BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
- 90000597 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - In Area no. Form no. 129-C - - 1. Town Worcester 408 Pleasant Street Address Name Pleasant Street.Firehouse Present use fire station 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number 1 City of Worcester Present owner 3. Description: Date Roll #23 Source 1873 date Fldcoue: - - Style Victorian 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Architect unknown Exterior wall fabric_brick Outbuildings (describe) none Other features pedimented facade and side pavilion, cupola/bell tower recessed wall panels rith corbeliing granite trim Altered doors mid-120th Date century Moved Date UTM: 5. Lot size: Assessors! Book 6, p.8 Lot 2 19/267710/4687640 6,215 sq.It.
One acre or lêssx Over one acre Approximate frontage 50' Approximate distance of building from street 201 6. Recorded by B.R. Pfeiffer & S. Lee Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date February 1978 (over) 30M-5-77 7. Original owner (if known). City of Worcester firehouse Original use Subsequent uses (if any) and dates same 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) Begun in 1873 and completed in 1874, the Pleasant Street Firehouse is the oldest fire station in use in Worcester.
The building was one of three which were begun in 1873, perhaps in response to the two great fires which had devastated Boston (1872) and Chicago (1871). The other two buildings were located on John Street (now demolished) and Lamartine Street (severely altered, now used as a police station)- Considering the date of its construction and the sophistication of Worcester architects (who were then designing buildings in the Victorian Gothic and Second Empire styles), the Pleasant Street Firehouse appears curiously out-dated for its era.
The building's pedimented facade (originally with two arched entries), slightly projecting side pavilion with a pediment and circular lights and the open cupola (used originally for a fire alarm bell) centered on the building's roof are reminiscent of Federalist and Greek Revival style public buildings of the first half of the nineteenth century rather than the more "picturesque" Second Empire and Victorian Gothic public buildings which were being built in Worcester during the 1870s. keeping with the period of the building's construction are its window lintels and recessed wall panels with corbelled cornices. . IIn 1873 the city purchased the Pleasant Street lot from Daniel Waldo Lincoln for $460.60.
Although city documents offer an accounting of the building's cost, no architect is named; instead, the Auditor's Report notes merely that a total oi $407.75 was paid for plans for the Lamartine Street and Pleasant Street Firehouses. Although evidence suggests that the Lamartine Street building was designed by the firm of Earle &: Fuller 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, earlymaps,etc.) the lack of stylistic similarity between the two buildings as well as the lack of documentation preclude any attribution for the design of the Pleasant Street Firehouse. City Document #28, year ending 11/30/1873, p. 389. Taylor, Anthony. "Architectural Weighborhoods of Worcester", unpublished manuscript. Property Worceoter Miltple Resane Area (Partial lauentars) State MA (Warcester Working Number8.
30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2,63 suelent multyll resource nomesation for the entire cely HISTORIAN oth the general descretios a statemeat ff Acapl Eghtne dom Each tyge ot Dagedt alded ie wie mSineAA TIECTURAL HISTORIAN apyocition is higt. una ached sheets. propeerties ares conam m/h Basés ummento nn 102-L-3 t (ntgnty ad/a bordanies weed to be adlessed ppeatually on endurdual DUSIE ARCHEOLOGIST - Peuod s descussed with WINH 3 EXCEPTONS ALL PROPERTIES APPEAN TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERIA AND THE FORMS ARE ADEQUHTE RRSA BOTH TELLNILALLY AND TO PETERMINE SICNIFILANCER ACMOUEÉ SAUE OF TREFORMS DLD NOT CONTAN SIRONA STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANCE THE KESOURCE CHEGOMES WERE TRDROWSALY DISCUSTED IN BHE BODY OF MHE MBRUNATIONU; OTHER ACLERT 2/28,88 THEREFORE SNGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLISHED. HBDS WERE NOT NELEGSARY BELNSE OF MYE SCALE MAPSANP CIEANLY DELNEATES BOUNDANES .
HURENDE WIS MAISING HAER TU SMCE PRORENTIES BUT EIIS MOW INCLIDED AFTER DE 2/11/ CORREITORS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THET I DO NOT RECOMMENA LASTING ARE - 1/6-CBD-13 - DESMOYCO BYSIRE MO - 1OCBD- !! Inventory - Review 130-CB0-44- POCS. NOT RETAIN INTELRITY FOR NDIVDUKBEUGIBILITY v10r-L-3 / 00 GOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANLES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELIEVE TEY DOUCA BE DK. # AASED ON ADDITONAL DOCUMENTATON SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Recommal (mot elejeble); Lotng all grpantie ixcept these 3. Retum 1L-CBO-1 to Stute o to duscuss fuutha +stute.
DUBIE Retum 102-L-3 to state fer cumedum; 3/5 8 BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBLE Staff confernu 3/5/30 - agrued to action as zsted belor: fiecet wit stegstin so sonjofscal notpueti t returny 116- BD-11) a dl 130-CBD-44 (Lildy fuut National Register Write-up SEE 313/80 REPORT - Send-back Entered Federal Register Entry 2.3.8 - Re-submit KEEPER Soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service - MAY 79 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304