RURAL C;OMIVrUNTTY BUILDINGS. 7 



meeting place; and second, the fact that an important piece of 

 private property, which in times past liad been a tavern of low 

 repute, was about to be converted agam into a cheap lodging house. 

 The property in question was a fine old three-story colonial mansion, 

 built on land formerly the property of John Hancock, in the heart of 

 the town adjacent to the town hall, the library, and the principal 

 church. 



In May, 1914, a group of local leaders, including representatives of 

 the Congregational Men's Club, the Baptist Men's Club, the Village 

 Improvement Association, the Daughters of the American Revolu- 

 tion, the Boy Scouts, the Tuesday Afternoon Club, and the Fifteen 

 Club, met and formed a temporary organization under the name of the 

 Holden Community House Association. 



They issued a circular which gave the object of the association; 

 recited the fact that the Boy Scouts, the Camp Fire Girls, and the 

 Grand Army of the Republic were in immediate need of a meeting 

 place; gave the detailed plan, with items of expense, for the purchase 

 and reconstruction of the old mansion as a conmaunity house; stated 

 the amount of money which would be needed and the proposed 

 method of raising it; and closed with a request for immediate subscrip- 

 tions for shares of stock. 



After the mitial work was accomplished, the temporary organiza- 

 tion developed into a corporation chartered under the laws of Massa- 

 chusetts as a real estate handling corporation " to acquire, hold, man- 

 age, develop, improve, lease, mortgage, buy, or sell real estate." 



The specific aim of the people who sponsored this building was to 

 provide a house which, without particular consideration for class, 

 party, or creed, would serve community needs and provide — 



1. An assembly place for the various social organizations of the 

 community. A count made at the initial meetmg showed 22 organi- 

 zations which might be expected to use the building. 



2. A place where the people might gather for recreation through 

 games, reading, banquets, and other forms of social relaxation. 



The cost of the building was as follows : 



Three-fourths acre site and building, including furniture $3, 500 



Sale of outbuildings for 500 



Outlay after sales of outbuildings 3, 000 



Renovations, consisting of new floors, decorating, painting, etc., 

 electric light, and steam heat installations, and lavatories. . — 2, 000 



Total cost 5, 000 



Since the purchase of the building a piano has been bought for $225, 

 while various gifts of furniture have been received. 



The house is of brick, three stories in height, and of colonial type of 

 architecture. It is painted a colonial buff on the outside, with white 

 trimmings. Care was taken during repairs to retain the fireplaces in 



