BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING no MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - In Area no. Form no. 130-D 1. Town Address Worcester 71 Pleasant Street Horatio Tower House Name: Present use Funeral service 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Ro11 30 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Present owner George Sessions & Sons 3. Description: Date ca. 1848-1850 Source_ city directories Style Italianate Architect unknown Exterior wall fabric aluminum Outbuildings (describe) none Other features Nearly square floorplan, entry with Corinthian columns, win- dow caps with carved consoles, mod- Illioned cornice, conservatory eastside of house. Altered siding Date 1970s Moved no _Date Assessor's Book 3, p.30, 9/268630/4682665. Lot size: Iot 16, 7438 8q.ft.
One acre or less X Over one acre Approximate frontage Approximate distance of building from street 87° 20' 6. Recorded by D. Latino, ed. B.R.Pfeiffe OrganizationWorc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date January 1978 (over) 30M-5-77 7. Original owner (if known) Horation N. Tower residence Original use Subsequent uses (if any) and dates funeral service (ca. 1925 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 Transportation 9.
Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) One of the best examples of Italianate architecture in Worcester, the Horatio Tower House is a two-storey frame structure, set on a rock-faced granite foundation and enclosed by a low, hip roof. The building is nearly square in plan with a small one-storey bay (former conservatory?) centered on its east wall. The house's facade (south) is symmetrical with a center entry (with fanlight), Corin- thian porch, oversized first-storey windows, window caps on carved (acanthus) consoles, corner pilasters and entablature/cornice with dentils and modillions. East and north elevations of the house are finished with similar details. In contrast to the more flamboyant stucco-covered Italianate villas of the 1850s, the Horatio Tower House is more academic in its use of classical detail.
In addition, the house's plan and pilasters retain elements of local Greek Revival architecture, particularly the many hip-roofed houses designed by - between ca 1829 and ca 1845. Of the large number of Greek Revival and Italianate style mansions built along Pleasant, Chestnut and Elm Streets during the West side's early development (1830s-1850s), the Tower House, calone, remains intact. The house's first owner and occupant until 1881, Horatio Tower, wås a prominent local builder. Around 1824, Tower worked as an appren- tice to Captain Lewis Bigelow during the construction of the old town hall (now demolished). In 1827, Tower worked with Zenas Studley in constructing an addition to the First Baptist Society Church on Salem Street (now demolished).
Additional buildings constructed by Tower with varing partners included Antiquarian Hall, the Old Court House, the Depot of the Boston and Worcester Railroad on Front Street (1835), 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Worcester Historical Society. Piographical file, (Emmeline Tower obit.). Howland,H. The Heart of the Commonwealth. (1850), p.66. Lincoln, W. History of Worcester. (1862). p. 370. Wall, C. Reminiscences... pp. 156, 283, 292, & 293. INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Community : Worcester Form No: 130-D Property Name Horatio Tower House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9.
Historical significance an addition to the Depot after moving it to a new site (1839, with Tilley Raymond), and the B.&.W.Railroad's first engine house (with Tilley Raymond and S.D.Harding), all of the foregoing have since been demolished. The most well-known building constructed by Tower is Mechanic's Hall, 321 Main Street, of which he was superintendant in the early 1850s. According to the obituary of Iower's wife, the house at 71 Pleasant Street was built by Tower, although the build- ing's architect is not mentioned. In addition to his contruction work, Tower was a director of the People's Mutual Fire Insurance Company in 1847. In 1884, local directories list Tower as "removed to New Canaan, Connecticut." From 1882 in to the twentieth century, the house was owned and occupied by Dr. Albert Wood.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom property Warceoter Miltiple Resonre Aua KPartial Saventan) State MA (Warcester Working Mumberg. 30. 79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 + 13 Maps 2, 63 Erceent muee sessure dmegten fo ne entie cely HSTOPAAN of Worcester. Both the general descreption al/ Acapt " te Eghtae ion Ech ty ot eopett anolided u nee 10.30-79 4 reasons paty dn thio time (P3.3.decker) bdene ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN Wins problems wah som propeerties are comum n/h Bmiés ummento m 102-2-3 "6 -CBD -", 17-E, and 130 -CBD-50 anl 47. Intonty and /r bondavies meed to be adlesed speatially on indurdual twms. ARCHEOLOGIST H6-CBD- 14 - Destroued, connot be listel. 130-CBD - 44 - 1 am nst cenvinced thus has lost integniti . See attacheel.
102-L-3 - Peuiod 5 sunficonee and cotegorzatem n lbuep need to be descussed with WIT 3 EXCERTONS AU PROPERTTES APPEAN TO ME TO MET AK CRITERI AND THE OTHER FORMS ARE ADEQUATE.RSA BOTH TECHNUILLY AND TO DETERMINE SIÇNIFCANCED ACMOULE SAUE EE TRE FORME DID NOE CONTAN SIRONE SIATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANCE THE ACLEDT KESOURCE CATEGONIES WERE THOROUGHLY DICUSSED IN THE BODY OF MHE MBRINATION; 2/28,88 THENEFBRE SNGNIFICANKE MAS ESTABLSHED. VBDS WERE NOT NELESSANY BELNSE Of MYE SCHE MAPSAND CLEARLY DEUNEATES BOUNDANES . HURENDE WES MSSING DIU SACE PROPEATES BUT AIIS NOW INCLUDED AFTER THE HAER 2/1/CORRELRONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THST I DO NOT RECOMMENR LISTING HRE Inventory - + 116-CBD-/3 - DESNOYCOBYFRE MO - UO CBD- 1! Review 130-CBO-44- POES. NOT RETAN INNTEGRITYFOR INDI VIDUHLA ELGIBILITY v102-L-3 / Poss. WEBT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELIEVE MHEY DOUCD BE OK.
I BASEN Recommend ON ADDITONAL DOCUMENTATAN SUBMITTED - / DEPER JUDGEMENT. Listine all progerties nexcept these 3. Return H16-CBD-I$ to Stute (notelegible); F o to descuss futher NR Stat +state. Retum 102-L-3 to State fer curedtem; 35 BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DOBLE Staff confernu 3/5/30 - agrud to action as stel belor: KEEPER Solehe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.8) Send-back 313/80 REPOT Entered Re-submit United States Department of the Interior -Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service AUG 1979 Tower, Horatie, Hev 130 -D 71 Pleasant St Sauth elevation Worcosto MRA, Ma Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304