Major Taylor Museum

A black, white, and dark blue striped header image with the text Major Taylor Museum

On my birthday in 2024, I took a fun and history-filled trip to several locations in central Worcester County. My first stop was the Major Taylor Museum, which commemorates the life of a record-setting bicyclist who called Worcester his home for many years. Just opened in 2021, this gallery on Main Street shares a building with apartments at a range of price points, called Courthouse Lofts, in the former Worcester County Courthouse. Nearby memorials and architecture add to the experience.

Approaching the courthouse, I spotted the statue of a dignified man riding a horse. The man is General Charles Devens Jr., a military leader over the Union Army during the American Civil War. Devens was actually born in Charlestown and lived in Boston, but as a judge of the Massachusetts Supreme Court and US Attorney General later his career, the people of Worcester were likely proud to have him from their state. The statue was created by a pair of prolific sculptors with Daniel Chester French creating the man and Edward Clark Potter building the horse. The pair often collaborated on such sculptures.

A long, L-shaped Neoclassical style stone building. A three-story Neoclassical style stone building attached on the right to a similar building Behind the sign is the L-shaped stone building

French may be best known for the Minuteman sculpture at titular Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts, along with the statue of Abraham Lincoln at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He has previously appeared on the blog for his “Mother Town and Soldier Son” statue in Exeter, NH; his house Chesterwood near Laurel Hill Association in Stockbridge, MA; and the fountain near First Congregational Church of Lee, MA. Potter was equality gifted and a generation younger than French. His best known work is the pair of lions in front of the Main Branch of the New York Public Library.

Sculpture of a man wearing a long cloak and riding a horse. In the background is a Neoclassical style stone building with Doric pillars A Neoclassical style stone building with the letters MDCCCXCVIII carved above the second story window over the wooden door. Information sign including a portrait of Major Taylor, incorrect open hours, and mention of "Free Admittance"

Near the statue is a plaque dedicated to General Henry Knox who brought artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to remove the British army from Boston near the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. If the name sounds familiar, Fort Knox in Kentucky was named after him. While portraiture typically depicts Knox as a stately older man, Knox was twenty-six at the time of this event. Meanwhile, its 250th anniversary will happen later this year. As for Knox, he died suddenly about thirty years after his heroic travels through Worcester. According to the writings of his friend Henry Jackson, as translated into modern medical terms, that Knox must have cut the inside of his esophagus after swallowing a chicken bone and died soon after of infection. I am once again grateful to live in the modern world.

A granite monument with a bas relief depiction of American Revolutionary War soldiers delivering supplies Bronze sign giving the early history of the courthouse Bronze plaque with the names of contributors to the 1956 addition

A third memorial was dedicated to Timothy Bigelow, a soldier in the American Revolutionary War recently mentioned during the Parked at Home 2025 episodes Saratoga National Historical Park and Valley Forge National Historical Park. He served in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment, and the local chapter of the National Daughters of the America Revolution. His house and blacksmith shop was originally in the area that is now the courthouse.

Many steps lead up to the entrance of the Neoclassical style building Metal plaque on a granite pillar recognizing the former home and blacksmith shop of an American Revolutionary War soldier Neoclassical stone building with four Corinthian style pillars at the top of many stone steps

The main entrance to the former Worcester County Court House contained a pair of plaques describing past court house buildings, which were constructed in 1736 and 1754. The oldest part of the current court house was built in 1843 with additions in 1878 and 1898 through 1900, and 1956. The architectural firm Andrews, Jaques, & Rantoul of Boston, MA oversaw the 1900 renovation; this group would later design the wings of the Massachusetts State House. The 1956 renovation went to Lucius Wallace Briggs, who was city architect and member of the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (now Historic New England).

A barrel vault ceiling with Art Deco stained glass chandeliers in the middle and matching sconces on the walls. The wooden doors are open, allowing a view of the street. A diptych of black-and-white photographs depicting an African American man on a late 19th century style safety bicycle Photograph of four white teenagers playing dress-up and a black child sitting in a wagon. Text describes the history behind the image.

Stylized portraits of Major Taylor riding a bicycle greet visitors in the hallway before finally arriving at the museum itself. The exhibits lean heavily on posters printed with text and reproductions of photographs from various archives, along with a few physical artifacts. The posters ran chronologically beginning with the childhood of Major Taylor, given name Marshall W. Taylor, and finishing with his impact on modern sports. The exhibit argued that not only was Taylor the first African American athlete to break the “color barrier” and become a professional athlete in a white-dominated sport, but he was also among the first celebrity athletes in the United States. Outside of the posters and artifacts were a few interactives, although these did not always function.

Two modern bicycles stand in the foreground on the left. On the walls are photographs of Taylor and posters. On the right wall and back wall are posters. Against the temporary left wall are plexiglass cases with artifacts Yellowing paper with the title emblazoned across the top in large, dark letters. Most of the front is covered by a black and white photograph of Major Taylor and his competitor coming out to race with the crowds in the background.

The exhibit did an excellent job presenting how different people’s views on race and equality could be in the mid 19th through early 20th century. One photograph depicted a group of four white teenage boys in a vintage photo booth playing dress-up while a black child sits in a wagon at the center of the group. The child might be Taylor, who seems to be treated like a pet rather than a human. A pin from the Charles River Park bike race in 1898 hyped the top competitors Taylor and Eddie McDuffee as a showdown between “BLACK VS. WHITE”. McDuffee was an older friend and former teammate of Taylor, so neither man was happy about the advertising. Another complicated relationship was between Taylor and Louis de Franklin “Birdie” Munger. Originally one of the teenagers in the dress-up picture, Munger became the employer and coach of Taylor. He started a bicycle manufacturing business and opened his shop in Worcester, partly because materials could more easily be sourced in the area, and partly because Worcester was safer for Taylor. While Munger was overall a positive influence, and Taylor likely not have become a professional athlete without him, Munger did not seem to be present in Taylor’s life once his protege became an adult with his own beliefs and decision-making skills. These beliefs included not competing on Sunday, much like more famous Olympic sprinter and missionary Eric Liddell.

A round pin with a red heart in the center and text surrounding the heart. The pin includes reproduced black & white photographs of the competitors. Taylor is depicted in sports clothes, while McDuffee is depicted in a formal black tie outfit. On the side table between the chairs is a binder about bicycle history. The round pinback pins are in a bowl on the left and the postcards are on the right

With free admission, free buttons and postcards, and free nearby parking, this is a budget-friendly trip. The galleries are well-lit, and plenty of seating is available. Steps lead up to the main entrance of the courthouse and the entrance to the museum portion, so while I believe the building must have an ADA-compliant entrance, I have no idea where it is. An audio version of the posters would also have been appreciated. Somewhat strangely, the museum is only open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and I did not see any museum staff during my entire visit. If you have an interest in sports history or are in the Worcester area, this is a decent stop.


Abby Epplett’s Rating System

Experience: 8/10

Accessibility: 8/10



Location: 2 Main St, Worcester, MA 01608, USA

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