Bedford Center Historic District

The Bedford Center Historic District encompasses the historic heart of the town of Bedford, Massachusetts. Its oldest building, the Fitch Tavern (built 1710) predates the incorporation of the town in 1729. Most of the 100 buildings in the 56.5acre district were built in the 18th and 19th centuries; there are some modern intrusions, but they are generally stylistically compatible. The centerpiece of the district is Bedford's First Parish Church, a Federal-style church built in 1816, which faces the town common. Also facing the common is Bedford's town hall, which was built in 1857 as a school, and has seen a variety of civic uses before housing town offices. The district extends along Great Road from Concord Road to Hillside Avenue, and includes portions of Hillside Avenue, Springs Road, and Hancock Street north of Great Road, and Mudge Way to its south.The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977; its boundaries were adjusted in 2014.