Hastings Law Office - Mendon Post Office (13 Main St) - Mendon Center Historic District - Mendon MA - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

#13 Main Street is significant as one of two 1820's Federal style commercial buildings on Mendon's Main Street. #13 Main Street is one ofa very few masonry structures in the entire town. In some ways, its small scale makes it as much ofa major highly visible landmark as the steepled South Parish Church on Maple Street. Essentially rectangular in plan with a small brick extension to the rear, this brick and granite trimmed structure is only one story tall.

#13 Main Street is historically significant as a rare Worcester County example of an early 19th century law office/shop. It has significant hisotrical associations with Seth Hastings, a prominent Mendon attorney and Congressman. Hastings built the brick house at #10 Hastings Street (now clad with aluminum siding, formerly the Adams House Hotel) in 1820—about the same time as #13 Main Street and #3 Main Street (the Mendon Bank—although the banks date is said to have been 1825). Seth Hastings hired Ananias Gifford of Uxbridge to build #10 Main Street and arguably had him build #13 Main Street at the same time. It originally housed the law offices of Seth Hastings and his son William Soden Hastings. The Hon. William S. Hastings was appointed Mendon's first post master ca. 1825. Initially the post office was located in #13 Hastings Street along with Hastings' law office. William S. Hastings was the town's poster master until 1836 at which time it was relocated in the house of an I.O. Rhodes and then in the long 2-story Greek Revival building at 1 Maple Street. Beginning ca. 1830, it was owned by Jabez Aldrich — possibly as a general store. By 1857 it housed J. Cunnabel's tailor shop. From ca. 1870-1889, it contained William Aldrich's shop (occupation: merchant). The town bought #13 Main Street in 1889 for $753.32 for the use of the town officers and as records storage. This building was renovated ca. 1889 with the installation of new doors and windows, calcimined walls and probably the corbelled chimney and rear extension.

Name of Historic District (as listed on the NRHP): Mendon Center Historic District Link to nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com page with the Historic District: [Web Link] NRHP Historic District Waymark (Optional): [Web Link] Address: 13 Main St How did you determine the building to be a contributing structure?: Other (Please explain in the Private Message field) Optional link to narrative or database: [Web Link]

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