nrhp- By 1857, it was clear the Worcester County Mechanics Association required a building of its own, having outgrown its rented spaces. Under the guidance of wire industrialist Ichabod Washburn, the Mechanics hired Elbridge Boyden to design and construct the building. When it was finished Mechanics Hall represented the state-of-the-art in mechanical systems and construction techniques. Mechanics Hall is testimony to the skill and ingenuity of the artisans and tradesmen of Worcester County, which defined them as the founders of America's Industrial Revolution. Mechanics Hall has been judged by architectural historians as the nation's finest pre-Civil War concert hall. For more than 150 years, the Hall has been the cultural cornerstone of Central Massachusetts. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. During the mid-20th Century, other newer venues overtook it as the favored place to host events. The Association resorted to renting out the Hall for professional wrestling matches, roller skating, basketball, dance lessons, 4-H club meetings, and a variety of other sporting and community events. Misuse and neglect of the interior took a serious toll on the health of the Hall, but, when the decision was finally forced to tear it down or to revitalize it, the entire city rallied, raising $5 million to restore the Hall. Architect: Elbridge Boyden, 1857 from mechanicshall.org

Cornerstone of Carnegie-Morrison Library on the campus of Wichita State University. Carnegie-Morrison Library was destroyed by fire in 1964 and the cornerstone was placed at the 17th street entrance to the university.