Dunstable, MA
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 42° 40.486 W 071° 28.907
19T E 296645 N 4727685
Also known as Sarah R.S. Robey Memorial Building, prominently situated on the Dunstable town green, the building is a reflection of the community’s civic pride in the early 20th century.
Waymark Code: WMHD8V
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/26/2013
Views: 2
The Dunstable Town Hall, also known as the Sarah R. S. Roby Memorial Building, is a well preserved late Victorian structure designed by local architect Warren Lyman Floyd and erected in 1907. Prominently situated on the Dunstable town green, the building is a reflection of the community’s civic pride in the early 20th century. Intended originally to function as both town hall and public library, the structure was the gift of Dunstable native Sarah R. S. Roby. The town hall is located in close proximity to the Congregational Church and the Union Elementary School, and together with these structures and adjacent historic residential buildings, could constitute a National Register-eligible district around the town common.
Dunstable was first settled in 1656 and was officially incorporated in 1673. It is likely named after the town of Dunstable in Bedfordshire, England, home of Edward Tyng, the town's first settler. The original township of Dunstable, granted in 1661, consisted of two hundred square miles, including the towns of Dunstable, Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, Pepperell, Massachusetts, Townsend, Massachusetts, Hudson, New Hampshire, Nashua, New Hampshire, Hollis, New Hampshire, and parts of other towns as well. Increases in population leading to subsections becoming independent towns and the solidification of the northern boundary of Massachusetts in 1740 shrunk the town down to what remains today.
Today, Dunstable, in the face of urban sprawl, has held onto a largely rural character.
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Throughout the years, Town Hall has remained the focal point of community gatherings and activities. It continued to function in its original multiple capacity until October 1998, when the library moved to a much-needed new, larger space west of the center on Main Street. All town offices are presently in the building, including the police, town clerk, health department, and planning board, although some units will be removing to other locations. The town has determined to restore the auditorium space on the main floor and to keep the building actively a part of local life. A 1999 grant from the Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund will be used to plan for future use and preservation of the building, so that the Dunstable Town Hall can continue to play a central role in town life.