BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
576 FORM B - BUILDING MAY 1 5 1989 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MRA AREA A FORM NO. 153 Town Southbridge Address 386 Main Street Historic Name E. Merritt Cole 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 offices Original residence DESCRIPTION Date Ca, 1855-1878 Source maps Style Gothic Revival Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric clapboard Outbuildings none Major Alterations (with dates) front & side porch columns (1960's-80's) Condition Excellent Moved 110 Date n/a Acreage one acre or less Setting in parking lot of a store flanked by other houses UTM REFERENCE 18/745 220/4662 330 USGS QUADRANGLE Southbridge Mass-Conn SCALE 1:25 ,000 Recorded by S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date :May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The E. Merritt Cole House is signifiCant for its association with the town's mid- 19th century real estate development and its stylish and early Stick style design.
It meets National Register criteria A 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. Built on a I-shaped plan, the house has a two story projecting porch with tall columns. The most distinctive feature of the house is the elaborate relief treatment of the exterior clap- board walls with half timbering, tongue and groove diagonal panels, board and batten motifs and other three dimensional geometric patterned ornamental details. The only major alteration appears to have been the replacement of the porch columns.
Although it is not clear how they looked originally, the present simple square posts do not seem to be out of keeping. The originals may have been similar, but with chamfered corners. The building still retains its original gable apron, bracketed overhanging eaves and original double leafed entrance doors. This house is unusual both in Southbridge and in the larger area of Central Massachusetts for its style and the extremely high quality of its ornament. Its elaborate surface treatment see to have been the inspiration for other houses in Southbridge such as 67 South Street and a group of Vernacular workers' cottages built near the American Optical Company factory, on and Lens HESYORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Streets (see form #B-25). Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community.
This house was built in the early 1800's by Jacob Edwards. Some time between 1855 and 1878, and possibly before 1870, it was remodeled to its present Gothic Revival appearance. Avail- able maps showing the ground plan of the house are imprecise and make a moré accurate dating impossible. These maps also do not suggest clearly which portion of the building is the original house. E. Merritt Cole was an original stockholder in the American Optical Company when it was incorporated in 1869. Holding 80 shares of the total 400 shares, he held more than any other of the original six shareholders, except Robert H. Cole who held 150. Present research has not made it clear what his relationship was to Robert Cole. Robert Cole became president of the newly formed company and Merritt Cole became treasurer.
Merritt Cole': duties at American Optical were diversified, including some travel to visit the optical trade and working on problems related to shortening the manufacturing process. At times he assisted in "getting down" (melting down ) gold and silver stock and making some odd styles of gold frames. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, atlases, directories Southbrilgt. Quinebaug Historical Society Leaflets, Vol. II, p. 175. 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 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 freeper AelruaBgen 61z/14 12.
Building at 52 Main Street Entered in the National Begister 13. Central Mills Historic District Entered in the National Regiater 14. Chamberlain--Bordeau House Entered in the National Register 15. Chapin Block Entered 1n Lhe Metional Register Attest FReeper AhlumnZgun 6/22/89 Attest 4/2219 Attest Ikeeper AeluByen 4/27/19 Attest Lkeeper AelmeByu 4/20/89 Attest 16. Cheney, Alpha M. House intered in the GKeeper Mational Begister delmueSyu/2259 Attest 17. Cheney, J.M., Rental Houseorea iu lue National Register /Keeper AelnBgen 6/2/9 18. Clarke--Glover Farmhouse Attest IKeeper AebreBzu 4/20/84 19. Cliff Cottage Entered in tne Mational Register Entered in the National Register Attest -Keeper SubueBze 4/2>/89 Attest 20.
Cole, E., Merritt, House Entered in t3e National Begistar -Reeper i ShlruBgu 6/25/8g Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME: Cole, E.
Merritt, 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: 89000576 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 intered in tbe 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 OTHER COMMENTS USGS maps photographs presentation Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date 386 Main Street (4153) 4.
Merritt Core Ho use Souchbridge, MASS. MPA 1986 southbindy Ihstorical Commission RON #6 MRA 1307 IS1 E -CRAN. 132 126 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS ALF JO-H E.O'DOHNELL A ASSOCIATES AUBURN MAINE 1971 386 Main Street 2f 30 :UIHE BAUG 142 HAMILTO l: 130 100 69 100 71 BENOOL DEPARTUROT 48 A-153 #386 ASS3OMAP SOUTHERIOSE, MASS. ©17i 47 36 Ex-SHEMPT-TOWN Y HO Ha, MI 35 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294