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 - - ,re/ no 80000492 In Area no. Form no. 191-A 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Roll #12 - - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. 1. Town Address Worcester 36 Butler Street Name_ Larchmont (0ld name) Present use funeral service Present owner Walter Lundin and Stanley Otter 3. Description: Date 1858 1866 photo in owner's Sourcepossession Style Italianate Architect Elbridge Boyden?
- see #9 Exterior wall fabric aluminum siding Outbuildings (describe) none Other features center entrance throug pavilion with hooded Palladian win_ dow at second storey surmounted by low gable, original side and entry porches, bracketed comnice cupola removed ca.1938 Altered( -siding _Date 1970s Moved Assessors! Book 10, p-43, 11267000/1677460 5. Lot size: Lot$ 12, 20g 387 sq.ft. One acre or less Over one acre Approximate frontage_ 120' Approximate distance of building from street 701 $. Jerome 6. Recorded by_ed. B.R. Pfeiffer Organization_Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc Date November 1977 (over) 201 M gr 7. Original owner (if known) Original use Ransom Clark Taylor residence funeral service Subsequent uses (if any) and dates 8.
Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal 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) 1 Located on a hillside in what was countryside in the 1850s, Larchmont is a rare survivor of the many Italianate and Second Empire style villas. which dotted the hillsides around Worcester in the 1850s and 1860s. Built as the country home of Ransom Taylor, the house is a two-storey frame structure, set on a granite foundation.
symmetrical about a slightly projecting central pavilion with a low gable- At the first storey of the pavilion is an original bracketed entry porch (glazing added) and arched entry; at the second storey is a Palladian window With a moulded cap set on consoles; and at the third storey is an oculus. Flanking the pavilion are over-sized windows in moulded frames with caps (Ist storey) and windows in moulded frames on sonsoles (2d storey). Symmetrical porches with brackets and original balustrades exist at either end of the facade. Alterations to the building include the removal ol its original octagonal cupola, the addition ol a porte-cochere -. and the installation of aluminum siding n dtalls were removea lor tne siding). Despite these alterations, Larchmont remains among the city's finest examples of Italianate architecture.
It seems likely that Larchmont was designed by Elbridge Boyden, architect of Mechanics' Hall, although the reference is somewhat . confused. The obitiary of Elbridge Boyden notes that Boyden designed the "present residence of R.C. Taylor" (1898). As Taylor's hone in 1090 was a house mown to have been designed by Elias Carter, see rorm 141-, and built in 1042 Ior uovi Dowley, it is likely that the (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) 1866 photograph in possession of owner. Crane, E.B. Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts. vol. II, pp.
236-237 (raylor biography) INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commnity : MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Worcester Office of the Secretary, Boston Form No: 191-A Property Name: Larchmont Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9. Historical significance obituary reference was meant to indicate Larchmont, which was then the residence of R.F.Taylor, son of Ransom C. Taylor. Supportive of a Boyden attribution are details of Larchmont wich resemble other known Boyden designs of the 1850s. Ransom Taylor was born in Winchester, New Hampshire in 1829, and as a child, 1833, moved to Northbridge, Massachusetts where_his father was "engaged in the meat business." Around 1851, Taylor moved to Worcester where he lived until his death in 1898.
Taylor's first listing in local directories (1853) gives his occupation as"Tripe Manufacturer" in the Quinsigamond area of the city (where Larchmont is located); it seems clear that he also became involved in real estate speculation and development soon after his arrival. According to his obituary, Taylor made as he could, and, as the city's population boomed, saw the value oi n1s investments more than double itself. As the city's largest prop- erty holder. Taylor reputedly built the city's first seven-storey block, along with many other buildings in the downtown area. From 1858 until 1883 Taylor lived at Larchmont; after 1883 he occupied the Dowley-Taylor Mansion at 770 Main Street (form 141-F). Staple to Inventory form at bottom -Property Warceoter Mltple Resanre Area (Partial Danentony) State MA (Warcester Working Number8.
30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 + 13 Maps 2,63 Eruelect mell egure daaten eetie cl Culac Acupt conan u/h Bmcés ummento on 102-4-3 "G-CBD - ", "7-E, and 130-CBD-50 and ti Iikgty cil le bondeies mel t' be adlused gatRCHOOCISTO I16-CBD- 17 - Destroyed, connot be listedl. 102-L-3 - Perod o descussed with WINH 3 EXCENTONS AU PROPERTICS APPEAN TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERIA AND THE FORUS ARE ADEQUATE. RESO BOTH TECHNIALLY ANO TO PETERMINE SIÇNIFLANCE, ALMOULE SAUE OF TVE FORMS DID NOT CONTAIN STRONE STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANKE THE KESOURCE CATEGONIES WERE TUDROWHLY DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF MHE NONUNAION; THEREFBRE SIGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLSHED. VBDS WERE NOT NECESSARI BELNSE OF MYE SCHLE MAPSANP CIENNLY DELNEATES BOUNDAMES. HURENDE WHS PLISSINA OTHER 2/23,88 HAER TU SME PROPEATES BUT EIS MOW INCLLDED AFTER BE 2/11/CORRELZONS.
THE ONLY PROPERTIES THST I DO NOT RECOMMENR LISTING HRE - 116-CBD-13 - DESNOYOBYFIRE MO - 1 CBD-!! Inventory - Review 130-CB0-44- POES NOT RETAUN INTEGRITY FOR INDIVIDUKA ELGIBILITY v102-L-3 / 002 GOT CONVINCED ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELIEUE THEY DOULD BE OK. #BASED ON ADDLTTONAL DOCUMLENTATION SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Recommerl inhng de pppentinnescept there 3. Retum 116-C80-1f to Stute s to durcuss futha +stute. DUBIE Retum 102 -L-3 to State fer cumectem; 3/58 BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DOBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/30 - agrud to action as suted belor: KEEPER soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Send-back Re-submit 313/80 REPORT Entered United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service MAY 79 wwrehmert 191-A 36 Butler Stl wercesto ml acta eleations