MassachusettsPalmer Memorial Hall at 1029 Central Street was constructed in 1890-1891 to commemorate local citizens who served in the Civil War, originally housing the town's first permanent public library on the first floor and a Grand Army of the Republic meeting hall above. It was designed by New York City architect Robert H. Robertson in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, with a massive arched entry, hipped roof with cross gables, recessed arched windows, and towering gable-end chimneys, built of dark red brick, granite, and brownstone by the local Flynt Building and Construction Company. It honors the 216 Palmer men who served the Union, and its GAR post was named for Sergeant Lucius L. Merrick, who died of wounds from the Battle of the Wilderness. Later used as the Palmer Senior Center, it remains a well-preserved local example of the Romanesque style.
Palmer Memorial Hall
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Palmer Memorial Hall is a landmark in Palmer, Hampden County. It is one of 3,654 landmarks documented in Hampden County, among 3,815 historic sites cataloged across the county on MassRoam.
The site sits at 42.1566, -72.3272 near Palmer. The nearest cataloged historic site is U. S. Post Office - Palmer Main Branch (landmark), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Boston and Albany Railroad: Palmer Union Station, House at 234 State Ave, and Monson Developmental Center - Cemetery.
This record is drawn from public historical records. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
Palmer raised this hall as a monument to the townsmen who died in the Civil War, and the local Grand Army of the Republic post used it as its meeting place. The design came from R. H. Robertson, a leading New York architect working here in his Richardsonian Romanesque manner; the building was dedicated on April 29, 1891. Its ground floor served as the town's public library until 1977, and the building later became Palmer's senior center. It joined the National Register in 1999.
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