New Life for Old Treasures

While many of Northborough's treasured homes and public buildings have disappeared from the local landscape, many others have found new life in the 21st century. Here are examples of old town treasures that have stood the test of time. The photos and descriptions have been taken from Images of America: Northborough courtesy of the Northborough Historical Society.

Click on the images for a larger version of the picture.

Northborough Bank. Three bank officials pose in front of the Northborough Bank, established in 1854. Since 1950, the building has served as a post office, a newspaper circulation office, and the headquarters of any number of businesses.

Today. The old bank on 28 Main Street is now home to Atlas Land Surveying, Inc.

David Wood Mill. Rivaling the Chapin Mill as a seat of industry, David Wood's woolen mill at Hudson and Allen Streets had already survived several fires by the time he erected this brick building in 1888, not long before this photograph was taken. After the decline of milling, the building housed a maker of church furniture. It also housed Basketville, a well-known New England retailer, before its conversion into condominiums in the late 1980s.
 

Today. After the decline of milling, the former David Wood Mill building housed a maker of church furniture. It also housed Basketville, a well-known New England retailer, before its conversion, in the late 1980s, into the condominiums called The Residence at the Falls. 

Wesson Estate. In 1882, Daniel B. Wesson, a partner in the firearms manufacturing firm of Amith & Wesson, began to construct this elaborate summer home one-half mile east of the center of Northborough. He called it the Cliffs. From its stained-glass skylight to its parquet oak floors, it is a spectacular mansion, which reportedly cost Wesson $300,000.

Today. Around the middle of the 20th century, the Daniel B. Wesson mansion became a restaurant called the White Cliffs. Today, the White Cliffs is host to social and business functions year-round.

John Stone House. The John Stone House dates from about 1850. Members of the family are gathered for this photograph, which apparently dates from the 1890s. The house, despite modifications, is still recognizable at 10 Church Street. It was the longtime home of R. Gordon Walker, a Northborough selectman in the 1930s and 1940s, and his wife, Florence Walker.
 

Today. The John Stone House, on 10 Church Street, is home to a variety of businesses, including a tea room and an art and gift shop.

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