 double-hung sash). This building is significant for its overall form and placement on the street front which harmonize with the character of the Village.
The Holmes Block
2 Wyassup Road
The village store building, built circa 1800, was believed to have been first occupied by the store of Williams and Rogers and later by Augustus L. Babcock, a coffin maker. In the 1840s, it became known as the “Holmes Block”. Wheeler H. Holmes sold fruit, confectionary and baked goods in the South end, while his father David Holmes, opened a cabinet and coffin shop with undertaking rooms in the center and north ends. In 1908 it was sold to Frank H. Brown and George Stone, who sold merchandise for many years.