BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING lel no 90000607 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, State House, Boston - - In Area no. Form no. 130-8BD 1. Town Address Worcester 507 Main Street Name Park Building Present useCommercial & residential 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Roll 22 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. Present owner People's Church Home, Inc 25 Francis St., Worc. 3. Description: Date 1914-1915 Source Nutt., Hist. of Worc. Style Classical Revival cross & Cross of New York Architect D.H.Burnham Exterior wall fabric limestone Outbuildings (describe) none Other features_two-storey cast metal stone front with classical decoratio two storey loggia at, 10th & 11th stories, cornice Altered store fronts Datemid-20thc. Moved no Date Assessor's Book 3, p.
13 19/268790/4682460 UTM 5. Lot sizgiot 1, 9010 sq.It. One acre or less Over one acre Approximate frontage 110° Approximate distance of building from street 10° :6.. Recorded by S.Ceccacci & B.R.Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date January 1978 (over) 30M-5-77 7. Original owner (if known)_ Original use Park Trust Co. bank/offices Subsequent uses (if any) and dates commercial & residential (present) 8. Themes (check as many as applicable) Aboriginal Agricultural Architectural X The Arts Commerce Communication Community development X Conservation Education Exploration/ settlement Industry Military Political Recreation -Religion Science/ invention Social/ humanitarian Transportation 9. Historical significance (include explanation of themes checked above) The Park Building is an eleven-storey, steel-frame structure, covered by a facing of dressed limestone.
The building's first two stories are enclosed by a metal and plate-glass store front(partially altered) which is decorated with a variety of cast classical motifs; the third storey contains evenly spaced windows separated by carved limestone panels and surmounted by a cornice. The fourth through ninth stories are largely undecorated; at the tenth and eleventh stories are engaged Tuscan columns, designed to appear as a loggia, above which are a cornice and copper cresting. The largest of several office blocks built by corporations and holding companies in downtown Worcester in the early twentieth century, the Park Building remained the most prominent element of the city's skyline until the construction of Worcester Center in the late 1960s.
Characteristic of the increased importance of cor- porate activity during the city's last major boom, the Park Building was built for the Park Trust Company, rather than for an individual as had been the case with vértuaily all commercial buildings prior to 1900. The Park Trust Company was formed in 1915 with a capita of $300,000 which increased to more than $3,000,000 by 1917. Ir 1927, the Park Trust Companywas merged with the Worcester County Trust Company, which, in 1959, became the Worcester County National Bank. The selection of New York architects Cross & Cross and D.H. Burnham, is also characteristic of the city's large office blocks of 1900-1920, most of which were designed by architects from New York and other cities where skyscraper construction was more widely 10. Bibiotiae thd/or relorces (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Nutt, C. Hist.
of Worc., Vol.II, pp. 1013 & 1064. Worcester Magazine, 1915, p. 83. -Property Warceoter Multple Resane Aua (Parteal Danentary) State MA (Warcester Working Number8. 30.79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 _ +13 Maps 2,63 Excetent multyle resource nomexation for the entire cely HISTORIAN 4 spatement t al/acupl Eightre susttud, a reasons dan Each Kype at Lapety aaleded it mre. 10-30-79 opiao e tine (-3decku DOAR ITECTURAL HISTORIAN apposition is ligh properties are lited an actached shets. conan m/h Bmiés ummento n 102-L-3 74.
Intgnty and /~ bondaries nech to be adlesed "C-CBD -", "7-E, and 130 -CBD-50 and spearhcally on indurdual ARCHEOLOGIST 102-L-3 - Perod 5 descussed with WINH 3 EXCEPTONS ALL PROPERTIES APPEAR TO ME TO MEET BK CRITERIA AND ME FORMS ARE ADEQUATE RED BOTH TECHNICALLY AND TO DETERMINE SICNIFCANCE, AARUH SAUE OE IVE FARNS DLD NOT CONTAN SIRONA STMEMENS IF SIGNIFICINCS THE KESOIRCE CHTEGONIES WERE TROROWSHLY DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF THE NORINAIIONU; OTHER 2/28/88 THEREFORE SNGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLSHED. HBDS WERE NOT NELESSANY BELNIE OF TYE SCHE MAPSAND CLEANLY DELNEATES BOUNDANES. HLRENDE WAS AISING DIU SACE PRORERTES BUT ELS NOW INCLLDED AFTER DHE 2/11/ CORRELTORS. HAER THE ONLY PROPERTIES TKAT I DO NOT RECOMMENA LISTING ARE 1 116-CBD-13 - DESNOYCOBYFRE MO - 1 CBD-!! Inventory- Review 130-CBO-44 - PDGS.
NOT RETSIN INTEGRITY FOR INDI VIDUKEELGIBILITY v 10r-L-3 / PDSA WBOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANLES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELLEÜE THEY BOUCD BE OK. # AASED Recommanl ON ADDLTONA DOCUMLENTATON SUBMUTTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Listing all properties nexcept these 3. Return II6-CBD-I$ to Stute (not elegible); to derouss futhu INR Sta +Stute. DUBIE Retum 102 -L-3 to state for cumecem; 3158 BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/80 - agrud to action as sutel belor: KEEPER Soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Send-back Re-submit SEE $13/80 RERORT Entered United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service by Berkey restige Prints JAN 1978 AUG 1979 parke Builthing 130-CB0-38 Warcester MRA, Ma 507 main St.
horth y west eleva tions JAN 1978 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304