Billerica Public Library
Billerica Public Library
| Address | 15 Concord Rd |
| MACRIS ID | BIL.5 |
| Built | 1999 |
| Other Lot Structures |
Old Town Hall (1845 -
1893)
Billerica Police Station (1960 - 1999) |
Billerica's former Town Hall holds a pivotal place in the community's history, serving as the cornerstone of the Town Common. The dedication ceremony on November 14, 1895 took place almost exactly two years after its predecessor burned down.
Beyond its role in governance, the Grand Hall on the second floor hosted a variety of social events, including dances, concerts, and gatherings at the turn of the century. This multifaceted use reflected its significance as not just a government building but also a social meeting place for the town's residents.
For 94 years, the former Town Hall functioned as the administrative hub of Billerica until the town offices moved to larger quarters in 1979. After nearly 2 years of construction to double the footprint, it reopened on May 8, 2000 as the new home of the Billerica Public Library, and the building continued its longstanding role as a civic, cultural, and educational center. This adaptive reuse preserved its legacy, ensuring that the former Town Hall remained a hub for the community, fostering a sense of shared history and identity for future generations. Registered on the National Register of Historic Places, the former Town Hall remains a contributing property to the Billerica Common Historic District.
References
Deed References
| Date | Type | Grantor | Grantee | Summary | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1845 | Deed | John Baldwin of Billerica, Esquire | The Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica | 1845: John Baldwin sells the town the original town hall lot on the Common | 458/303 (South) |
Billerica town book 17, page 575. For $325, "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in said Billerica on the westerly side of the Common, containing about seven thousand square feet", 70 feet on the Common by 100 feet deep, south by land of Ann Parker, "it being understood between the parties that said premises are now to be occupied for a school house". The new centre schoolhouse lot that replaced the school room in the old Town House, sold the same year.
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| August 28, 1894 | Order of Taking | The heirs of Mary B. Parker and Frederic A. Morey (owners of the land taken) | Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica | 1894: the town takes land to enlarge the Town Hall lot | 256/391 |
Notice of taking under the vote of the town meeting of July 16, 1894, which "voted to take and by vote did take under the authority of the Public Statutes, for the enlargement of the Town Hall lot, and as a place for the erection of a new Town Hall," two lots "adjoining the old Town Hall lot": a lot of the heirs of Mary B. Parker south of the town lot, 100 feet along the highway and 150 feet back from the present stone wall, to land of F. A. Morey; and a lot of Frederic A. Morey "in the rear or westerly of the old Town Hall lot," 69.73 feet by about 52 feet; "said Town Hall lot so enlarged does not exceed one acre in extent." Signed August 27, 1894 by the selectmen John E. Rowell, Edward B. Haskell and Franklin Jaquith. The town report for 1894 records damages of $75 to Morey and $1,100 to the Parker heirs, "unsatisfactory to all parties." The new Town Hall, now the Billerica Public Library, was built on the enlarged lot and dedicated on November 14, 1895.
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| January 20, 1947 | Quitclaim Deed | The Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica, by Robert H. Fowler, treasurer | Billerica Masonic Association, Inc. | 1946: the town exchanges land north of the Town Hall with the Masonic Association | 1060/476 |
Signed November 7, 1946, under the vote of the annual town meeting of February 9, 1946 (Article 3) to exchange land with the Masons; the town clerk's certificate is recorded with it. A triangular parcel of 898 square feet on Concord Road between the Masonic building and the town hall, 166.20 feet along "other land of the grantor on which the Town Hall is erected" and 10.80 feet on the road, shown on the plan by E. P. Simpson, C.E., September 1946, "for exchange of property voted at annual town meeting" (Plan Book 70, Page 97).
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| January 20, 1947 | Quitclaim Deed | Billerica Masonic Association, Inc., by Charles H. Hames, president | The Inhabitants of the Town of Billerica | 1946: the Masonic Association conveys land west of the Town Hall to the town | 1060/477 |
Signed November 1946 under a special meeting vote of the Association of November 7, 1946. In exchange for the 898 square foot triangle on the road, the Masons gave the town 5,725 square feet "in the rear of the Town Hall property," 70 feet along the town's land and 76 feet along the stone wall by J. N. Parker, shown on the same E. P. Simpson plan of September 1946 (Plan Book 70, Page 97). The 2020 deed to the town excludes this parcel.
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Recorded is Book/Page at the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds unless noted.