Citizens Hall | |
| Citizens Hall | |
| Location | 13 Willard Hill Rd., Interlaken, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°18′58″N73°19′52″W / 42.31611°N 73.33111°W |
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1870 |
| Architect | Charles T. Rathbun |
| Architectural style | Second Empire, Italianate |
| Part of | Old Curtisville Historic District (ID76000250) |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000126 [1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 19, 1972 |
| Designated CP | October 29, 1976 |
Citizens Hall is a historic municipal building at 13 Willard Hill Road in Interlaken, a village of Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Built in 1870 as a schoolhouse and community meeting center, it is a well-preserved local example of Second Empire architecture. The hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and included as a contributing property in the Old Curtisville Historic District in 1976. [1] It now houses Berkshire Art Center (IS183, INC). [2]
Citizens Hall is located in the village of Interlaken, on the west side of Willard Hill Road south of its junctions with Interlaken Cross Road and Interlaken Road. It is a two-story wood frame building, with a mansard roof and flushboarded exterior with corner quoining. The roof cornice is adorned with delicately carved wooden brackets. The central portion of the main facade projects, with a three-story tower projecting slightly further forward. The main entrance is located in the base of the tower, which is also topped by a mansard-style roof with an iron railing at the top. Above the entrance is a three-part Palladian style window, each section having a rounded top. Ground floor windows are framed by bracketed cornices and sills. [3]
In 1866 the town of Stockbridge abolished its district school system, opting instead for a scheme in which graded schools were located in each of the town's villages. This The hall was built in 1870 as a school and community center serving what was then a mill village then known as Curtisville, and is now called Interlaken. It was designed by Pittsfield architect Charles T. Rathbun. [3] In 1991 it was adapted for use by the Interlaken School of Art, later named Berkshire Art Center in June 2022.