BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
ru no 80000597 In Area no. - FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office oi the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - Form no. 117-A-1 1. Town Worcester Address 25 Union Street Name_ Salisbury Factory Building-25 Union Street Present use Factory & restaurant 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Present owner A. J. Realty Co. 90 Grove Street, Worc. 3. Description: Date 1879 Source date placque Style elements of Victorian Gothic Architect unknown Exterior wall fabric red brick Outbuildings (describe). none Other featuressandstone string courses & window trim; placque bearing initials "S.S."; parapet with stepped central section. sash(4th storey) Altered elevator shaft . Date_1978-29 added Moved no Date UTM 5.
Lot size: Lot 19 Assessors' Book 2, p. 1, 19/269200/4683340 13,176 sq.It. One acre or less x_ Over one acre Approximate frontage_ 125' Approximate distance of building from street 7' , 6. Recorded by S. Ceccacci, S. Lee & B.R. Pfeiffer . Organization WHPS Date revised March 1979 (over) 7. Original owner (if known)_ Stephen Salisbury III Original use Factory Subsequent uses (if any) and dates_ Same 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Conservation Agricultural Education Architectural Exploration/ The Arts settlement Commerce Industry Communication - Military Community development X Political (restaurant added 1976) x Recreation Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9.
Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) #25 Union Street is a five-storey brick factory building of rectangular plan (54' x 135') with its facade (west) on Union Street. Bearing simple trim, the facade displays Victorian Gothic elements in its buff sandstone string courses, corbelling, parapet and bracketed entry hood. Side walls of the building are unornamented and have evenly spaced windows of 9/9 sash set in brick surrounds with arched heads. Alterations to the building consist of a brick elevator shaft (north wall), modern sigle-pane sash (fourth storey) and a minor five- storey addition (south-east corner) all built in 1978-1979. The building was one of three factories built by Stephen Salisbury III between 1876 and 1879 on the site of the Court Mills which had been built by his father, Stephen Salisbury II, between 1829 and 1832.
The Court Mills were the first factories in Worcester which leased loft space and provided power to small man- ufacturers. The success of the system of ownership, which freed small companies from the expense of property ownership, set the pattern of Worcester's industri a development, a development dominated bjs many small firms based on their founders' inventions. Throughout the nineteenth century the Salisbury family played a major role in the city's industrial development by building factories to accommo- date the city's growing industry. #25 Union Street was built by Stephen Salis- bury III for the use of the Munroe Organ Reed Company which occupied the building from December of 1879 until 1889. During the 1890s the factory was occupied by the firm of Porter & Gardner, last manufacturers.
In 1903 the building was sold by Salisbury and has since been occupied by a succession of small firms. (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Plumber &. Sanitary Engineer, Vol. II, 9/15/1879, p. 333 (building notice) Worcester Columbian Tribute, p. 16. Worcester Illustrated Business Guide (1881) p. 110. Washburn, C. Industrial Worcester, p. 194. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: Worcester Property Name: Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Form No: 117-A-1 . Salisbury tory Buildine 9. The Munroe Organ Reed Company was established in 1860 and incorporated in 1869 when it employed ten men and occupied one half of a floor at #23-25 Herman Street, near the Junction Shop.
Improvements in organ reed design were patented by the company and led to its gradual expansion in the early 1870s. During the last half of the 1070s, the company experienced rapid growth, based in part on the addition of new products including keyboards ("in Ivory and Celluloid"., bellows cloth, "Springs of every description") and "Stop Knobs". By 1881 the Munroe Organ Reed Company employed two hundred workmen at 25 Union Street and had manu- factured more than 25,000,000 "Munroe Patent Organ Reeds". In addition, the firm produced 35,000 "Orguinettes" annually for the Mechanical Orguinette Com- pany of New York. By 1889, changes in public taste had led to a decline in business and the disbandment of the firm. Staple to Inventory form at bottom - Property Warceoter Miltiple Resane Dua (Partial Danentary) State MA (Warcester Working Number8.
30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 + 13 Maps 2,63 Exullent multyll resource nomexation for the entire cely HISTORIAN 4 sratement s Lightne age ote apett oluded ie mee coan m/n Bmiés ummento m 102-L-3 "6 -CBD - ", "7-E, and 130-CBD-50 and 74. Integnty and /" bondanies nech to be addieseel spiotially on endurdual ARCHEOLOGIST 116 -CBD- 14 - Destroyed, connot be listed. 150 - CD - 44 - pam not cmumend has has yort inkgntt sge nlalo be 102-L-3 - Perlod o descussed with WINt 3 EXCERTONS AU PRUPERTIES APPEAN TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERI AND THE OTHER FORMS ARE ADEQUATE RSO BOTH TECHNILALL AND TO DETERMINE SIÇNIFCANCE, ALTOULLI SAUE OE RE FERNS DID NOT CONTAN STRON SIMTEMENS IF SIGNIFICANCE THE KESOURCE CATEDONIES WERE TROROUGHLY DICUSIED IN THE BODY OF MHE NDRINAIION; 2/28/88 TUENEFORE SIGNIFICANKE MAS ESTABLSHED.
VBDS WERE NOT NECESSARY BELNSE OF MYE SCHE MAPSANUD CLEANY DELNEATES BOUNDAMES. ALRENDE WAS MKSING HAER TU SACE PRORENTES BUT EIS NOW INCLUDED AFTER BE 2/1I/ CORRELRONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THEE I DO NOT RECOMMENA LISTING ARE - 116-CBD-/3 - DESNOYCOBYFIRE MO - UOCBD-!! Inventory- Review 130-CBD -44 - DDES. NOT RETSUN INTEGRITY FOR INDIVIDUKLB EUGHBILITY v (0r-L-3 / P5 WÜOT CONVINLED ABOUT -BOUNDARLE REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELIEUE THEY DOULA BE OK. - AAGED Recommenl DN ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATTA SUBMITTED - / DEPER JUDLEMENT. Listing all properties nexcept these 3. Return 116-CBD-Il to Stute (nst elegible); F Retum 102-L-3 to state fer cumectem; -ato derauss futaa) INR Sta +State.
DUBlE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DOBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/80 - agred to actioi as zusted belrr: 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 Prints by Berkey JUN 97 /17-A-10 AUG 1979 25 Union st. north + west elevations Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304