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Central Library
Photo: Mangostar, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Central Library

On the National Register since 198937 years
Second Renaissance RevivalListed 1989Somerville
DirectionsAdd an old photo

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

About

About Central Library

Central Library, at 79 Highland Ave., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Sep 18, 1989. The Register lists it for its town planning and architecture, at the local level. It describes its style as Second Renaissance Revival, as it does for 12 other Massachusetts listings. It was listed as part of Somerville MPS. 13 more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isLibrary in Somerville, 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 · 7 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1914 to today

  1. 1914Built
  2. 1989Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 37 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 5 minutes

79 Highland Ave., Somerville · about 0.2 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Central LibraryStart here
  2. 2Langmaid BuildingSecond Empire · Built 1889 · next door
  3. 3House at 49 Vinal AvenueShingle · Built 1895 · next door
  4. 4Parker-Burnett HouseItalianate · Built 1873 · next door
  5. 5House at 42 Vinal AvenueShingle Style · Built 1884 · next door
Around it

34 more Register listings within half a mile

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

DHollander BlocksQueen Anne0.1 miBThe GrandviewColonial Revival · Built 18930.2 miBRobert Munroe HouseGreek Revival · Built 18490.2 miBLouville Niles HouseQueen Anne · Built 18900.2 miBLouville V. Niles HouseQueen Anne · Built 18900.2 miBWright HouseQueen Anne · Built 18950.2 miBGeorge Loring HouseShingle Style · Built 18950.2 miBThe HighlandRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 18920.2 miBSomerville High SchoolGeorgian Revival · Built 18520.2 miBSomerville Journal BuildingRenaissance Revival · Built 18940.3 miBA. L. Lovejoy HouseSecond Empire · Built 18710.3 miBJames H. Brooks HouseSecond Empire · Built 18800.3 miBS. E. Brackett HouseSecond Empire · Built 18800.3 miBHouse at 5 Prospect HillQueen Anne · Built 18860.3 miBCharles Williams HouseItalianate · Built 18480.3 miBH. Warren HouseSecond Empire · Built 18700.3 miBUS Post Office-Salem MainColonial Revival0.4 miBUS Post Office-Somerville MainColonial Revival · Built 19360.4 mi
Show the other 16
BUS Post Office-Newburyport MainColonial Revival0.4 miDBow Street Historic DistrictRichardsonian Romanesque0.4 miBHouse at 16-18 Preston RoadColonial Revival · Built 19100.4 miBFirst Unitarian ChurchRichardsonian Romanesque Revival · Built 18940.4 miBFirst Universalist ChurchItalian Romanesque · Built 19160.4 miBSamuel Gaut HouseItalianate · Built 18500.4 miBSusan Russell HouseGreek Revival · Built 18300.4 miBHouse at 21 Dartmouth StreetQueen Anne · Built 18900.4 miBSamuel Ireland HouseCape-Style Cottage · Built 17920.5 miBAlexander Foster HouseItalian Villa · Built 18600.5 miBHouse at 81 Pearl StreetItalianate · Built 18600.5 miBWalter S. and Melissa E. Barnes HouseStick Style · Built 18900.5 miBPeter and Oliver Tufts HouseGeorgian · Built 17140.5 miBOtis-Wyman HouseQueen Anne · Built 18830.5 miBElisha Hopkins HouseItalianate · Built 18670.5 miBHouse at 35 Temple StreetGeorgian · Built 17650.5 mi

Memories of Central Library

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

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Questions about Central Library

Is Central Library on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Sep 18, 1989 (Register number 89001274).

Is Central Library a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Massachusetts has 189 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Maria Baldwin House, 1.1 miles away.

Can you visit Central Library?

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 Central Library?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 7 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 63791897 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.