BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 1989 524 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 AREA FORM NO. C 312 Town Southbridge Address 56 Everett Street Historic Name LaCroix-Mosher House Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. 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. 1904-1907 Source maps, directories, visual analysis Style Colonial Revival Architect George n.
Clemence Exterior Wall Fabric_clapboard outbufl dings gavage, eaney-2otnc.(c) Major Alterations (with dates) none Condition Good Moved no Date na Acreage oneacreorless Setting transitional residential/commercial area UTM REFERENCE 18/745 390/4661890 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridqe,Mass-Conn SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The LaCroix-Mosher House is, significant for its association with the town's latelloth, eary 2th century real estate development and its stylish Colonial Revival design. It meets - National Register criteria A and C ai the local level and retains integrity of setting, location, materials, workmanship, design, feeling, and association. The boundaries indicated on the attached asseesors map are those of current ownership.
- ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. This large imposing Colonial Revival house is one of the few grand houses of its type from the turn of the century which are still intact in Southbridge today. Another large, elegant Colonial Revival residence was built about the same period on Elm Street next to the Town Hall by C.A. Paige. That house is no longer intact, a modern office building has been attached to its front: The Albert B. Wells House (ca. 1904, Daniel H. Burnham, Chicago) in the Main Stree Historic District is the only other existing house of comparable size, design or importance.
Characteristic of the finest Colonial Revival mansions of the day, this house is broad in its design with an expansive hip roof, elegant dormers with swan's neck broken pediments, large windows, deep porch and Classical ornamental details. Less common but not unusual for the . style is the broad cylindrical two story corner bay. Similarities between this house and large Colonial Revíval houses in Worcester designed by the well-known Worcester architect George H. Clemence, suggest that Clemence may have been the HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners piayed inlocaloretteto the building relates to the development of the community. l'he LaCroix-Mosher House was built by Joseph LaCroix, who became the president of the Hyde Manufacturing Company in 1897. Founded by J. P.
Hyde about 1875, the company made knives in competition with other Southbridge cutlery firms Harrington Cutlery and Stephen Richard. Like its competitors, the company prospered. LaCroix had first worked with Stephen Richard and had even lived for more than a year with the Richard family. About 1885 he was persuaded to join Hyde's Company, bringing many of Richard's tempering secrets with him. By 1894 he had gained one-eighth interest in the compans Hyde sold most of his stock in the company in 1897 to LaCroix and Myron B. Clemence. After Hyde's death in 1897 the company continued to prosper. In 1905 LaCroix's son, Arthur, age twenty-one was made an officer in the company which employec about 38 and produced some 1800 knives a day. The son appears to have built a house next door at 44 Everett Street around 1910-1915.
Some time during the 1920's Joseph LaCroix sold his house and both the father and son occupied the house next door. During the late 1920's and 1930's, 52 Everett Street was occupied by Ira Mosher who became a vice president, general. manager and treasurer of American Optical Company. This house was built as an extension of the suburban estate district which had existed since the early~19th century along the section of Main Street east of the central business district. During the early-20th century members of the town's important families and industrialists .. occupied houses in that section. (See Continuation Sheet) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - maps, atlases, directories Pankiewicz, Philip R. New England Cutlery, Hollytree Publications, ca. 1985, pp. 153-154.
8/85 - INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Communi ty : Southbridge Form No: C-312 Property Name: LaCroix-Mosher House 56 Everett Street Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) architect. During the 1890's Clemence kept an office in Southbridge as well as one in Worcester. He also designed the Southbridge Armory, the Elm Street Fire House (form /D-40() and most, if not all, of the buildings for the Worcester and Southbridge Street Railway (1902-1903), including the Overlook Hotel in Charlton. st anc ailtine tna oentod oc s HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) Everett Street was first developed around the 1860's with a few smaller houses. Development continued gradually in the 1870's with middle class houses.
By 1898 the section of the street which included this lot was still undeveloped, although the atlas shows that it had beei divided into lots. This was the only grand house ever to have been built here. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form10-800e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service 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 Date/Signature 51. Kinney, A., House Entered in the National Begiater Hopor sherelgun 6/2/64 Attest Entered 1n the 52. LaCroix--Mosher House National leglater Greoper selaneBagen 8/22/69 Attest 53. LaRochelle, Napoleon, Two-Family House Entered in the delarByun 6p7t64 National Register Attest 54.
Maple Street Historic Distriçte In the Kxeeper AelonByun 6/22/69 Natlonal Reglster Attest 55. Marcy, Mrs. R., House Entered in the National Register Areoper SleberByen 4/19 Attest 56. McKinstry, William, Jr., House Hkeeper Aleeseßyun 021184 Entered in Natlonal Regi3ter Attest 57. Mckinstry, William, Farmhoustered 1n the bxeoper Melmu Bgun 0/209 National Register Attest 58. Morse, H.; House Entered 1n National Reglater /Reeper_ AeluresBza 4/22/89 59. New York, New Haven & Hartford Passenger Depot Entered in the National Register 60.
Notre Dame Catholic Church Entered in +59 National Registor Attest oxeeper AeloreBge 6/22/19 Attest JteeperSelunaBgae 0/22/85 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: LaCroix--Mosher House 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: 89000524 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/22/89 DATE Entered in the National Register 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 Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date presentation LaCroix.
Mosher Honse (C.312) Southbridge Historical commission RO1l #6 bouthbriage, MA Ceccacci, 1986 56 Everett Street C-312 #56 MRA 56 Euerett Street 135 212 213 * 48 179 138 190 CHAPIN M4I 142 STREET 149 144 145 146 147 #= 135 129 is7 iSo 109 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS 4149 62 LHART JOHN EO'AENELL & ASAXIATES AUNUMN. MAME MAIN : 203 204 TeKce 201 200 GB [2F BA GB SOUTHE exe MAF HAP 36 46 I ARse 55 54 MASS. 46 27 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294