BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
80000617 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - - 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Ro11s 5,8 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. In Area no. Form no. 141-3-2 1. Town Worcester Address 8 Claremont Street Franklin Wesson House Name_ Present use ' residential Present owner Mary Garabedian and Rose Paloian 3. Description: Date ca.1874 Source -Style city directories High Victorian Gothic Architect Exterior wall fabric A.P. Cutting brick Outbuildings (describe) none Other features three-and-one-half store tower, pointed arch windows and entry, porch/dormer at 3d Iloor, buttresses not Altered significantly Date Moved no Date - Assessors' Book 6, p. 36 UTM 5. Lot size: Lot 7 8,900 sq.It.
:19)2676104681660 One acre or less. Over one acre Approximate frontage 771 Approximate distance of building from street W. 25' and M. Seaman 6. Recorded by ed. B.R. Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. December 1977 Date (over) 30M-5-77 7. Original owner (if known)_ Franklin Wesson Original use_ residence Subsequent uses (if any) and dates lodging house (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) Worcester's most elaborate High Victorian Gothic style house, the Franklin Wesson House is a two-and-one-half storey brick structure which rises from a plinth of hammered granite to a hipped roof covered with hexagonal pattern slates. Having a side-hall plan, the house is entered on its facade (south) through a three-and-one-half storey tower with a high hip roof. The tower rises in stages, having buttresses and a sandstone springers and keystones at the second storey, paired rectan- gular windows and blind pointed arches with oculi at the thira storej, and a gabled dormer and trifoliate lights at the roof. East of the tower is a three-side bay which rises to a dormer and porch at the third storey. Windows throughout the house are set in pointed-arch frames with sand- stone keystones and springers.
of the springer of first and second storey windows and between the first and second stories are belt courses of decorative brickwork. Dormers chroughout vary, but all are decorated with aprons and open strap work. Nith the exception of a two-storey wooden porch at the house's northeast corner, the building is in original condition. Surrounding the property is a fine, original retaining wall of dressed granite. Plans and ele- vations of the Wesson House were published in Bicknell's Wood and Brick Buildings With Details (Wew York, A.J. Bicknell s: Co., 1875 - vol. I, piates 47 and 48. (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Bicknell, A.J. Wood and Brick Buildings with Details. (New Iork A.J. Bicknell * Co., 1875) vol. I, plates 47-48. washburn, C. Industrial Worcester, pp. 207, 208 and 296.
INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity: Worcester Form No: 141-B-2 PropertyNametandessn House Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9. First occupied between 1874 and 1875, the Wesson House was built for iranklin Wesson, a founder of Worcester's arms industry. In 1871 Wesson and a partner Iormed the firm of Wesson and Harrington for "the purpose of manufacturing a shell-ejecting revolver". This firm later became Harrington and nichardson, the city's major gun manulacturer- Wesson occupied 68 Claremont Street until the 1890s, after which the property was sold to Charles Forbes, an attorney, and later to F- Thayer, secretary of A.D. Thayer Co.,cloth manulacturers.
Staple to Inventory form at bottom -Property Warcester Mltiple Resane Aua (Partial Danentan) State MA (Warcester Horking Number8. 30. 79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps! 2,63 Acapl signjcance " the wrel don. Eack tyga of Dragety anoluded ie neel 10-30-79 susttud, a reasors opasicon no ne(-3deckua mAR MECTURAL HISTORIAN conam m/h Bmies umments m 102-L-3 14. Intgnty mnd/ ~ bomdanies nech to be addlussed "G -CBD - ", "]-E, and 130 -CBD-50 and spechially on indudual ARCHEOLOGIST 116- CBD - 17 - Destroyed, cunnot be listel. 130 - 0 44 - Peratt cnane a cayorangnt see alacle be 102-L-3 - Perod o descussed with WINh 3 EXCERTONS AL PROPEATTES APPEAN TO ME TO MET AK CRITERI AND THE FORMS ARE ADEQUATE.
RED BOTH TELHNIALLY AND TO DETERNINE SIGNIFLANCER ACMOULEI SAULE EF TE FORMS DID NOT CONTAN STRONG STATEMENS IF SIGNIFCANKE TE KESOURCE CATEGONES WERE TUOROWGHLY DISCUSIED IN THE BODY OF MHE NORUNAION; TUEREFORE INGNIFICANCE WAS ESTABLSHED. VBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELNSE Of TYE SCHE MAPSAND CLEANLY DELNEATES BOUNDANES. HURENDE WES MLISSING TIU SACE PROPEATIES DUT EEIS MOW INCLLDED AFTEN DE 2/I1/ CORRELZORIS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THAT I DO NDT RECOMMEND LISTING ARE - 116-CBD-13 - DESAOYCO BYFIRE MO - 1 CBD- !! OTHER 2/2888 HAER Inventory - Review 130-CBD - 44 - PDCS. NOT RETAUN INTEGRITY FOR INDI VIDUKE GLGIBILITY -v102-L-3 / Posast, ÜOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANLES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELIEVE TUEY DOUCD BE OK. BASED ON ADDITONAL DOCUMLENTATAN SUBMITTED - I DEFER JUDLEMENT. Recommend Listing all properties nexcept these 3.
Return II6-CBD-I$ to Stute (not etejeble); o to durcuss futha, NR Stat tate. DUBIE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 Retum 102-L-3 to state fer curedum; HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBIE Staff conferenu 3/5/80 - agrud to action as sotel belor: pictotm ), 02 -3 16-C5D-" (officcal BD-11) a :/ 130-060-44 State fu . also fon sfite) 313/80 REPORT National Register Write-up Send-back Entered Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Re-submit KEEPER Soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service TRUCKS ENTER SIMPLEX EASY! PARK AND ENTER JUN 1979 Prestige Prints by Berkey 0 AUG 1979 141-B-2 Wessenfraklin (forse 8 Claremont St. Wercesto MRA Ma South reast elevations Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304