BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 1989 FORM B - BUILDING 526 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA AREA FORM NO. C 323 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 Town Southbridge Address 61 Chestnut Street Historic Name Alpha M. Cheney 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 club house Original resídential DESCRIPTION Date ca.
1885 Source maps, visual analysis Style Stick Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric Outbuildings (C) clapboards Victorian carriage house of same period & design with cupola Major Alterations (with dates) addition between house & carriage house (late-20th ( Condition Good-fair Moved no Date Acreage one acre Setting treelined residential street with some three-deckers UTM REFERENCE 18/745 910/4661 730 USGS QUADRANGLE Southaridqe, Mass-Conn. SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 ... NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Alpha M. Cheney House and Carriage House is significant for its association with the town's late *9th century real estate development and its stylish Queen Anne design.
It meets Nationai Register criteria A and C at the local level and retains integrity of setting, location, materials, 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 is one of. the few intact high style examples of Victorian Gothic or Stick Style houses in Southbridge, although there are numerous vernacular interpretations. The projecting porch belvedere, one story bay windows, cross gables and peak-roofed tower give the house a picturesqi silhouette, a quality which was very much admired throughout the mid to late-19th century.
Victorian Gothic elements are seen in the picturesque silhouette, the half-timber treatment ornament in the gable aprons, the high pitched roofs and tal! turret. The carriage house is of the same period and style as the house. With its picturesque 1ook and a cupola on top, it is a very important complement to the house and is significant in its own right. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. In 1870 this area was undeveloped. By 1878 Alpha M. Cheney had a house slightly further south and on the opposite side of the street from the present one. It was surrounded by twenty-three acres. The present house is believed to have been built about 1885. First seen on the 1898 atlas, this house did not ständ alone on the street.
Several smaller houses belonging to Cheney were already standing on the opposite side of the street. Although no documentation has been found to indicate who the occupants of those houses were, it seems likely that they were employees of the nearby American Optical Company with which Cheney was intimately related. During this same period George W. Wells, president of American Optical had begun to subdivide property belonging to his own Main Street house and building housing for employees. During the early-20th century Chestnut Street and other streets nearby were actively developed as hous. Alpha Morse Cheney (1834-1897) was born in Southbridge, the son of Deacon Marvin Cheney and Bertha Morse Cheney. He first married Sarah Cunningham who died in 1876. He had two children by that marriage. In 1882 he married Emma Bradford of Woodstock, Connecticut.
After attending Nichols Academy in Dudley, Cheney entered the spectacle factory in Southbridge as an apprentice at the age of seventeen. He later became a master of the trade. After working for what had become R.H. Cole & Company for several years, he acquired an interest in the business. When the American Optical Company was incorporated in 1869, he became one of the largest stockholders and retained that interest for the rest of his life. (See Continuation Sheet) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - maps, atlases, Biographical Review. Boston: Biographical Review Publishing Co., 1899, p. 204. 8/85 - INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION - Office of the Secretary, Boston Commnity: Southbridge MRA Form No: C-323 Property Name: Alpha M. Cheney House 61 Chestnut Street Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) His industry and sound business judgement rewarded him with wealth and property. At the . time of his death he was reported to have had a "large amount of property including one of the finest private residences in Southbridge." Cheney was a deacon of the Baptist Church and was active in fraternal organizations. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Section number. Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review Date/Signature 11. Building at 38--42 Worcester Street Entered in the Mational Register freoper AeluaByun 6ps/rs 12. Building at 52 Main Street Enteredin the National Begister 13.
Central Mills Historic District Entered 1n the Mational Regiater 14. Chamberlain--Bordeau House Entered in the Mational Register 15. Chapin Block Entered 1h Lno Mational Register Attest FReeper AlmeZyun 6/21/59 Attest Kkeeper sleenBzun 4/2264 Attest kseoper AelmBzen u/z119 Attest Keeper AelByu 4/27/19 Attest 16. Cheney, Alpha M. House intered in the (Keeper Matlonal Begister AelmunSyun 2249 17. Cheney, J.M., Rental Housevica il lue Hxeeper AlnByen 4/22/9 National Regiater 18. Clarke--Glover Farmhouse Attest Attest MbreBzua 4/27/84 19. Cliff Cottage Entered in tne Jational Register Entered in the National Register Attest -Reeper XulBge 4/22/89 20.
Cole, E., Merritt, House Entered in t.5e National Begistax Attest fReeper _ ShlruBgen 4/25/89 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Cheney, Alpha M., House NAME: MULTIPLE Southbridge MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Worcester DATE RECEIVED: 5/15/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 6/16/89 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: DATE OF PENDING LIST: 5/31/89 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 6/29/89 REFERENCE NUMBER: 89000526 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 V ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/27/54 DATE Entered In EST Matlosel Registen 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 presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Alpha H.
House, 6-327 southbridge Mr MRA ceccacci, 4986 southevidae Historical commissior Roll #6 6l Chestnut st (C) house cheney camragehonse, 6569 southbridgeMt nni ceccaca, 1986 southbridge Historical commission Roll #6 lel chestnut St (c) carriage hse. Cherey, Alpha M., tese MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS x. 4° 103 55 55 NAN E.U'DONNETL A ASSOCIATES MRHRI, HAIHE 61 Chestut Street 47 C-3231 #61 36 140 115 113 112 v6t. is10i *1050 45 SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS. 37 NO PARCRL 190 46 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294