BlockThe nomination, in full
Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.
FORM B -"BUILDING MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL COMMISSION 80 BOYLSTON STREET BOSTON, MA 02116 AREA DEC 2 6 1989 FORM NO. 1624 Photo (3"x3" or 3"x5ª, black and white) Indicate address of property on back of photo. Staple to left side of form. in relation to nearest cross streets and/or geographical features. Indicate all buildings -estres fagareg ll bert diation between inventoried property and nearest intersection(s). Indicate north Town Worcester Address 62 Catharine Street Historic Name Rodney Davis Three-Decker Use: Present residential Original residential DESCRIPTION Date_ ca. 1894 Source Worcester House Directory Style Queen Anne style Three-Decker Architect _ unknown Exterior Wall Fabric wood clapboard and cut shingle Outbuildings none See attached map.
Major Alterations (with dates) porch balustrade and brackets removed (mid-20th c?) Condition good Moved Date Acreage less than 1/4 acre Settinglate 19th century, urban, multi- family residential street, on a steep hilislope. UTM REFERENCE 19/270090/4683750 USGS QUADRANGLE Worcester North SCALE 1:25,000 Recorded by Michael Steinitz Organization Clark University Date June 1980 Revised for MHC by Michael Steinitz-12/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Rodney Davis Three-Decker possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is significant as a representative example of early three-decker construction in the Belmont Street area, a district that in the 1890s was still developing as a Scandanavian, working-class, residential neighborhood.
It is also an unusually well-preserved example of Queen Anne style three-decker design from this period. The Davis 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, 62 Catharine Street is an unusually well-preserved, well- detailed example of local Queen Anne style three-decker construction. Clad in wood claiboard and cut shingle, the building has a characteristic hip roof and side-hall plan with side-walljog. The main facade contains an entry bay sheltered by a single-story porch. The porch is flanked by a projecting, three-story bay window, with single covered skirt overhangs between stories.
Although the porch has lost its decorative support brackets and balustrade, it retains its delicate turned posts. Regularly space, decorative brackets are located in theroof cornice overhang. Windows have 2/2 sash, and are capped by simple, bracketed crowns. The front parlor side windows contain geometric pattern, stained glass lights. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE Explain the role owners played in local or state history and how the building relates to the development of the community. Built ca. 1894, the Davis Three-Decker was locatedon the eastern end of Catharine Street, on a steep hillslope. The Belmont Street area was mostly populated with Swedish, Swede-Finn, and Finnish immigrant families in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Many neighborhood residents were employed at the nearby North Works of the Washburn and Moen Company, in the manufacture of wire products, or by other local firms that required skilled metal workers. The first owner of 62 Catharine Street (ca. 1894 - 1908) was Rodney H. Davis, a draftsman, who apparently did not reside here. Early residents included those of both Irish and Swedish extraction, including Emil Berg (1894-1898), a carver; Charles Walcott (1894), a motorman; Dennis Kelliher (1898), a laborer; and Olaf Olson (1900-1902), a wiredrawer. The owner/occupant of the house from 1908 through 1930 was John Thoren, a polisher for the Harrington and Richardson ArmsManufacturing Company. Other early 20th century residents were all of Swedish extraction, including Ivan Johnson, wireworker; Samuel Johnson, wireworker; and Oscar Nilson, a skatemaker.
BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Worcester Directory, Worcester House Directory, 1894, 1900,1908,1920,1928. L.J. Richards, Atlas of the City of Worcester, 1896, 1911, 1922. J. Callahan et al., Worcester Three-Decker Survey, 1981. 8/85 (eps f'orm 10-000a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 12/26/90 Section number. Page - Worcester Three-Deckers MRA Date Listed Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS 11. Crystal street Hlatorke District auetastiro Bovlo tor keoper Betthof. Jarafg-et Attest 12. Davis, Rodney, Three-Decker Mat1onal Regiater fkeeper AeluuByu 2/9/9. Attest 13. Davis, Wesley, Three-Decker Substantive Revier forkoopoßethg. Sage 02 c0s 14. DEan, Mary, Three-Decker Intered Tn the Mational Registez Attest AReeper SelmeByun2/2/50 Attest 15. Delsignore, Louis, Three-Decker 16.
Dodge, Helen, Three-Decker 17. Doran, Thomas F., Three-Decker Entered in tha Nat1ona1 Register Yseeper-C Zelaupyen 2/9/5c Attest Entered in the National Registes. fakéeper SuluurBgen 219/9 Attest untered in the National Register fkeeper AeluuAgen 31910 18/ Drew, Elvira, Three-Decker 19. Duke, Philip, Three-Decker Attest Entered in the National Register fikeeper Attest Entered in the Mational Begister fReeper- Attest AelauSgen 311/2e DelauByent5/9 20.
Dworman, David, Three-Decker Entered iu the Ltéeper riatlozai Bogistery KeluuByen319196 Attest UNITED STATRT DEPAPAROEETTERIOR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY Davis, Rodney, 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 JATE OF PENDING LIST: DATE OF 45TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REFERENCE NUMBER: 89002398 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: 1/09/90 2/09/90 PDIL: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N ACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: N SLR DRAFT: N NATIONAL: REJECT 2/7/22/oxrE Entered in the Hational Begister 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 Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone _presentation Signed Date Wercesto Three-Declos MRA RODNEY DAVIS THREE DECKER 62 CATHARINE STREET WORCESTER, MA MItE#1424 Kodalux Processing Services MAY 89 N J2L LD 308 757 BELMONT ENPuL FT LKINTLL HOOPER Rodney Davis Three-Deckfin 62 Catharine Street Worcester MHC # 1624 b'as 143 KRIL CATHARINE E.
KENDALL Cl: G00N A , cer , CaPs ENEU8 _ RODNEY KT..a 4 23 2 dh 30 CATHARINE ST. TER. 77 19 755 «Eet EVERARD 40 Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000305