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 2401 AREA BA DEC 2 6 1989 FORM NO. 1565 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 50 Dorchester Street Historic Name Patrick McGrath Three-Decker residential residential 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 Original DESCRIPTION Date ca. 1894 Source Worcester House Directory Style Queen Anne Architect unknown Exterior Wall Fabric wood clapboard and shingle Outbuildings none See attached map.
Major Alterations (with dates) porch balustrades replaced Condition good UTM REFERENCE 19/269460/4681270 USES QUADRANGLE Worcester North SCALE 1:25,000 Moved Date Acreage. less than 1/4 acre Setting Late 19th century urban, multi-family residential neighborhood in a row of three-deckers on a steep hillslope. Recorded by Montine Jordan Organization Clark University Date February 1981 Revised for MHC by Michael Steinitz-12/88 NATIONAL REGISTER CRITERIA STATEMENT (if applicable) The Patrick McGrath Three-Decker possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. It is significant for its association with the early Irish working-class, residential development of the western slope of Grafton Hill in the late 19th century.
It is also an unusually intact, well-detailed example of early Queen Anne style three-decker design in the earliest core of three-decker development in the Grafton Hill/ Vernon Hill area. The McGrath 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, 50 Dorchester Street is a remarkably intact, well-detailed Fne house has the charac ters example of the earliest phase of Queen Anne style local three-decker design. The house has the characteristic hip roof, side-hall plan, and side-wall jog. The asymmetrical main facade has an end bay entry with panelled double doors. The entry bay is flanked by a projecting, three-story bay window.
The outstanding feature of the house is its full-length, first floor porch, which wraps around to the side-wall jog. The porch retains its turned posts, ball-and spindle frieze, and solid decorative brackets, although the balustrade spindles have been replaced. The porch roof cornice overhang has solid paired decorative brackets. Heavy brackets also decorate the main ioof cornice overhang, and larger brackets mark the corners. The house is clad in wood clapboard, with a shingle band between the second and third stories. 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 McGrath Three-Decker was built as part of a row of similar houses on the lower western slope of Grafton Hill.
By the last decade of the 19th century, many of Worcester's Irish families were relocating out of the older low-lying, high density neighborhoods at the edge of downtown to newly built three-decker districts on the hill slopes of the East Side. The Dorchester Street area formed an early core of modestly stylish three-decker construction in the newly developing Grafton Hill neignborhood. The first known owner of 50 Dorchester Street was Patrick J. McGrath, a carpenter, who lived here. Tenants in 1894 included Edward Burke, a laborer; William Burke, a helper; John Rollison, a stone cutter; and Sarah Rollison, a teacher. The McGrath family continued to own and occupy the house through 1910, when other residents included Joseph Turffs, a barber; and William Mahooney, a linotyper. By 1920, the owner was John F. Lee, a shipper, who also resided here. Lee owned the building through 1930.
Other residents during this period included Edward Duncan, a clerk; Dennis Healey, a chauffer; and Fred Bjurstrom, a foreman. BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES Worcester Directory, Worcester House Directory, 1894,1900,1910,1920,1930. L.J. Richards, Atlas of the City of Worcester, 1896, 1911, 1922. J. Callahan, Worcester Three-Decker Survey, 1981. 8/85 (PS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Page. OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Worcester Three-Decker MRA Worcester County, MASSACHUSETTS 51. Massady Anthony, Three-Decker Date Listed ---ou dil UilC Nationa1 Begis/Keeper 52. McCafferty, Elizabeth, Three-Decker Substantiva Beview 53. McCarron, Andrew, Three-Decker National Roglatdr Keeper Attest Jorkeepex Attest Attest 54.
McDermott, John B., Three-DeckeIncered in the Keeper National Begister Attest 55. McGrath, Patrick, Three-Decker «icred 1n the Hational Register Keeper Attest 86 56. McGuiness, Patrick, Three-Decker. 1n cne watlonad RegiategKeeper Attest 57. Mearczand, Frank, Thre-Deckefia scu 11 ki0 f Keeper Attest 58. McPartland, James, Three-Deckerncred 1n tne . Keeper Hational Begiater 59. Munroe, Sarah, Three-Decker Attest Wationad Boglatff Keeper Attest 60.
uncered in the Murphy, Patrick, Three-Decker Wationad Rogiater/ Reeper Attest AeluuByen 2/749 puty Sauye 02-05 SulouByan 24/9 HelouByan 2/9kL KelnByen _2/9/92 HelmnBgu 219/21 DeluByen 219/96 AlelourBycn 2/4/9 AtlvuByen 2/9/96 Ahlonbyen 2/9/40 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET REQUESTED ACTION: NOMINATION PROPERTY MoGrath, Patrick, 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: 89002407 NOMINATOR: STATE REASONS FOR REVIEW: REQUEST: N SAMPLE: COMMENT WAIVER: N VACCEPT _RETURN ABSTRACT/SUMMARY COMMENTS: N SLR DRAFT: N REJECT 2/9/92 DAE Entered in the National Registes 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 -_presentation OTHER COMMENTS Questions concerning this nomination may be directed to Phone Signed Date Wercesto Thee Decko Mhz PATRICK MCGRATH THREE DECK 50 DORCESTER STREET WORCESTER, mn MHC # 1565 Kodalux Processing Services AASS VOL 4 415 NON83A 410 Patrick McGrath Three-Decker 50 Dorchester St., Worcester MHC # 1565 100 FT 200 SETHOuR L PINE 1:I 404 DORCHESTER ARLINGTON WINTHROP VERNON PROVIDENCE 405 ir.
itr5 -12 36 6: 4 CHAPIN 3500 MARION AV. (-40") HED W HO ENTS HOSPITAL SOC. RISX 416 HEYWOOD tace -aN 3 LINTEO Please refer to the map in the Multiple Property Cover Sheet for this property Multiple Property Cover Sheet Reference Number: 64000305