BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
ref no 80000 624 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION " Office oi the Secretary, State House, Boston - - - In Area no. Form no. 141-K coli 1. Town Worcester Address 839 Main Street Name E.T. Smith House (old name) Present use club 2. Photo (3x3" or 3x5") Staple to left side of form Photo number Post Ro1l 3 - 4. Map. Draw sketch of building location in relation to nearest cross streets and other buildings. Indicate north. U1C 3rce S3CO. - Present owner Foreign Wars 3. Description: Date 1889 Source city directories Style Queen Anne a1 Architect unknown 38.3 Exterior wall fabric clapboard & shingle Outbuildings (describé) stable (1889) Other features elaborately decorated 300 porches at lst and 2d Iloors, oriel window with stained blass, stable with tower addition to mid-20th Altered north wall ) Date century Moved no. Date UTM: 5.
Lot size: Assessors: Book 6, p.30 19/267810/468/610 Lot 22 13,691 sq.ft. One acre or less * Over one acre Approximate frontage! 1021 Approximate distance of building from street 20' 0. Sharalambides & E. 6. Recorded by Kuniholm. ed. B.R. Preilfer Organization Worc. Heritage Pres. Soc Date October 1977 (over) Elliott T. Smith 7. Original owner (if known)_ Original use residence club (post-1945) Subsequent uses (if any) and dates 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) Built in 1889 for Elliott I.
Smith, #839 Main Street, now Post #479 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, is & good example of a type of Queen Anne. style house which was popular during the 1880s and 1890s throughout Worcester- The house is a two and one-half storey frame structure with an asymmetrical floor plan and an asymmetrical facade (west)- - The Iacade has porches with elaborate wood turnings (Ist and 2d stories), a high granite stoop with original iron railing, decorative shingling and a higt gable set ofi-center. include an exterior chimney with sandstone and terracotta trim and an oriel window with stained glass (both on the south wall). The property ,also contains an original stable with a rounded corner tower and a ventilator/cupola.
Currently well-maintained, the Smith House is one of sothe few houses extant from Main Street south's nineteenth-century devel- I opment as one of Worcester's most prestigious residential neighborhoods. :Elliott Smith, a native of Rockland, Maine, was born in 1833 and first came to Worcester in 1849. After working as a gate tender for the Western Railroad for three Jears, Smith went to work for "Hitchcock & Murray Arms Manufacturers". In the winter of 1857 Smith went to New Orleans "in the lightning rod business" but returned to Worcester shortly thereatter- By. 105° Smith had estabiished himself as a grocer; with the growth of the business, a wholesale branch (E.I. Smith & Co.) was established and in 1874 a "large brick block" was built by the firm on Washington Square. After 1893 the firm moved to Summer Street. Smith died in Worcester in 1913, after which his house was sold to Dr.
Richard Shannahan, city police surgeon, and in 1945 the property was sold to a veterans' organization from which the present owner receivea titie- 10. Bibliography and/or references (such as local histories, deeds, assessor's records, early maps, etc.) solde Nutt, C. History of Worcester and Its People, vol. III, P.281 - Rice, F.P- Worcester of 1898, pp. 747-749 (illustration) Pioperty Warceoter Multiple Resanre Aua (Partial Danentany) state MA (Warcester Working Number8. 30. 79.2060 TECHNICAL CONTROL Photos 383 + 13 Maps 2,63 Exceteant-muliyu resaurce nomenaton f ieentee cel, HISTORIAN Soth the general descreption acup segnfuane " e individual invertoy sheet ar Lightne don. Eack typ ot zajety chided ie meel TeaALckn U ARO NECTURAL HISTORIAN apposition is lih properties are liited an actached sheets. coan u/h Bmiés ummenta mn 102-L-3 74.
Intynty and/~ bondanies nech to' be addused "C -CBD -", "7-E, and 130-CBD-50 and ppeatially on endwidual ARCHEOLOGIST H6-CBD- 17 - Destroyed, connot be listed. 130 - CBD - 44 - 1 am not cnuineed thes hag cost integi teg teedne 102-L-3 - Perod o sunficane and categorizatim descussed with WINt 3 EXCERTONS AL PROPERTTES APPEAN TO ME TO MEET AK CRITERIA AND THE FORMS ARE ADEQUATE RED BOTH TECHNLALLY AND TO PETERMINE SIGNIFLANCE, ACMOUEL SAUE OE THE FORMS DID NOT CONTAN STRONK STATEMENS IF SIGNIFICANKE THE KESOURCE CHTEGONICS WERE TUDROWGHLY DICUSSED IN THE BODY OF MHE NOMINAYONU; TUEREFORE SIGNIFICANCE MAS ESTABLSHED. VBDS WERE NOT NELESSARY BELNSE OF TYE SCHLE MAPSANP CLEANLY DELNEATED BOUNTAMES. HURENDE WAS AISING DU SME PROPEATTES BUT EIS MOW INCLIDED AFTER BE 2/11/CORRELZONS. THE ONLY PROPERTIES THET I DO NOT RECOMMEND LISTING ARE - 116-CBD-/3 - DESMOYCO BYFIRE MO - 1OCBD- !!
OTHER 2/28,88 HAER Inventory - Review 130-CBO- 44 - DOCS. NOT RETAUN INTELRITY FOR INDI VDUKBELIGIBILITY v(or-L-3/002 WBOT CONVINLED ABOUT BOUNDANES REVIEW UNIT CHIEF BUT BELLEUE MEY DOUCD BE OK. I BAGED DN ADDLTTONAL DOCUMLENTATON SUBMUTTED - / DEFER JUDLEMENT. Recommerl Listing all propertien except these 3. Retum 116-CBD-It to Stuto mot etegible); F s to duscuss futhu +stute. DUBIE BRANCH CHIEF 3/3/81 Retum 102-L-3 to state fer curestim; HOLD 130-CBD -44 for info from stute DUBLE Staff confernu 3/5/80 - agred to action as suted belre: Iccept with exce fie + demo from sipo), ptiim f 116-CBSD-11 (officcal notfati of National Register Write-up Federal Register Entry 2.3.8 Send-back Re-submit 313/80 REPORT Entered KEEPER Soldhe 3/5/80 MAR 5 1980 United States Department of the Interior -Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service MAY 79 AUG 1979 14|- K Smimh Eliret, St.
839 main wereester MRA, Ma West + south eleatun MAY - 79 38 AUG 1979 Snith, Fllivt, ltese 839 mamn St wercegder MRA Ma Sumth elevation Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000304