BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
MAY 1 5 198958 SOUTHBRIDGE MASS MP.A FORM B - BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 AREA B FORM NO. 211 Town Southbridge Address 70-72 Main Street Historic Name None 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 multi-family residential Original multi-family residential DESCRIPTION Date (a.1898-1904 Source maps Style Colonial Revival Architect Unknown Exterior Wal1 Fabric Sunthetic siaine Outbutldings None Major Alterations (with dates) porch in gab closed (mid-20th c.) Condition Good Moved No Acreage Setting Date n/a 5375 sq. ft.
loos than one4 residential/commercial street, mostly multifamily late 19th-early 20th century residences UTM REFERENCE 18/445 810/4661 970 USGS QUADRANGLE SOuthbricoe, Mass-Conn SCALE 1125,000 Recorded by E. Woodford, S. Ceccacci ed. S. Ceccacci Organization Southbridge Historical Com- mission Date May 1986 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) 70-72 Main Street is significant as an example of multi-family housing constructed during the growth of the town's eastern section late in the 19th century. It meets National Register criteria A and C at the local level, retaining integrity of setting, location, 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 of high quality materials, this Colonial Revival style dwelling is representative of one of several types of three family tenements which appeared in Southbridge during the first three decades of the 20th-century. Sitting gambrel end to the street, it has an ample roof and broad roof dormers which create ample living space on the third floor. This treatment gives the building a profile which is less vertical and more like that of a single family house than of a three-decker. The use of fine stained g ss ornament also helps to give the house an image which elevates it above the typical working class tenement house. Both the height of the build- ing and its high quality details relate it to the house next door (form #B-212) which was built about the same time by the same owner.
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Throughout most of the 19th-century, this section of Main Street was part of a suburban estate district.. With the growth of the town during the late-19th century, this section was gradually broken up into smaller lots with more houses built closer together. The vicinity of this end of Main Street to the ever more prosperous American Optical Company factory nearby caused the area to change character as the century drew to a close. This house and the house next door to the east (form #B-212) appear to have been built by American Optical Company president, George W. Wells, who lived just west of here on Main Street.
After Wells' death, during the second decade of the 20th century, other houses were built in this same area on Walnut and Maple Streets (form #B-210) to house American Optical Company employees. During the early 20th century, 70-72 Main Street was apparently owned by American Optical. It is known to have served as employee housing in about the 1930's and 1940's. It seems likely that it may have been built for that purpose originally. However, too little is known about the practices of the company regarding housing to relate the house directly to American Optical during the earlier years. In several cases houses built by persons with economic interests in the company were apparently later owned by the company and used as employee housing (e.g., see forms #D-408 and #D-405).
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES maps, atlases Card file of Houses Rented by American Optical to Employees, Southbridge Historical Society Collection 8/85 NPS Form 10-800e (8-86) United States Department of the Interior NationalPark 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 Wørcester County, MASSACHUSETTS Nomination/Type of Review 41. High--Schoo1 Streets Historic District Entered in the National Begister Date/Signature Kraoper Auenbgu 6/2/84 Attest 42. Hodgsfon, William, Iwo-Family House Enterod 1n tie Natiulud Reglstar Fkeeper SfelanBgu afets Attest 43. House at 18 Walnut Street Entored in tne Hational Regiatar Heeper AulouBjun 6/22/64 Attest 44. House at 3 Dean Street 4I. re1 it Natlutad NegtsuSI SubnBgur 6/22/69 Attest 45.
House at 34 Benefit Street ietlonal Begistar Heeper AllmeBye 6/24/84 Attest 46. House at 59--63 Crystal Street cu.clcd 1h LuE Keeper AhbnByen 6/22/69 Natlula Hoglatar Attest 47. House at 64 Main Street bnlercd 1h bae Mational Register - EReeper Selve Bye 4/22/69 Attest 48. House at 70--72 Main Street intored 1n the ssturea SectstalReeper AelunlByiu 6/22/89 Attest 49. House at 91 Coombs Street Entered in the National Register KReeper KhlmByens/2s/51 Attest 50.
Judson--Litchfield House Entered in the National Register fikeeper LleByu4/22/89 Attest NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY NAME : House at 70--72 Main Street 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: 89000581 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N LANDSCAPE: N LESS THAN 50 YEARS: OTHER: N PDIL: N PERIOD: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: N N N COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT RETURN REJECT 6/22/84 DATE Entered in the Natlonal 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 USGS maps _photographs OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date _presentation (B-211) tagea 70-72 Main Street Southbridae, MA Unf -21| 1986 Soutn binidgesttistorical commission holl #Goutibridge 88 N MAY 88 N 30 433 1541503 110130 i321.
120 127 124 122 :123 G3 170 + - MRA SOUTHBRIDGE MASS 47 JOHN E.O'DEKHELL A ASCOCIATES 1971 70-72,Main Street 21 019 22 EXEMPE TOWA 132Y:S ©17 EXCMPT T0AR :13 SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS. B-211T #70-72 29 HI GD MECMANIC- 'STREET 46 / ecNeg2 37 PAeeRL cMisTis 18.M8, M8.119. 118.18,18,15 36 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000294