BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING - MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office oi the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - 33: 1no 90000489 NTtr020oni 1 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number 31. .3d : Roll 11 - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other büildings. 3:: Indicate north. 603i TO LEICESTER TCAN LIVE MAIN STRET MILL POND KETTLE ZROOR (over) In Area no. Form no. 173-B i. Town Worcester Address 1511 Main Street Name_Ashworth & Jones Factory Present use industrial/cormercial Present owner Vivian Sigel 6 Birchwood Road Worcester 01609 3.
Description: Date olt* Source 1870 (main section) exterior date plaque elements of Italianate and 'Style Second Empire Architect unknown *RW Exterior wall fabric brick 1e0 Outbüildings (describe)' attached wing Other features tower with slate mansard roof centered on facade of 3-storey main section; recessed wal. panels with corbelling; brackets 3-storey addition Altered :early 20t. i to tower Date century Moved ino Date Assessors' Book 15, p.43A 5. Lot size: Lot B 7.7 acres - One acre or less Over one acre X Approximate frontage 450! Approximate distance of building from street 201 S. Lee ed. B.R. Pleirfer 6. Recorded by Organization Worc' Heritage Pres. Sor November 1977 Date UTM 19/263900/4680140 orar a rn T. Original owner (if known) Original use Ashworth & Jones Company woolen mill Subsequent uses (if any) and dates industrial/cormercial (present) :1 8. Themes.
(check asmany as applicable) Aboriginal 1I0. Agricultural Architectural The Arts Commerce Communication Community development Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) Located on a section of Kettle Brook which had been used for textile manufacturing from the early nineteenth century, the Ashworth & Jones Factory is among Worcester's finest examples of mid-nineteenth century industrial architecture. The main section of the factory (section #l on map) was built in 1870 and is a three-storey brick structure measuring 50' in width by 170' in length.
Characteristic of many mills built in Worcester between ca.1855 and the 1880s (of which few examples remain) the Ashworth & Jones Mill has an entry/bell tower centered on its facade (north). This tower contains loading platforms (first three stories), namé and date plaques, and a mansard roof with dormers. Walls of the original section are divided into bays by brick piers which rise to cor- belled heads and a cornice supported by paired brackets. Except for a small brick addition on the northwest side of the tower on its west wall, this section of the mill is essentially intact. Between 1878 and 1886 one and two-storey additions were made northeast of the original mill. Employing the same system of bays (piers and corbelling) ,as the original mill, these additions (sectfon #2 on map) may have contained some company offices.
Between 1886 and 1896 further additions (section #3 on map) were made, again employing the same brick construction as that of the oríginal mill; although this second set of additions were only two stories high. The factory's most recent section (#4 on map) dates from is of utilitarian brick construction, three stories high. Thomas Ashworth, who immigrated to the United states in 1045, operated one of the country's first shoddy mills in Holden, Massachusetts by 1056. (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early mans, etc.) Hydep A.W. Worcester, Its Past and Present, p-113. washburn, C.G. Industrial Worcester, pp. 39-40 9. MAOSALMUSETIS HISTUKILAL CUMMISS1UN Office of the Secretary, Boston wUrCee 113-B Property Name: Ashworth & Jones 2. Factory Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below.
(Shoddy was a cloth made foon both new wool and wool reclaimed from old cloth). In 1861, Ashworth and Edward Jones formed a partnership and purchased a mill privilege on the Kettle Brook at Valley Falls (the site of the Present building). By 1864 a woolen mill building on this site was being used for the manufacture of beaver clothe (a heavy woolen cloth, felted on one side, used primarily for over- coats). In 1870 the firm built the initial section of the present factory (#1 on map) which was operated by Ashworth å Jones until the deaths of Ashworth (1882) and Jones (1885) after which the business was sold to E.D. Thayer. Thayer expanded the mills (adding sections 2 and 3 on map) and manufactured woolens here until his death in 1907. In 1910 Thayer's heirs sold the business to George E.
Duify, who expanded the mill (adding section #4 on map) and manufactured "overcoatings and Cloakings" here. During the factory's initial development, it served as the focal point of a small mill rvillage owned by Ashworth and Jones. Containing "a handsome mansion and nine tenements " in 1806, this villade was sold to individual owneng hetween 1fRk and 1880. anr during the mia-twentieth century has been altered beyond recognition. In addition to its weel preserved mill buildings the former Ishworth & Jones Factory retains its mill pond (1870) which supplied power to the original factory. Staple to Inventory form at bottom - Properey Wanceoter Miltple Resance Ava (Partial Laventany) State MA (Warcester Working Number8. 30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2,63 Eruetent ml egunea acaton 4 ie entie cel C (a) Cae/Acupt 4 reasore coman wph Baiés umments "6-CBD-", "7-E, 44.
Integnty and /or bondaries need to tms. DUBIE m 102-L-3, be addressed specificully on indurdual and 130-C10-50 and ARCHEOLOGIST H16-CBD- 1 150-00- 14= u cot iate grith, ca otae t ia descussed with WINH 3 EXCENTONS AU PROPERTIES APPEAK TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERI AND THE OTHER FORMS ARE ADEQUATE RED BOTH TELHNLALLY AND TO DETERMINE SIGNIFICANCE. ACLEAT ACMOUH SAME DE TKE FORMS DID NOT CONTAN SIRON STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANKE THE KESOURCE CATEGONIES WERE TUDROUGHLY DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF THE NORINATION; 2/28/88 THEREFBRE SNGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLISHED. HBDS WERE NOT NELESSARI BELASE Bf TYE SCHE MAPSAND CLEANLY DELNEATED BOUNDAKICS. HURENDE WUBS MISSING DIU SANCE PROPEATES BUT EIS NOW INCLIDED AFTER BE 2/11/ CORREIRONS. HAER THE ONLY PROPERTIES THSE I DO NOT RECOMMEND LASTING ARE - 116-CBD-13 - DESAOYCO BY FIRE Mo - 16CBD-! Inventory- Review 130-CBO-44- DOES.
NOT RETAIN INTEGRITY FOR INDI VIDUKBEUGIBILITY v102-L-3 1 Do25A WEST CONVINCED ABOUT BOUNDNES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BEHIEVE THEY DOUCH BE OK. #AAGEN Recommarl ON ADDITONAL DOCUMENTATAN SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Listing all propenties sexceet these 3. Return 116-CBD-1$ to Stute (not etegible); Retum 102-L-3 to State fer curedem; o to derass fartta te +State. DUBIE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/8t HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DOBLE Staff confernu 3/5/30 -aguud to actoi as rusted belrw: 16-CSD-11 (officcal notficitim on also 7mitfin stete) National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry Send-back Entered 2.3.81 Re-submit KEEPER Soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service LLBROOK) ILLBROOK MILLBROOK DISTRIBUTOR MILLBROCK MILLBROOK DISTRIBUTORS Inc.
JAN 1978 Wercesto MRAMa 3 173-B 1511 main - AN9 10) Sed.: West elevation Ashwarth & Jores Factery by Berkey Prestige Prints IUBROOK 1 MILLBROOK) LVL MILLBROOK 3 173-B Ashaer Thy Jees Facter St AUB 1511 Main sect: land 2 Weraste NRA MO hathr west ebatur JAN 1978 JAN 1_ by Berkey Prestige Prints