BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
- FORM B - BUILDING Mul no 8c000578 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - In Area no. Form no. 116-L-13 1. Town Worcester Address_59 Elm Street (also 1 OakSt.) Name Isaac Davis House Present use Worcester Club 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Roll 5 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indieate north. Present owner Worcester Club 3. Description: Date 1870-1872 city atlases, newspaper Source_clippings Style Italianate Gen. Walker of Providence Architect_ (1870-1872); Stephen Earle (1008); James Purdon (1911) Exterior wall fabric brick Outbuildings (describe) none cast-iron fence set into Other features_granite posts, brown sandstone trim, Corinthian entry on Oak St.
side, cornice with dentils and modillions, oriel window, some arched window heads, cupola removed Altered interior alteredate 1888, 1911 Moved no Date 19/268350/4682870 , UTM: 5. Lot size: Assessors' Book 3, p. 34 Lot 6---10,813 sq. One acre or less Over one acre Approximate frontage 125' Approximate distance of building from street 101 W. & M. Seaman 6. Recorded by ed. B. R. Pleiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date February 1978 (over) M-7-77 7. Original owner (if known) Isaac Davis Original use Subsequent uses (if any) and dates Residence Worcester Club (1888 to 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 X Transportation 9.
Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) X Now used as a private social club, the Isaac Davis House is a unique local example oi Italianate architecture, resembiing the Italianate architecture of Providence, Rhode Island from the which the architect of the house, Gen. William Walker, came. The former Davis House is constructed of brick, surrounded by a dentilled and modillioned cornice. Ihe house has one set in a slightly recessed plane of the wall. The center bay now contains a rectangular bay window at the first story (in the place of the original entry); surmounted at the second story by a rectangular window with sandstoae architrave and cap on consoles and at the third story by an arched window. The outer bays of the facade contain at each story one set of paired 1/1 windows set in a moulded sandstone architrave with consoles supporting a cap.
The Oak Street facade is essentially the same as the Elm Street facade, except that it is larger and has an elaborate Corinthian entry porch, flanked by long windows at its center. Surrounding the house is an exceptionally fine cast-iron feace set into panelled granite posts. Alterations to the'house include an 1888 remodelling of the interior (Stephen Earle, architect), the construction of a three-story brick ell in 191' james Purdon, architect) ana the removal oi the original square plan cupola. Built at a cost estimated, in 160o, to have been $100,000, the Davis House is by far the most elaborate house of its period extant in Worcester. 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, (cont'd.) early maps, etc.) Worcester Historical Society. Institutional clippings file (Worcester Club folder). Albert Waite Papérs. City atlases ü directories.
Nutt, C. Hist. of Worc. Vol. I, pP. 92-97 (Davis biography) Vol. II, Pp. 947-948 (Worcester Club) Rice, F. Worcester of 1898 (Davis biography) 8. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston 2. Commmity: Worcester Form No: 116-1-13 Property Name: Isaac Davis House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Isaac Davis (1799-1883) was a native of Northborough, Massachusetts. After attending Leivester and Lancaster Academies, Davis entered Brown University, fron which he graduated in 1822. In late 1822 or 1823 Davis began to study law in the Worcester office of his uncle John Davis and Levi Lincoln (both of whom later became governors of Massachusetts).
Admitted to the bar in 1825, Isaac Davis apparently re jected the advice of his uncle (that he begin practice in a small country town) and opened a law office in Worcester. From the beginning, Davis enjoyed great success in his profession, gradually branching out to become Involved in local real estate, business and pol1t1c3. From 1036 to 1842 and again from 1854 to 1878, Davis was president of the Quinsigamond Bank. From 1854 until 1882 he was president of the State Mutual Life Insurance Company and from 1846 until his death he was president of the Merchants' and Farmers' Fire Insurance Company- (During Davis' presidency these two companies built a Second Empire building at 240 Main Street at approximately the time that 59 Elm Street was under construction (see #116-CB0-13). In addition Davis served as a director of the Worcester & Nashua and the Providence and Worcester Pailroads.
ctive in the local Democratic party, Isaac Davis ran frequently (ofter insaccessiully) lor state senator and other elective oflices; despite the local and statewide dominance of the Republican partj at the time; Davis was elected state senator in 1043 and 1054, and mayor of Worcester in 1856, 1858 and 1861. Between 1828 and 1860' Davis was a representative to every national Democratic convention. Among Davis's public donations were cottributions to funds to secore Kansas as a free state prior to the Civil War, the financial support of local Democratic candidates for public forty years (seeif151-I). Davis took the titte of Colonel from his activity in the local Infantry of the state militia, and, based on this activity, was appointed to the board of visitors of West Point Academy.
Folbowing Davis's death in 1883, the property at 59 Elm Street was sold to the Worcester Club, which had been formed in March of 1878. The Club was organized "for the establishment and maintenance of a place for social meetings" by a number of the ciy's most prominent citizens, including George F. Hoar (a former United States Senator), Waldo Lincoln, Joseph Davis (son-of Isaac Davis) and a number of wealtny residents oi the Lincoln Estate - Elm Park Area. Additions for club purposes have been made to the rear of the Davis House and some interior re-arrangement of rooms was carried out to adapt the house to use as a private club. Staple to Inventory form at bottom property Warcester Multple Resonre Duea (pastial Saventary) State MA (Warcester Working Number8.
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HBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELHSE OF MYE SCALE MAPSAND CLENNLY DELNEATED BOUNDANCS. ALRENDE WAS ALISSING DIU SONCE PROPEATTES BUT EIS MOW INCLUDED AFTER THE 2/11/ CORRELTORS. HAER THE ONLY PROPERTES THEE | DO NOT RECOMMENA LISTING ARE v 1/6-CBD-13 - DESAOYCO BY FIRE Mo- 16CBD-!! Inventory- Review 130-CB0-44- POES. NOT RETMN INTEGRITY FOR INDI VIDUKA EUGIBILITY v101-L-3 1 POS- WBET CONVINCED ABOUT BOUNDHNES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BEHENE MEY BOUCD BE OK. WE BASED ON ADDLTONAL DOCUMLENTATTON SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Recommand Listing all prospartres nescept these 3. Return 116-CBD-. to Stute (not elegible); fetum 10z-L-3 to State fer crectem; a to deseess fut N/NR +State.
DUBIE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBLE Staff confurne 3/5/30-agued to actisi as pisted beloro: : 116-CBSD-11 (officcal notfiratin if also wn sfate) 1tiEsse 33,80 RERST 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 by Be rest JUN 1 Davis Isaac, Herse 30 AUG 1979 Wirester MRA, Ma 116-1-13 59 Elm St (also ( DatSt) Westr south elualions by b Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304