BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B - BUILOING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 2301 AREA DEC 2 6 1989 FORM NO. 1616 -Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5", black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. Town Worcester Address 183 Austin Street Historic Name Edwin Johnson Three-Decker Use: Present residential Original residential DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1892 Source worcester House Directory Style Queen Anne Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric wood clapboard Outbuildings none Sketch Map: Draw map showing property's location in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all bufldings between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north See attached map.
Major Alterations (with dates) none Condition good Moved Date Acreage less than 1/4 acre Setting Urban multi-family residential street of late 19th and early 20th century houses. UTM REFERENCE9/267660/4682410 USGS QUADRANGLE Worcester North SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by John Callahan Organization Clark University Date February 1981 Revised for MHC by Michael Steinitz-12/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Edwin Johnson Three-Decker possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is significant as a representative example of the multi-family residences built in the ethnic, working-class neighborhood that developed in the Piedmont district west of downtown Worcester at the end of the 19th century. It is also an unusually well-preserved and well-detailed example of local Queen Anne style three- decker design.
The Johnson Three-Decker thus meets criteria A and C of the National Register of Historic Places on the local level. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Describe important architectural features and evaluate in terms of other buildings within the community. Architecturally, 183 Austin Street is an unusually well-preserved and well- detailed example, representative of the late 19th century, local Queen Anne style three-decker designs. The house has the characteristic side-hall plan with side-wall jog. It is clad in wood clapboard, and has a hip roof. The asymmetrical main facade contains an. entry bay with a three-tier porch, which features lathe-turned posts, cut brackets, and spindle friezes and balustrades. The porch is flanked by a three-story bay window, unusual for the use of paired, 1/1 sash windows in the front of the angled bay. Windows throughout have simple, bracketed caps.
Regularly spaced brackets decorate the r00f cornice overhang. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. In the late 19th century, an ethnically mixed, working-class, multi-family residential district developed in the low-lying Piedmont area west of downtown beyond Crown Hill. Built ca. 1892, 183 Austin Street was part of an early boom of three-decker construction scattered throughout this area. The earliest known owner of the house was Edwin E. Johnson, a machinist, who resided here for over a decade, and who by 1900 operated his own local machine shop. Tenants in 1892 included C.H. Spaulding, a salesman; and Arthur Livermore, a clerk. Residents in 1900 included A.B. Morton, a printer; Charles Tower, a cutter; and L.H. Rodebaugh and W.S. Griffith, telegraphers.
Ny 1910, the house was owned by Dean Ellis, a local physician who owned seven other houses and sixteen building lots in the city at that time. Tenants in 1910 included Leon Dwinell, a picture framer; and Albert Macumber, a plumber. By 1920, the building was owned by Nathan Patrick, who owned eight other city houses. By the 1920s, the Piedmont area had become a focus of Vorcester's growing Armenian ethnic community, and by 1930, most of Austin Street had Armenian residents. Tenants of 183 Austin included Michal Markorian, a helper; and Kasper Hamparsooian, a shoeworker; as well as Cornelius Sullivan, a freight handler. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Worcester Directory, Worcester House Directory, 1892,1900,1910,1920,1930. L.J. Richards, Atlas of the City of Worcester, 1896, 1911, 1922. J. Callahan et al., Worcester Three-Decker Survey, 1981.
8/85 (epg Fom 108000 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approvel No. 1024-0018 12/26/89 Section number - Page _ Worcester Three-Deckers MRA Date Listed Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS 31. Hall Charles A., Three-Decker üntered in tae Bat1onad Begistas/ Reeper telauBgun 3/9/9 Attest 32. Hirst, Samuel, Three-Decker Entered 1n tha Mat1onal Register FKeeper Ailmußzen 219190 Attest 33, Houghton Street Historic District Sr Keeper Substantive Review Attest Entered 1n the 34. Hunt, Daniel, Three-Decker Watlouad Roglstor Keeper Attest Bofhy Savoge 02-09-96 AilanDye 2/9190 Entered in the 35. Hunt, Davidn Three-Decker Natlonal Register JKeeper Attest 36. Ingleside Avenue Historic District Reeper Entered in tbe National Register Attest 37.
Ingraham, Harry B., Three-Deckatered in the National Register lKeeper Attest AelmByan 2/9/50 AleloraAyu 2/9/90 AulmeBye 29/50 38. Johnson, Edwin, Three-Decker Entered in the | Keeper National Register Attest AelouBym 2/9/96 39. Johnson, John and EdwinD, Threeecker 1n the Hationul Register HKeeper AlauaByen 2/90 Attest 40.
Johnson, John, Three-Decker Intered in the jkeeper Hatlarsi Ragiates Attest HelvuByur 2/9/90 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACE VALUATION/RETURN SHEE REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Johnson, Edwin, Three-Decker NAME: MULTIPLE Worcester Three-Deckers MRA NAME: STATE & COUNTY: MASSACHUSETTS, Worcester DATE RECEIVED: 12/26/89 DATE OF 16TH DAY: 1/25/90 DATE OF PENDING LIST: 1/09/90 DATE OF 45TH DAY: 2/09/90 DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89002389 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: OTHER N PDTA PROBIEM: N PERSCAPE N PRO A DAOPROVEDNU N PDIL: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: N SLR DRAFT: N N COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT _RETURN REJECT 2/9/90 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 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 Wereesto Thrce Deekor MRA EDWIN JOHNSON THREE DECKER 183 AUSTIN STREET WORCESTER, MA MHC#1616 Kodalux Processing Services MAY 89 N Kodalux Processing Services MAY 89 N 7 W di: 4-1- 188 AUSTIN 4 0 67 CHANDLER -52 53 Edwin Johnson Three-Decker, 183 Austin St., Worcester, MHC # 1616 6 5.
QUEEN 4 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000305