BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
rel no 90000627 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSE TTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office oi the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - - - In Area no. Form no. 141-7 - 1. Town Address Worcester 770 Main Street Name Present use Dowdoy-Taylor Mansion school/offices 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. UTM 19/268120/4681900 Present owner Worcester Junior Colle Central N.E. College of Technolog 3.
Description: 770 Main Street Date Style 1842 Source Old-Time New England, V.XI Greek Revival Architect Elias Carter Exterior wall fabric clapboard Outbuildings (describe) none Other features 2-storey portico with variation on Corinthian capitals, decorated window caps and door trir octagonal cupola with circular, pro iecting roof supported by colum minor - See Altered reverse #9 Date Moved Jes Date 1853 Assessors! Book p.176 5. Lot size: Lot 16 15,300 sq.It. One acre or less Over one acre 801 Approximate frontage Approximate distance of building from street 35° W. 1. Jeaman 6. Recorded by_ ed. B.R. Pfeiffer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc. Date November 1977 (over) 277_77 7. Original owner (if known) Levi A. Dowley residence Original use Subsequent uses (if any) and dates institutional (collegiate), after 1957 8.
Themes(checkasmany 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) Designed by Elias Carter, the Dowley-Taylor Mansion is the most well- preserved example of the large number of elaborate Greek Revival style mansions built in Worcester from the late 1820s until the late 1840s (0f wnich less than six remain). Characteristic of Carter's Worcester designs, the Dowley-Taylor Mansion is a two-storey frame house with a two-storey Corinthian portico along its facade (east), hip roof and cupola.
house's facade is symmetrical, consisting The , of a center-entry (Corinthian surround with entablature, cornice, anthemion and acroteria), flanked on each side by two floor-to-ceiling windows with moulded caps set on acanthus brackets (the friezes of these caps contain anthemia appliques). At the facade's second storey are fivo symetrical spaced windows, each with a cap identical to the first storey window caps. The corners of the house are trimmed with pilasters which rise to acanthus and lotus capitals. The cupola consists of an octagonal enclosed structure (with windows bearing original stained glass) surrounded by a circular porch supported by columns with lotus and acanthus capitals. Alterations to the house have included the removal of the parapet (with carved eagle over the entry) and the replacement of sash (ca.1900).
Completed in 1842, the Dowley-Taylor House was first occupied by Levi Dowley, a leather merchant and incorporator of the Quinsigamond Bank. Known to have had a shoe and leather store on the east side of Main Street, near Pleasant Street, as early as 1825, Dowley suffered financial failure in 1847 and was forced to sell his house to Ethan Allen, a gun manufacturer. In 1853 Allen responded to the growing comnercial value of the house's (cont.) 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) Carruth, Louise: Old Worcester Houses (scrapbooks) Worcester Telegram. june 24, 1957. Forbes, iarriette li. "Elias Carter, Architect, of Worcester, Mass." OLd Time iew England, vol. XI, #2. Tutt, ". Tistory of Norcestor and Its' peorle, tol. 1I, pD. 1052, 1089, 1098. Rice, i.P.
Worcester of 1898, P- INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Commmity : Worcester Form No: 141-? Property Name : Dowley-laylor Mansion Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. 9. original site by selling the land and moving the house to its present location south of the business district. Anecdotally,Mrs. Harriette Zorbes (biographer of Elias Carter) recorded that during the brief period in which Ethan Allen lived in the house he "was aroused one night and discovered a thief about to take off with the family silver. Mr. Allen was a large vigorous man and the thief was small; the thief was given a vigorous flogging with a cane and then put in the Back in beå Mr.
Allen's anger got the better of him and he After Allen the house was occupied by several families including Jonathan Grout, owner of Davis and Banister, btationers and booksellers, and Dr. Trank Kelley, one-time Mayor of Worcester. In 1882 the house was purchased by Ransom C. Iaylor, a prominent local real estate developer and speculator, regarding whom more biographical information has been recorded with the Building Survet 36 Butler Street, Taylor's earlier house named "Larchmont" Ta 1oge the last of Iayloris descendants to occubt the house sold ft and in 1957 Worcester Junior College converted the house to classroom use. Staple to Inventory form at bottom Propert Warceoter Multiple Resonce Dua (Partial Daventary) state MA (Warcester Working Number8. 30. 19.
2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 +13 Maps 2,63 Excelent mullyle resource somexatinn for the extiie cily HISTORIAN indevidual invertony sheete are Lightre 10.30-79 4 reasone oesaton ho time (-3 deckea) OunuARC MORCTURAL HISTORIAN appercition ioe igtte an a ached sheta. properties are. conun n/h Bmies umments NC-CBD-", "7-E, and 130-CBD-50 and 44. Integnty and /or bomdaries need to tmms. DUBIE io2-b-3, be addliessed preatcally on indurdual ARCHEOLOGIST H16-CBD- 1- Destroued, cannot be listed.
130- CBD44 - am nst cenuinced Thes has lost intesna 102 - L-3 - Period 5 sunificonee and cotegorzatim : See attacher be descussed with n lbep need to WITH 3 EXCENTONS ALL PRUPERTIES APPEAK TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERIA AND MHE OTHER FORMS ARE ADEGUATE.RED BOTH TECHNLALLY AND TO DETERMINE SICNIFICANCER ALMOUEEÍ SOMLE EE MVE FORMS DLD NOT CONTAN SIRONG STATEMENB IF SIGNIFICANCE THE KESOURCE CATEGONIES WERE TRDROWGALY DISCUSIED IN THE BODY OF THE NDRINATION; THERESBRE SIGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABHSHEO. VBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELNSE 2/23,88 Bf TYE SCHE MAPSAND CIEANLY DEUNEATSS BOUNDANICS. HURENGE WES AISIN4 HAER T SN PROPEATES BUT EIS MOW INCLDED AFTER ME 2/11/ CORRELTONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES TIKET I DO NOT REROMMENA LISTING ARE Inventory- - 116-CBD-13 - DESNOYCO BY FIRE Mo- IoCBD-!1 Review 130-CBD-44- POES.
NOT RETAN INTEGRITY FOR INDI VIDUKA ELGHBILITY v102-L-3 / PbnSA, SMMBOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELLENE THEY BOUCD BE OK. W BASED Recommard ON ADDITONAL DOCUMLENTATON SUBMITTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Listna all properties nexcept these 3. Return 116-CBD-11 to Stute not elegible); Retum 102-L-3 to State fer curectem; a todesauss fo +State.
DUBIE & BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/8 HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DOBLE Staff conferenu 3/5/80 -agued to action as zusted belrro: 16-CBD -11 (officcal notfaratio of also un sfote) KEEPER Entered soldha 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.81 Send-back Re-submit United States Department of the Interior - Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service - MAY 79 JUNOR COLTED CENTRAL CENTRAL ENTECHNO NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE REGISTER NOW SIMMER: DAY & EVENINGS Iet Senilon JE8c I9M1 CENTRAI NEW ENCLANT * BOOKSTORE Pouley~ Taylor Manssin O AUG 1979 wTo Main St werester MRA, Ma Sonih+east elevations Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304