Public and Historic Buildings

First Congregational Church of Hanover

The First Congregational Church of Hanover, Massachusetts began in 1728, less than a year after the Town of Hanover was founded. The building was used, in part, as a Town meetinghouse. The current First Congregational Church that we see in town today was built in 1863 and is actually the fourth building in this location since the original church meetinghouse in 1728. In 1863, the Hanover Town Hall was constructed and the church was no longer utilized as a Town meetinghouse.

Today, the church has been pivotal in many of the activities within the community, and its members come from many of the surrounding towns. At Riley Hall parish center, members have long provided space for organizations of all types, including child care groups, scouts, and other community groups. A full, professional kitchen, large open spaces, and smaller meeting rooms make the hall ideal for groups of all sizes. Next to Riley Hall is their Parsonage. Recently renovated, thanks to our Board of Trustees, the parsonage is home to our minister and his family. Learn more about the First Congregational Church.

Located at 17 Silver Street.

John Curtis Library

The John Curtis Free Library was built and opened in 1907 but the Town Hall was used as a library as early as 1888 when Mr. John Curtis donated 1,800 books to start the library. After Curtis passed away, he left $15,000 for the town to build a new building for the library. Edmund Q. Sylvester served as the architect for this building which is still part of the current and expanded John Curtis Free Library. Learn more about the history of the library.

Located at 534 Hanover Street.

Hanover Town Hall

The original part of the Hanover Town Hall opened in 1863. It was not until 1910 that the building was renovated and additional wings were constructed. The Town Hall has served a number of different purposes such as a high school until 1927, a library until 1907, and even home to the Hanover Police Department.

Located at 550 Hanover Street.

Portiuncula Chapel

The Portiuncula Chapel, on the grounds of Cardinal Cushing Centers, Hanover, Massachusetts, is the final resting place of Cardinal Richard Cushing.  It was his desire to be laid to rest close to his beloved exceptional children.

The word Portiuncula means “little portion” in Italian.  When constructed on the Hanover campus in 1953, Cardinal Cushing made a point of making sure that every stone, every fresco, and every part of his Chapel came from Assisi—where, over 700 years ago, St. Francis himself built the chapel that inspired it.

It was Cardinal Richard Cushing who initiated the construction of the Portiuncula Chapel on the scenic Hanover Campus.  He looked for a stonemason trained in the Italian marble tradition and authentic material and found a remarkable craftsman named Frank Tarzia of Hingham. Appropriately enough, Tarzia’s search for the proper materials took him to the quarries of Assisi, Italy where he labored to insure that every stone matched its counterpart in the original chapel.  When the precious cargo arrived in Boston Harbor, the Cardinal was there to bless it. Learn more about the story of the Portiuncula Chapel.

Located at 495 Washington Street.

Salmond School

Salmond School was built in 1931 in the same location as what was actually one of Hanover’s first-ever schools built-in 1852. Students from grades first to sixth attended this school all the way up until 1978. It would later be used for pre-k and kindergarten until 2002 when the building became the home for school administration offices.

Located at 188 Broadway.

Stetson House

The 2-1/2 story frame house was built in 1716 by Samuel "Drummer" Stetson and was occupied by the Stetson family until at least the 1860s. During the 19th century, the family opened the house for religious services after the church burned down. Located in the Common room, there is a large fireplace (one of six in the house) and a Yule log that was lit for good luck on Christmas but was never allowed to burn all the way. At the church, if you fell asleep a person would tickle you with a feather attached to a tithing rod. It was above the fireplace. A grandfather clock made by John Bailey and given to the Stetson house was too big to fit in the house so they had to cut a depression in the floor. The Stetson House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and included in the Hanover Center Historic District in 1996.

Located at 514 Hanover Street.

Sylvester School Building

The Sylvester School was built in 1927 to function as a High School. Prior to the addition of Sylvester, classes had been held at the Town Hall. The building is named after Edmund Q. Sylvester who donated $50,000 to help fund the building of the school. The building served as the high school until 1959 when the new Hanover High School was constructed on Cedar Street. Sylvester School became was then used for fifth and sixth grade classes and eventually used as an elementary school. Today, the town is finding new ways to utilize this building, from the Hanover Food Pantry to offices for the Department of Public Works.

Located at 495 Hanover Street.