BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILDING 522 VYUITIDAIDGE MAOS MFA AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 MAY 1 5 1989 NATIONAL REGISTER C FORM NO. 307 Town Southbridge Address 239-241 Elm Street Historic Name Stenhen Richard House Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. =92=2-= Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north Use: Present residential Original residential DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1865 Source maps, visual analvsis Style Federel Architect Unknown Exterior Wall Fabric clapboards outbuf1 dings garage, late-zoth century (NC Major Alterations (with dates) 1880's porche on side, 1/1 sash (1ate-19th, early-20th c.
Condition Good Moved no Date n/a Acreage less than one acie Setting residential/commercial/industrial neighborhood UTM REFERENCE 18/745 190/4661 400 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridge, Mass-conn SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 -pre.navicI The Stephen Richard House is significant for its association with the town's mid- th century real estate development and ite traditional gable biock form. It meets National Register criteria A and Cat the local level and retains integrity of location, materiais, workmanship, design, feeling, and association. The boundaries indicated on the attached assessors map are those of current ownership. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community.
This house is of the traditional two-and-a-half story, five bay center entry New England house cype. Although its date of construction is not clear, the double chimneys, its compact size ard the high pitch of its gable roof sugges: that the house was not built before the mid- 19th century and quite possibly as late as the 1870's. The house is extremely plair in design. Its only ornamental features are a small front porch with jig saw trim and a double deck side porch, with exterior stairs, across the width of the south sice (ca. 1880's). The side porch with exterior stairs is an architectural element commoniy seen in late-19ch century buildings in Southbridge and believed to be of French Canadian origin.
Ene presence of such a detail here is fitting since Stephan Richard was French Canadian and since the neighborhood in which the house is located was known as Little Canada in the late-19th century. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Expiain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Ihe Vernacular appearance of the Richard House makes it difficult to date visualiy. Information gathered from availabie Souchbridge maps also makes precise dating difficul: for this dwelling. Both the. 1855 and 1870 maps show structures standing in this approximate iocation. A building belonging to I. Anmidown, possibly a shoe shop, can be seen here on che 1855 map. Ihe 1870 map shows a slaughterhouse here.
Because no other building was standing in the area at those dates the exact location of the Ammidown building or che slaughter house is difficult to ascertain. However, the Richard House, unlike the ocher houses which appeared on either side ci i= by 1879, is oriented at an angle to the street. This fact suggests chat the Richard House might be an earlier structure. The present house can first be definitely identified on the 1878 map of Southbridge. At that date it was shown as the property of S. Richard. Franco-American industrialist in Southbridge and the first Franco-American voter. In 1862 he established a cutlery manufactury in Sandersdale and later in Brickviiie. formed a corporation, The Richard Manufacturing Company, with his two sons, Stephen and Joseph, and built a factory (form #D-403) across the screet from his house.
Richard became an American citizen in 1865 as citizenship was a requirement for a patent or license (breret) which he wanted. His actions prompted many other middle class French Canadians ir Southbridge to become citizens in order to protect their growing comnercial interests. This trend became an important stabilizing influence on the large local French- speaking population, as it gradualiy changed from the "French-Canadian" cormunity so tne "Franco-American" community. 3IBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, atlases interview E. Woodford with Albert Lepain Gatineau, F., Histoire des Franco-Americains de Southbridge. Mass. 1919 8/85 NPSForm 10-800- (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National ParkService National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number. Page OMB Approvel No.
1024-0018 Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS -Nomination/Type of Review 61. Oakes, J.J., House Intered in the Naticual Zertator Date/Signature Keper AulnBiyur 8/20/54 62. Phillips, E.M., House INSCC in che Matlonal Zegister 63. Plimpton, Simon, Farmhouse Fintered 1n the Natlonal Register 64. Richard, Stephen, House LuL-r=1 in:D* bauoual Hog13taI 65. Sacred Heart Church Historic District Entered in the National Begister Entered in the 66. Smith--Lyon Farmhouse Mational Register hoper JulonaBgen 0/2=/4 67. St. George's Greek Orthodox Church Entered in the National Register 68. St. Peter' St. Mary's Schoo1 Natlonal Register 69. Stone, Lorenzo R., House Entered in the Natlonal Register 70.
Sumner, George, House .n'eret in the Matlonal Beglster Attest Fkeeper ilyur 4/22/4 Attest Ireoper dulmurBgun 6/22/19 Attest heoper AelonesByer 4/219 Attest Ckaeper dularnBgun e-p9 Attest Attest /ReeperhlrByen 6/22/4 Attest Keeper lByu 4/2/69 Attest /Keeper KlelmBgen 4/25/4 Attest fréeper SeetnSge 6/53169 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Richard, Stephen, House NAME: MULTIPLE NAME: Southbridge MRA STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Worcester DATE RECEIVED: DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: 5/15/89 6/16/89 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 5/31/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/29/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000522 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: N OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/22/59 DATE Entered in the National Reglater ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM./CRITERIA REVIEWER DISCIPLINE DATE DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N CLASSIFICATION _count _resource type STATE/FEDERAL AGENCY CERTIFICATION FUNCTION historic current DESCRIPTION architectural classification materials descriptive text SIGNIFICANCE Period Areas of Significance--Check and justify below Specific dates Builder/Architect Statement of Significance (in one paragraph) summary paragraph completeness clarity applicable criteria justification of areas checked relating significance to the resource context relationship of integrity to significance justification of exception other BIBLIOGRAPHY GEOGRAPHICAL DATA acreage UTMS _verbal boundary description boundary justification ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION/PRESENTATION _sketch maps USGS maps photographs OTHER COMMENTS presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date stephen Richard House, 0307 southlndge MA^ cccacci, 1986 southbriage ttistorical Commission ROll#2.5 239-241 Elm Sstreet MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS stepten Richard House, 239-241 Elm Street + 8% 157 196- 100 147 #239-241 53 203 2 206 LI 208 207 196 208 191 192 -183A I71 172 176 DI7s 155 130 130 65 112 (i) ASSOCIATES =HF 201 203 15 200 32 IOMF.
34 182 179 101 JONN E D'DCAINELL S SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS: "O7 81:23 30 47 CONASSE STREET 76 "14 40A 408 40c ROAD 73 80 O; 78 I01A 10 Ac THERE SE AVENUE MF SALC NME 200 1010 65 54 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294