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Academy Building
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Academy Building

Also known as Academy of Music Building; Borden Block

Fall River’s first place on the National RegisterListed Jul 2, 1973; only 216 of Massachusetts’s 4,457 listings are older
Ruskinian GothicListed 1973Fall River
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Academy Building

Academy Building, at S. Main St., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Jul 2, 1973: the first place in Fall River to be listed. Only 216 of Massachusetts’s 4,457 listings are older. The Register lists it for its commerce, architecture and performing arts, at the state level. It describes its style as Ruskinian Gothic, as it does for 7 other Massachusetts listings. 13 more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isCommercial building in Fall River, Massachusetts. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 48 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1876 to today

  1. 1876Built, designed by Hartwell & Swasey
  2. 1973Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 53 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 5 minutes

S. Main St., Fall River · about 0.2 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Academy BuildingStart here
  2. 2Union Belt Company FactoryBuilding · next door
  3. 3S. Gourse & Sons BlockBuilding · next door
  4. 4Church of the AscensionVictorian Gothic · Built 1875 · next door
  5. 5Third Street Commercial Corridor Historic DistrictDistrict · next door
Around it

25 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BPilgrim MillsBuilding0.1 miBDurfee MillsItalianate · Built 18660.2 miBConnell, William M., SchoolRomanesque Revival0.2 miDDowntown Fall River Historic DistrictGreek Revival0.2 miBCentral Congregational ChurchRuskinian Gothic0.2 miBSacred Heart SchoolGeorgian Revival0.2 miBCataract Engine Company No. 3Greek Revival0.2 miBBelmont Club/John Young HouseGreek Revival · Built 18450.2 miDLower Highlands Historic DistrictFederal0.2 miBBorden, N. B., SchoolSecond Empire0.3 miBCrescent MillItalian Villa0.3 miBSt. Mary's Cathedral and RectoryVictorian Gothic · Built 18560.3 miBA.J. Borden BuildingLate Victorian Commercial · Built 18890.3 miBBradford Durfee Textile SchoolBuilding0.3 miBFirst Baptist ChurchGothic Revival0.3 miBDurfee, B.M.C., High SchoolRenaissance Revival · Built 18860.3 miDCorky Row Historic DistrictItalianate0.4 miSRuggles ParkSecond Empire0.4 mi
Show the other 7
BWilliam M. Manley HouseItalianate0.4 miBLafayette-Durfee HouseGeorgian0.4 miBThe Unitarian SocietyGothic Revival0.4 miBPine Street SchoolItalianate0.5 miBAmerican Printing Co. and Metacomet MillGothic · Built 18470.5 miBOsborn HouseGreek Revival0.5 miBBristol County Superior CourtRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 18890.5 mi
More like it

Ruskinian Gothic style, nearby

Other National Register listings within 25 miles described as Ruskinian Gothic.

Central Congregational Church0.2 mi away
Massasoit Fire House No. 5Built 1873 · 1.2 mi away
Fall River Waterworks1.5 mi away

Memories of Academy Building

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

Town Square →
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Have an old photo of it?Add it · +10

Questions about Academy Building

Is Academy Building on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Jul 2, 1973 (Register number 73000277).

Is Academy Building a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Torpedo Boat PT-617, 0.7 miles away.

Can you visit Academy Building?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Academy Building?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 48 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 63794438 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.