BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
*.. re i 50000574 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston -- - - - 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Ro11 14 - - - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. In Area no. Form no. 116-L-10 Worcester 1. Town Address 41 Elm Street Name Joseph Davis House Present use Worcester Redevelopment Authority - offices Present owner Worcester Redevelopment Authority 3. Description: Date 1884 date placque and "waite Source Papers" Style shingle style Architect Peabody & Stearns of Boston Exterior wall fabric shingle none Outbuildings (describe) gambrel and pitched roi Other features with dormers, bay windows, overhang decorative shinglework, panelled chimneys 19/2685404682830 5.
Lot size: Altered porch enclosed Moved no Assessors' Lot #3 One acre or less Date mid-20th century Date Book 3, p. 33 27,837 sq. ft. * Over one acre 80! Approximate frontage Approximate distance of building from street 10' W. a M. Seaman 6. Recorded by ws. B.R. Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc Date February 1978 (over) 30M-5-77 7. Original owner (if known) Josepn Estabrook Davis residence Original use Subsequent uses (if any) and dates Worcester Natural History Society (after 19530; offices (present) 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) Designed by the prominent Boston firm of Peabody and Stearns, the Joseph Davis House is one of Worcester's best examples of Shingle Style archi- tecture. The house has an irregular plan with major elevations facing oeo south and west. The south facade has a porch (partially enclosed) at its first storey, above wnich at the west end is a bay window surmounted by a steeply pitched, overhanging gable; the east end of the south facade contains the dormered slopes of a two-storey gambrel roof. The west elevation is asyrmetrical, containing several gables and a central bay window, one wall of which contains a decorative panel bearing the building's construction date.
Other features of the house include a tall oriel (east elevation) which lights stair landing, interior and exterior chimneys, and a variety of decorative shingling. Although a new road passes imme- diately east of the house (where a neighboring house once stood), the Davis House remains in largely original condition, having undergone the partial enclosure of its porch and the removal of the porch railing. The Davis House , which was illustrated in Ihe Engineering and Building Record in 1888, was also the subject of extensive interior photographs, showing the house's original furnishings (photos now in the collection the Worcester Historical Society). An additional fine detail of the -property is its low wall of granite (laid in a broken course) with a rounded coping of brown sandstone. (cont.) 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) City atlases and directories Albert Waite Papers The Engineering and Building Record, vol. XVII, 5/5/1888, p. 322 (Illustration) Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, vol. XXXII, no.2, May 1973, pp. 114-131 (Peabudy Stearns) INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: Worcester Form No: 116-L-10 Property Name : Joseph Davis Hous 9. Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Doro in Droester in 1838 1e 1860 wa sarrledtoy alad lmoan, granddaughter of Governor Levi Lincoln. During the 1870s and 1880s the couple lived at 53 West Street (see Lincoln Estate - Elm Park Area - Form 116-L) until the present house was built on the side lawn of Lincoln's mansion.
Davis lived at 41 Eln Street until 1890 when he sold the house to William Rice and moved to Boston. who became president of the Washburn Koen Nanufacturing company in 1091, was involved in wire manu- facturing from the age of 18 (1852) when he worked as a clerk for Ichabod Washburn : Co. Around 188g Rice established the wire manufacturing firm of William E. Rice Company in Connecticut, later moving the company to Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1865 Rice's firm merged with I. Washburn & Moen Co. In 1067 Rice traveled in England where he purchased new rod- rolling equipment which was installed in the Washburn & Moen North Works in 1868-1869 and soon became an important factor in the company's success. During the late 1860s Rice also served as treasurer and general manager of the Quinsigamond Wire Works, which was merged into Washburn & Moen in 1868.
In 1877 Rice founded the Worcester Wire Company at South Mn uosou ng monges va20t fod co she sorration Gor o so3 an 50fa2 and Wire Company, later the United States steel Company. After 1899 William Rice retired from active #41 Elm Street remainec the Rice family until 1953 when Albert W. Rice (son of William Rice) gave property to the Worcester Natural History Society. Staple to Inventory form at bottom Property Warcester Multiple Resansse Ava (Pastial Saventary) State MA (Warcester Horking Number8. 30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2,63 Excelent multyll resource nomeration for the extire cely HISTORIAN Soth the general descrytion 4 shatemeat o Cael /Acapt Lightnee 10.50-74 conan n/h Bmiés ummenti 102-4-3, NG-CBD-", ")-E, and 130-CBD-50 and 44. Integnty and /or bondaries need to be addiessed spearhcally on indurdual tms.
DUBIE ARCHEOLOGIST 130 -CB3- 44 - , cemced coot descussed with speatl senficance and categontantegnity, WINt 3 EXCEPTONS AU PROPERTICS APPEAK TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERIR AND TKE FORMS ARE ADEQUATE. RED BOTH TECHNLALLY AND TO DETERMINE SIGNIFLANCE. ALMOLAI SAME OF THE FORMS DID NOT CONTAN STRONK STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANCE THE KESOURCE CATEGDNIES WERE TUDROUGHLY DICUSTED IN THE BODY OF MHE NDRUNATION; THENESORE SIONIFICANCE MAS ESTABLISHED. HBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELHSE Of MHE SCALE MAPSAND CLEANY DEUNEATES BOUNDARICS . ALRENDE WAS MRISSTNG DIU SANCE PROPENTES BUT CIS MOW INCLLDEN AFTER THE 2/11/ CORRELTONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES TEST I DO NOT RECOMMEND LISTING ARE - 116-CBD-13 -DESAOYCO BY FIRE MO- 16CBD-I OTHER ACLEDT 2/28,88 HAER Inventory - Review 130-CB0-44- PDES.
NOT RETZIN INTEGRITY FOR INDI UIDUKA ELGIBILITY v102-2-3 / POSSTPRL EET CONVINCED ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BEHEVE NEY DOULD BE OK. Recommard ON ADDITONA DOCULLENTATON SUBMUTTED - I DEFER JUDGEMENT. Listine all propetres sexcegt these 3. Return 116-CBD-1 to Stute Pett 2 202-2-3 to state fn coretum; to duauss futha 3)51 +State.
DUBIE & BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/8 HOLD 130- CBD -44 for info from Stute DOBLE Staff conferene 3/5/30-agued to action as suted belro: : 16-CSD-11 (officcal notficatin of alzo tit Be stokemt National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry Send-back Entered 2.3.81 Re-submit KEEPER soldha 315/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritaqe Conservation and Recreation Service JUN 1979 Prestige by Berkey rints JUN Davis, Joseph, Heuse 116-2-1030 AUG 1979 41 Elm St hercesto MRA, Ma Wast rsonth elevations Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304