{"nrhp_refnum":"03001264","name":"Ann's Diner","other_names":["Pat's Diner","Norm's Place","Worcester Lunch Car Company Diner #824"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"11 Bridge Rd. (US 1)","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salisbury","county":"Essex County","state":"MA","lat":42.839979665000044,"lon":-70.86053826699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2003-12-10","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A custom-built barrel-roof diner on U.S. Route 1 (Bridge Road) at Salisbury Square in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, built in 1950 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company as diner #824. It is known as Ann's Diner and Pat's Diner.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the diner is highly significant in Massachusetts because it combines the traditional barrel-roof diner plan with an original separate dining room, which is highly unusual. It is an early example of the post-World War II trend toward a restaurant atmosphere. Its interior finishes are remarkably well preserved. It meets Criteria A and C at the local and state levels.","narrative":"Located at Salisbury Square on U.S. Route 1, this barrel-roofed diner was custom-built in 1950 by the Worcester Lunch Car Company as diner #824. It was the second diner operated in Salisbury by James and Ann Evans, who upgraded from a smaller monitor-roof diner after the first proved successful. The nine-bay prefabricated structure has a wood-frame kitchen block at the rear and an interior of tile, marble, steel and wood in light blue and pale yellow. What sets it apart is its plan: a standard counter section with stools and booths, plus an original separate dining room divided by wood and glass pocket doors. That arrangement is highly unusual among Massachusetts diners and reflects the postwar push to present diners as places for a leisurely family meal. Because of this plan and its well-preserved interior, it was judged significant for its architecture and its role in local commerce. It has served as a restaurant under several owners and names, including Norm's Place and Pat's Diner.","period_of_significance":"1950-1951","architect_builder":"Worcester Lunch Car Company","architectural_style":"Other: New England Barrel Roof Diner","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Operating as a restaurant; the interior is remarkably well preserved, and temporary plywood cladding on the exterior is described as a reversible alteration.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:05.221997-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/46/7901/63790146/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/03001264.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001264/bad7fab71c-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/03001264/bad7fab71c-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pat%27s_Diner,_Formerly_Ann%27s_Diner,_Salisbury_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pat%27s_Diner,_Formerly_Ann%27s_Diner,_Salisbury_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63790146","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann%27s_Diner","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4766161"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/essex-county/anns-diner-03001264/"}