BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING MU no 800006$2 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - In Area no. Form no. 130-L-35 1. Town Worcester Address 41 Fruit Street Name Harris-Merrick House Present use residential 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 3. Description: Date Angelo Scola 4 Waterman Road Auburn, Ma. 01501 ca.1832-1844 - 1.. Style Source Albert Waite Papers Greek Revival Architect unknown Exterior wall fabric clapboard Outbuildings (describe) none Other features side-hall plan, corner pilasters, original door, floor-to- ceiling windows front porch Altered :. rebuilt Date 1970s from Chestnut Moved Street Date 1874 - UTM: 5. Lot size: Assessors' Book 2, p. 40 19/26817014683160 Lot 75,x7016 sq.ft.
One acre or less Over one acre Approximate frontage _70' Approximate distance of building from street 20% 6. Recorded by B.R. Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date April 1979 (over) 37M-7-77 - 7. Original owner (if known) Clarendon Harris (?) or Pliny Merrick Original use residence Subsequent uses (if any) and dates two-family residence (late 19th and 20th centuries 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) The Harris-Merrick House is a two-storey, side-hall plan Gothic Revival style house.
The building's corners are trimmed with pilasters which contain cimple wooden frets. At the facade are floor-to-ceiling windows (Ist storey) and an original entry with side lights. house are limited to the re-building of its porch with a modern stone base ita poren wiea da sodon stono base and fluted columns (replacements). The Harris-Merrick House is one of the earliest houses remaining from the initial development of the west side of Worcester, which began in the early 1830s when Governor Levi Lincoln subdivided a tract of land known as the Sever Farm. Originally built at #11 Chestnut Street, this house stood among a large number of Greek Revival style houses designed by Elias Carter for the city's leading lawyers and merchants of the 1830s.
The Harris-Merrick House wes either built for Clarendon Harris, & book seller and first secretary of the State Mutual Life Assurance Company, who bought the Chestnut Street lot in 1832, or for Pliny Merrick, a judge and one of the city's most prominent attorneys, who owned the property by 1844. Merrick's own home stood immediately south of the Harris-Merrick House's original lot, and haå been designed for Merrick by Elias Carter in 1031. Between 1845 and 1847, the house was owned and occupied by Frederick W. Gale, an attorney. In 1857 the house was sold to Henry Clarke, & physician, who occupied it until 1874, when planning to build a large stone house on the Chestnut Street lot, he sold the structure to Edward W. Lincoln, who moved the house to its present site. At the time of its move, the (cont.! 10.
Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Albert Waite Papers, Box 4 Forbes, Harritte. "Elias Carter, Architect of Worcester, Mass." in Old Time New England, vol. XI, no.2, Oct. 1920, pp. 65-66. NDNAURA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Worcester sioed Property Name: Harris-Merrick House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. Harris-Merrick House was the only house in the vicinity of Fruit Street, then an open tract which Lincoln was planning to develop. Once on its new site, the building was converted to a two-Tamily house. In the late a number of rental houses (known as Lincoln Terrace - see Form 18708 Lincoin began active developnent of the surrounding area, h6lading south of the Harris-Merrick House.
At present the Harris-Merrick House retains most of its original Greek Revival style features and has associations to two stages of the city's westward residential expansion of the nineteenth century. Staple to Inventory form at bottom Property Warceoter Meltple Resonrra Ava (Parteal Iaueatary) State MA (Warcester Working Number8. 30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2, 63 sclent multyle resource nomenation for the entire cily HISTORIAN oworceofer. Both the general descrytion o staterent of Cal/Acapt uinficance " the indevidual inventony sheet are Lighine done. Each tye of Proper for not includen xchided a wel. 4 reasons 10.50-79 bhesh at this time (I-3: 3. deckers) Downe ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN pposetion is ligh Wean problem wah som properties are lited on aclached Theets. coun wi/h Bmiés umment m 102-L-3 44.
Integnty and /or bordaries need to' "6-CBD-", "T-E, and 130-CBD-50 anl be addressed speatcally on indurdual BUBIE ARCHEOLOGIST H6-CBD- 17- Destroved, connot be listed. 130-CBD -44 - 1 am nst cenvinced thhes has lost integnt 102-L-3 etisee ntachto he descussed with WINH 3 EXCCRTONS AU PROPERTIES APPEAN TO ME TO MOET HK CRITERA AND THE OTHER FORMS ARE ADEQUATE RED BOTH TECHNLALLT AND TO RETERMINE SIÇNIFICANCER ALMOUEH SAME EF TIHE FORMS DID NOT CONTAN STRONE STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANKE THE ACLEDT KESOURCE CATEGONIES WERE TUBROUGHLY DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF THE NBRIMATION; THEREFORE SIGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABHSHED. HBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELASE 2/28/58 gF THE SCHE MAPSAND CLESRLY DELNEATED BOUNDARIES. HLRENDE WBS NLIISIO4 DIU SAMCE PROPEATTES BUT EIS MOW INCLUDED AFTER BE 2/11/ CORRELRONS.
HAER THE ONLY PROPERTIES TEST I DO NOT RECOMMEND LASTING ARE Inventory - - 116-CBD-13 - DESTOYCO BYFIRE MO - 16CBD-! Review 130-CBD-44- BOES NOT RETAIN INTELRITY FOR INDI UDUKAELGIBILITY v102-2-3 WEOT CONVINLER ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BEHENE MHEY DOUCH BE OK. AAGEN Recommend OO ADDITONAL DOCUMLENTATON SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDGEMENT. Lstne all properties sexcept these 3. Return 116-CBD-1 to Stute +Stute.
DUBIE (not elegible); Retum 102-L-3 to State for curecum; Fe to derouss futl o BRANCH CHIEF 2/18 3/5 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBIE Staff conferene 3/5/30 -agued to actoi as puoted belrwo; National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 'BD-"1) á el 130- CBD-44 /Ltd Send-back 2.3.81 Re-submit KEEPER Entered Soldha 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service by Ben 130-L-35 30 AUG 1979 41 FruitSt Herris - Mortick Hase worcester MRA, Ma South + east elevation by Berkey Prints JUN 1979 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304