Bancroft Commons, Beaux Art-style former hotel listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Bancroft Commons is a ten-story hotel building constructed in 1913 in the Beaux-Arts style in Worcester, Massachusetts. The structure features a grand façade with marble arcades on the ground floor, large windows trimmed with decorative terracotta details above, and light-colored stone accents on corner sections set against darker brickwork.
The building was constructed in 1913 by architects Esenwein & Johnson from Buffalo at a cost exceeding one million dollars. It closed as a hotel in 1964 and was converted into apartments, later restored as Bancroft on the Grid, while gaining recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The name honors George Bancroft, a noted historian and politician from Worcester who shaped the building's legacy. Visitors today can observe the classical details of the façade and imagine how this place once served as a hub of city life.
The building is located near Franklin Street close to City Hall in the downtown area. The best views of the classical architectural details can be enjoyed from street level, where you can clearly see the marble arcades, ornate window frames, and the characteristic roofline.
In 1952, women held a significant fundraising tea at this location in support of John F. Kennedy during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. This gathering shows how the hotel served as a venue for important local events during critical moments in the nation's political history.
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