BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 1989 539 FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA AREA D FORM NO. 448 Town Southbridge Address 313 South Street Historic Name Judson-Litchfield House RoUFS-: 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 DESCRIPTION residential Date ca. 1830-1837 Source local historv, maps, deed 329/298 Style Federal/Greek Revival Architect Unknown Exterior Wall Fabric brick Outbuildings attached barn (C) Major Alterations (with dates) addition of side porch ca. 1875 , addition of rea] (ca.
1870 s Condition Excellent Moved no Date Yla Acreage areaceor less Setting residential area, 18th, 19th 20th- c. houses UTM REFERENCE 18/744 0204662 230 USGS QUADRANGLE SouThbridae NiACT SCALE 1125,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, A. Kavanagh, Çeccacci, ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Judson-Litchfield House is significant for its association with the developing mill economy, its new gable-front orientation and Greek Revival ornament, and its use of brick as a building material. It meets National 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 well preserved house is a fine early example of a gable front, side entry house type, which was to be the most commonly used residential from throughout the second half of the 19th century in Massachusetts. This form,which is most often associated with Greek Revival and late Scattered Examples of Federal period houses of this type exist in other central Massachusetts cities and towns. Although closely resembling a Greek Revival period house, the Judson-Litchfield House has .distinctively Federal features such as the low arched blinded fanlight in the pediment, a low arched recessed main entrance and more delicate proportions for the pediment cornice and frieze than those typical of the Greek Revival.
Three-quarter length sidelights and a six-panel front - door are other Federal features. In Southbridge the use of brick was much more common for (Continued ) HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and now the building relates to the development of the community. Mentioned in the Quinebaug Historical Society Leaflets as having been built by Samuel Judson, the house was said to have been intended "to outrival "Ammidown Castle" and the Bella Tiffany or Leonard house", two imposing brick houses in the town center. (See the Centre Village Historic District form for the Federal style Ammidown Castle, ca. 1820's and form #C-301 for the Greek Revival/Federal style Tiffany-Leonard House, 1830's.) Judson's brick house was built on the site of the dwelling of Capt.Samuel Newell. That earlier frame house was moved down the hill to the west.
As late as 1898 it was still part of the property accompanying the brick house. The barn of the Judson house is said to have been moved here from the "Willard place" in Sturbridge. Samuel Judson, according to Plimpton's History of Southbridge, was one of the purchasers in 1824 of the Westville cotton mill and was still an owner in 1836. An 1828 deed records the purchase of the property on which the house was built by Samuel Judson of Uxbridge from James Wolcott, Jr. In 1837 Judson deeded the property to Harvey Hartshorn. Born in Foxborough, Hartshorn died in 1866 at the age of 71. His occupation listed as farmer. By 1870 the house was the home of Libya Merritt Litchfield, an owner and treasurer of the Litchfield shuttle factory at Shttleville (adjoining Westville). Libya Litchfield (1819-1886) . was the youngest of seven Litchfield brothers, the children of Capt.
Comins Litchfield, a (Continued) BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, atlases, directories Worcester County Registry of Deeds, Book 264/390, Book 328/298 Assessor's Records, Town of Southbridge Plimpton, History of Southbridge, P. 37 Quinebaug Historical leaflets, Vol. I, #4, p. 46 Newspaper clipping, no cite, Jan. 24, 1924, Southbridge clippings #3, 8/85 worcester Historical Museum INVENTORY FORM CONTINUATION SHEET Commmity: DuuTmEni MRL Form No: MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION Office of the Secretary, Boston Southbridge D-448 Judson-Litchfield Hous Property Name: 313 South Street Indicate each item on inventory form which is being continued below. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) carpenter, and his wife Sallie Blanchard of Charlton. Like five of his brothers, he became a millwright at a time when almost all mill machinery was made largely of wood.
About 1842 when wood breast wheels began to be replaced by more effective turbines, several of the Litch- field brothers, including Libya, and a brother-in-law formed a company to manufacture shuttles for the textile industry. About 1846 they bought land and water privleges at Westville where they built a factory. This successful business became one of the town's important industries and remained so through the early-20th century. In 1924 the company made "over 700 different types of shuttles and shuttle parts" and was one of the oldest industries in Southbridge. Today nothing remains at Westville or Shuttleville of the factories of the two industrialists who lived in this house.
Significant not only for its architecture, the Judson-Litchfield House is also important for its associations with the Westville area as a manufacturing center and with the history of industrial growth and prosperity of Southbridge. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE (cont'd) residences during the Federal period than it was later. Staple to Inventory form at bottom NPS Form 10-800e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 Section number Page Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 41. High--School Streets Historic District Entered in the National Begister 42. Hodgsfon, William, Iwo-Family House Entered 1n tte Natlulad ReglaLar 43.
House at 18 Walnut Street antered i0 bue National Begistar Date/Signature Heeepet Aenebigu 0/2/04 Attest Fxeeper Slam Bigu 4/22/84 Attest keeper 6/27/9 44. House at 3 Dean Street re1 Ir datlutas negis.oI 45. House at 34 Benefit Street Natlonal Begister 46. House at 59--63 Crystal Street 47. House at 64 Main Street Attest teeper AulnByu6/24/69 Attest Heeper LubmByun 6/21/89 Attest cha.cicd lh lue PReeper AlmeBzen 6/22/59 Natlonad Eeglatac Attest Dntcted di baie Mational Register Ekeeper SeluuByu 4/22/69 Attest 48. House at 70--72 Main Street intered in the Attest 49. House at 91 Coombs Street Entered in the National Register AReeper AlelmBger4/22/89 Attest 50.
Judson--Litchfield House Entered in the Watlonal Begister fikeeper LelmueByu 4/22/30 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME : Judson--Litchfield 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: 89000539 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 USGS maps photographs sketch maps OTHER COMMENTS presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Judson.
Litchfield Htouse, (D.148) 313 South St. southbridge MA Ceccacci, 1986. southbriage tistorical Commission ROll#2:24 RCHARO AVENUE 51 -3-- D-448 65 (i) 40 391 48 SPAUCE STREET (Y) "e3' 1,@ 35 50 SOUTHBRIDGE DRIVE 81 CEDAR ST (P) SANGAY "3! 03 1 62 81! 60: CEDAR ST (P) JOLIN E.ODOAAEILA ARSOIATES AURURN, MAINE 313 South street 49 SOUTH 159 158 181 120 162 165 12g: 134 122 138 HIGHLAND 163 J03 105 121 4i.. 8,=! "!T 132 164 152 182 3A3AY 151 STREET 156 134 195 :19102 137 -O= 180 130 167 1502 115 1 ( 107g)" 100 114 = 138 1o*() 149 169 177 140 : 113 e 1710* 147 513 105) 112 142 1-3 PoJA POPLAR STREET 77 68 ALL IOMITS ARGAG APE TAS PAMILY OXCEPT AI DESIDIATO SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS.
198 204 203 202 190 201 55 AC 20 ¿ coe iere2 48 10 WOODYCREST 53 MA PARCEL 19.209.710 52 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294