Step back in time
In the late 1870s, the children of Oakes Ames commissioned the great American architect Henry Hobson Richardson to design the Memorial Hall as a tribute to their father. Richardson, the architect of Boston’s beloved Trinity Church in Copley Square, responded with a picturesque masterpiece using his signature architectural elements of rounded arches, dramatic roof lines, and heavy masonry adorned with medieval-inspired carvings.
A powerful silhouette against the sky, the massive structure sits high above the street on granite outcropping with a commanding view of its surroundings. A romantic blending of architectural styles, the building represents what is known as Richardson Romanesque style. The Memorial Hall nestles in natural surroundings designed by famed landscape architect F.L. Olmsted, best known for New York’s Central Park.
The town of Easton has the distinct honor of being home to five Richardson buildings, including the Ames Free Library situated next to the Hall. The Memorial Hall and the other Richardson buildings are located within a National Historic Landmark District.
About Oakes Ames Memorial Hall
In 1879 the children of Oakes Ames commissioned the great American architect Henry Hobson Richardson to design the Memorial Hall as a tribute to their father. Richardson was the most influential architect of his time and is well known in Boston for his iconic Trinity Church. The Hall’s rounded arches, dramatic roof lines, and heavy masonry adorned with medieval-inspired carvings are typical of the Richardsonian Romanesque style. North Easton has four more H.H. Richardson buildings, including the Oliver Ames Free Library (in photo on right).
A powerful silhouette against the sky, the massive structure sits high above the street on granite outcropping with a commanding view of the surrounding historic district. The foremost landscape architect in the country Frederick Law Olmsted sited the building and designed the exterior grand staircase. The Memorial Hall nestles in natural surroundings of a remarkably well preserved 19th century Massachusetts mill village that is also famous for its American Renaissance masterworks by John Lafarge, Augustus Saint Gaudens, Stanford White, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and several Olmsted landscapes.
Oakes Ames Memorial Hall is conveniently located near the towns of Canton MA, Easton MA, Foxboro MA, Mansfield MA, Sharon MA, West Bridgewater MA, the Metro South MA and South Shore Ma areas.