BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 1989 541 SUUTHBRPGE WADS MRA FORM B - BUILDING AREA MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 F FORM NO. 601 Town Southbridge Address 231 Eastford Rd Historic Name Henry E. Durfee Farmhouse Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Rül 3 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 vacant Original DESCRIPTION residential Date 1849 Source sign # local bistory Greek Revival Style- Architect Untnown Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings (c)barn and garage .(c) totas-2(c) Major Alterations (with dates) projecting two story side bay added later in the 19th-century Condition Excellent Moved no Date nla Acreage one acre or less Setting outlying suburban area with rural feeling UTM REFERENCE 18/744 695/4660880 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 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Henry E. Durfee House is significant for its association with Southbridge's persistant agricultural economy and its regionally important gable-front, Greek Revival form.
It meets National Register criteriaA and C at the local level and retains integrity of 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 one-and-a-half story Greek Revival cottage is typical of much middle class residential construction, both "in town" and rural, of the mid-19th century. Outstanding features of the house are its paneled corner pilasters, substantial frieze/architrave/cornice and its imposing entrance with moulded pilasters, architrave/cornice lintel, transom and sidelights.
In a concession to more liveable space upstairs, the facade gable is highly pitched and was built without a complete pediment to allow for more and larger windows. Alterations have been made to the sides during the 19th and 20th-centuries. However, they have not greatly altered the overall character of the house. Although the general area has been built up with 20th-century suburban houses, the immediate setting for the house still includes a barn and retains much of its rural flavor. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. The first documented owner of this house is Henry E. Durfee, a carpenter, who was married in 1849 to Maria Harrington. Durfee's parents Joseph and Augustia Clark Durfee lived nearby on the western end of Durfee Street.
It is likely that the land on which the Henry Durfee Farmhouse was built was originally part of the I. Clark (1855) farm to the south, probably belonging to the family of Durfee's mother, who was a Clark. It is likely that the younger Durfee built the house for himself at about the time of his marriage. During the 1870's the house and thirty acres belonged to R. Young. In 1898 it was the property of R. G. Durfee. This outlying section of Southbridge was made up of small farms as recently as the early- 20th century- Following the construction of the CohassetCountry Club (1919) on the Wells farm (previously belonging to I. Clark) opposite the Durfee house, the area gradually was built up with suburban houses. Today, its surrounding property greatly reduced in size, the Durfee Farmhouse is a reminder of the agricultural origins of the area.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, atlases Holdbrook, Vital Records to 1850, p. 87 8/85 NPS Form 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMBApproval No. 1024-0018 Section number Page - Multiple Resource Area Thematic Group Name State Southbridge MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 21. Comins--Wall House Substatixa Beview 22. Congregational Church Entered in buc Jational Register 23. Cummings, E.B., House Enterei 1n the National Register 24. Dani and Soldani Cabinet Makers and Wood Workers Factory Entered intbe National Reglstor 25. Dennison School House Entered in the Mational Register 26. Dresser, Sylvester, House Entered in the #atlonal Regieter 27. Dunbar--Vinton House Entered iu the National Register 28.
Durfee, Henry E., Farmhousentered 1n the lational Register 29. Elm Street Fire House Entered in tha National Register 30.
Evangelical Free Church Entered in the National Regieter Date/Signature JrKeeper Bert aurge 6-22-89 Attest freepor AuemByun bpafs Attest Fkeeper zheonBiyur 6/12/4 Attest Keeper AluByea 0/s3/4 Attest 6Keeper slbusbzen6/77p4 Attest Kreeper aluloreByen 6/2/89 Attest Keeper dulreBzen 6/2215 Attest Keeper delusbgu5/20/59 Attest tKeeper AlelrByu 4/8/59 Attest -Reeper AllruBgu 4/2spe Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Durfee, Henry E., Farmhouse NAME: MULTIPLE Southbridge MRA NAME: 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: 89000547 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 Mational 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 naterials 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 _photographs _sketch maps _USGS maps OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date _presentation Henry Durfee Farmhouse (F-601) Sowthbnidge MA MRA, Ceccacci, 1986 Southbridge Historical Sodicty RO11#3.0 281 East ford Rd at purft Dol.
MRA 53 68 17 30 69 ROAD 31 "7 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS DURFEE 92 70 33 34 DURFEE 66 KMM TOCONNCIL AASEGCIALES AUGUMN, MAINE SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS. Durfee Farmhouse, Eustford & Durfee 53 CASTFORD 34 ROAD 33 63. M IF-60l 54 66 S7 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294