Worcester Architectural Jewels, Worcester

Worcester Architectural Jewels (Self Guided), Worcester

Take a walk through the center of Worcester and enjoy admiring the architectural aspects of the main tourist attractions like the City Hall, Union Station, Tuckerman Hall, Lincoln Memorial Auditorium and other remarkable architectural jewels of this corner of New England.
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Worcester Architectural Jewels Map

Guide Name: Worcester Architectural Jewels
Guide Location: USA » Worcester (See other walking tours in Worcester)
Guide Type: Self-guided Walking Tour (Sightseeing)
# of Attractions: 8
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles
Author: Stella
Sight(s) Featured in This Guide:
  • Bancroft Tower
  • Boynton Hall, Worcester Politechnic Institute
  • Tuckerman Hall
  • Worcester Memorial Auditorium
  • Our Lady of Fatima Parish
  • Union Station
  • Worcester City Hall
  • Worcester Saint Paul Cathedral
1
Bancroft Tower

1) Bancroft Tower (must see)

Built around 1900, the Worcester Bancroft Tower commemorates the memory of George Bancroft who was born just below on Salisbury Street. Secretary of the Navy, Founder of the U.S. Naval Academy, and U.S. Minister to Great Britain and Germany, he also was a friend of Stephen Salisbury III's family. Salisbury III funded the tower's construction. Bancroft Tower was designed by Stephen C. Earle and C. Fisher and features Romanesque Architectural Style elements. The cost of construction was roughly $15,000. It serves as a place for outdoor recreation. Bancroft Tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2
Boynton Hall, Worcester Politechnic Institute

2) Boynton Hall, Worcester Politechnic Institute

Worcester Boynton Hall is the main building of the Polytechnic Institute. WPI consistently ranks as a tier-one (top 25%) university according to U.S. News & World Report. The main building was raised in 1865 by the notorious tinware manufacturer, John Boynton. The edifice was designed by Stephen Carpenter Earle, one of Worcester’s most remarkable and creative architects in the nineteenth century. Later, his son, Rear Admiral Ralph Earle, became the president of the Institute and headed it until his death. Boynton Hall is built of pure granite in Gothic revival style.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
3
Tuckerman Hall

3) Tuckerman Hall (must see)

Intended as the residence of the Worcester Woman’s Club, Tuckerman Hall was constructed in 1902 on a lot donated to the Club by Stephen Salisbury III. The building bears the name of Mr. Salisbury's grandmother, Elizabeth Tuckerman. It was designed by Josephine Wright Chapman, one of the most famous architects of the time. The hall serves as a multipurpose venue, housing important community events like concerts, lectures, weddings and musical performances. The construction represents a mixing of stylistic elements taken from Georgian, Federal, and even Greek Revival sources and is considered to be one of New England's architectural treasures because of its symmetrical and elegant aspect.
4
Worcester Memorial Auditorium

4) Worcester Memorial Auditorium (must see)

The Worcester Memorial Auditorium, also known simply as the Worcester Auditorium, is a multi-purpose arena and auditorium.

Built in 1933, as a World War I War memorial in the form of a multi-purpose hall, the Auditorium has a 116-foot-wide proscenium (35 m), and is located in Lincoln Square. Lincoln Square was recently ranked by Preservation Massachusetts as one of the "Most Endangered Historic Resources" in the state because of the three historical buildings in the square that are all empty or underutilized. Currently the Auditorium is used to house Massachusetts State Trial Court records and a small after-school program.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
5
Our Lady of Fatima Parish

5) Our Lady of Fatima Parish

Our Lady of Fatima was formerly a worship house that offered spiritual support to Roman Catholic and Lutheran congregations. It was built in 1910 and is constructed of granite. In 1950 the Diocese of Worcester purchased it and set up Our Lady of Fatima Church to serve the Catholic community of the town. At present Our Lady of Fatima gathers together 1500 families.

The objectives of the church are to create opportunities for spiritual education, social meetings and projects. The building has neo-Gothic revival architectural features and is an impressive sight for tourists.
6
Union Station

6) Union Station

Union Station was originally built in 1911 during the heyday of railroading in the United States as a replacement for the previous one of 1875. It was abandoned in 1975 and fell into disrepair. It was acquired by the Worcester Redevelopment Authority and completely renovated at a cost of $32 million under the leadership of former Mayor Raymond Mariano. The renovated station opened in July 2000. An intercity and local bus terminal, with five bus ports, was added at a cost of $5.2 million and opened in August 2006. Despite this, of the eleven Amtrak stations in Worcester ranked 9th in FY 2011, boarding or detraining an average of approximately 23 passengers daily.

By 2015, Springfield will feature one of the United States' first two high-speed train terminals; currently, there is talk about extending the service to Worcester and points east.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
7
Worcester City Hall

7) Worcester City Hall (must see)

Worcester City Hall was built by the Norcross brothers at the end of the 19th century, replacing the Old South Meeting house, which was the first town hall. The construction's design was created by Robert Peabody and John Stearns and looks like an Italian palace. Built of blocks of granite, the City Hall preserves the characteristics of the Renaissance Revival style: grand staircases, its cupola, the use of columns, harmonious and elegant forms. The facade is centered by a clock-tower. The City Hall is currently the 4th tallest building in Worcester.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.
8
Worcester Saint Paul Cathedral

8) Worcester Saint Paul Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral opened its doors in 1896 and was originally started as a parish church. It is a Victorian Gothic styled structure, made of granite, with very distinctive features like a gabled roof, statues perched on its exterior walls and four-leaf rosettes. The construction was designed by Elbridge Boyden of Boston who is also the architect of some other notable buildings in Worcester. It is located on the corner of Chatham and High Streets.

Walking Tours in Worcester, Massachusetts

Create Your Own Walk in Worcester

Create Your Own Walk in Worcester

Creating your own self-guided walk in Worcester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Worcester Introduction Walking Tour

Worcester Introduction Walking Tour

Named after a town in England, Worcester is the second most populous city in New England after Boston. Once commonly referred to as the "Heart of the Commonwealth", due to its location in Central Massachusetts, Worcester is also known as the hometown of the first mass-produced Valentine's Day card. On top of that, the city holds a number of notable attractions, including the Civil...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.8 Km or 3.6 Miles