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42°16′38″ N 71°48′39″ W - 185 Salisbury St.
Brief History
The American Antiquarian Society was founded by Isaiah Thomas, a Revolutionary War patriot and master printer who was also known for publicly reading the Declaration of Independence for the first time in New England just outside of the Worcester City Hall in 1812. Since its founding in 1812, the American Antiquarian Society has been collecting printed archives including books, prints, newspapers, manuscripts, music and broadsides of American history through 1876. It remains a national research library and is nationally recognized for its mission to preserve pre-10th century American history and culture. Many notable people in history have been apart of the American Antiquarian Society's membership club including presidents John Adams, Franklin D. Roosevelt, William H. Taft, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson.
Architecture
The current spot of the American Antiquarian Society is its third location. The current building was built in 1910 by the Winslow, Bigelow & Wadsworth firm in a Georgian Revival architectural style. Many new additions have been made to the building, the most recent one happening in 2017 where it was expanded by 7,000 square feet. The expansion included installing a modern HVAC system and a high-quality conservation lab. A new, copper plating was also added to the side facing Park Avenue which gives onlookers a glimpse of the massive library within the society's walls.
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