BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
533 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 MAY 1 5 1989 AREA FORM NO. D 439 Town Southbridge Address 31 Sayles Street Historic Name James Gleason Cottage 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 residence Original residence DESCRIPTION Date Ca 1830-1835 Source maps Style transitional Greek Revival/Gothic Revival Architect. unchown Exterior Wall Fabric - Outbuildings none clapboards Major Alterations (with dates)front porch a later addition (ca.
1900 ) Condition Good Moved Acreage Setting hood Ves Date ca.1900 less thanone acre mid-19th c. residential neighbor- UTM REFERENCE (8/744 560/4662.590 USGS QUADRANGLE SouThbridge Mass-conn SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by. E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Leccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The james Gleason House is significant for its association with the town's mid- 19 th century real estate development and its stylish and rare Gothic Revival design. It meets National Register criteria A,C and exceptionßand 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 This cottage Is one of onfya tet iemaining residences in Southbridge with elements of the Gothic Revival style. The Gothic Revival style experienced only limited popularity in Central Massachusetts cities and towns, leaving relatively few examples surviving today throug out the area. here was almost entirely in the vernacular, consisting most often in the application of Gothic elements to one story, gable front houses with symmetrical silhouettes. This is precisely the case for the James Gleason Cottage where a recessed Gothic arched porch occupies the projecting pediment of an otherwise Greek Revival house. The present porch is not original, but was probably added around the turn of the cnetury when the house was moved from its original site.
It is very likely that the original porch consisted of four Doric columns, giving the house an even more Greek Revival flavor. A house of similar design still exists in nearby Sturbridge Center. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the communitf this house relates it to other middle class The size and mid-19th century vernacular style residences lining High, Sayles and Winter Streets. Moved from the nearby eastern corner of Main and Sayles Street about 1900, the house is stylistically and historically part of the néighborhood where it now stands. Ihis cottage was probably built by James Gleason, a successfül grocer who had an interest in several stores and business enterprises in Globe Village during the middle portion of 19th century.
For many years Gleason operated the Union Store, a cooperative store of the Protective Union, Division 661. When the success of the Union Store caused it to require more space, the Hamilton Mill built a building known as the Union Block to house it. After some time (the exact date is not clear), the Union Store came into the possession of Gleason. It was operated by him and later by Julius S. Gleason until around the turn of the century. The increasing success of the Hamilton Woolen Mills created a growth in population and a related building boom in Globe Village from the 1830's until the Civil War. The success of James Gleason's businesses must have been due in part to this prosperity and to the increase in population. The construction of his house was part of the building boom that developed High Sayles and Winter Streets during the same period.
Gleason later built a much larger and more imposing house in the Italianate style on the western corner of Main and Sayles Streets, opposite the original location of this cottage. That house is still standing but has unfor- tunately been altered by the application synthetic siding. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES - maps, atlases Assessors Records Ammidown, H. Historical Collections, 1874 Quinebaug Historical Sociery Leaflets, Vol. I, #4, pp. 52-53 Vol. II, #13, p. 119 8/85 NPS Form10-900-e (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 31. Gleason, James, Cottage Date/Signature Entered in bno Mational Begister Koopor AulmBgu 6/2/89 Attest 32.
Globe Village Fire House Entered 1o tbe Natiunal Register Hoger@dulnBgu ulaaty Attest 33. Glover Street Historic District Entered 1n the hceper AtemBgun a/22/69 National Begistar Attest 34. Hamilton Mill Brick Hoystered in the National Register Greopor AebmByun 6/2/4 Attest 35. Hantton M41 - Noat SEztor Pe tory touetnet Keopr AereByu 6/24169 Entered in the National Register Attest 36. Hamilton Millwright--Agent's House Entered 1n tuo aational Begistaz freeper AueseByan 6/22184 Attest 37. Hamilton Woolen Company Historic District fo/Keeper LvE Hevlet Bettoh Sauage 6/22/89 Attest 38. Harrington, Theodore, House fesper Aulmeyun6/20/09 Entered in tha National Register Attest 39. Hartwel1, George H., House Entored in the Nationad Bagister teoper AheBga/x119 Attest 40.
Hartwel1, Samuel C., House fresper halamBage 4/2215 Enterel 1o tba dat20M0 2ogt3toz Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Gleason, James, Cottage 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: 89000533 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 VACCEPT 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 ./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 OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date 31 Sayles Street (D-439) James Gleason Cottage Southbridge, MA MR 1986 Southbridge Mistorical Commission Rou # 6-9-94 MRA 31 Sayles Street M GEPAAT NEW!
SOUTHBRIDGE MASS 105 34 33 163 102 47 HAIN D+432 #31 160 46 I7T 40 40 -H0HI 139 138 30 62 53 34 3* 57 52 ATRTPTI SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS. 48 10 48 49 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294