{"nrhp_refnum":"75000303","name":"G.A.R. Hall","other_names":["Bull Mansion"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"55 Pearl St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Worcester","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.26415823100007,"lon":-71.80371674399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-03-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A High Victorian-Stick Style granite mansion at 55 Pearl Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, built in 1876 as a doctor's residence and offices to designs by Calvert Vaux; later the Grand Army of the Republic hall.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it an architectural landmark designed by Calvert Vaux. It is also significant for its link to the Wesson family, a wealthy Worcester family, and as a surviving example of an era of opulence and craftsmanship.","narrative":"Built in 1876 at 55 Pearl Street in Worcester, this granite mansion was designed by architect Calvert Vaux as a professional residence for Dr. George Bull and his wife Sarah. Her father, Daniel B. Wesson, who made his fortune in gun manufacturing, gave the house as a gift at a cost of $125,000. The building is High Victorian-Stick Style, with random ashlar Connecticut granite, lighter granite trim, a steep slate roof, ornamental gables and a tower balancing the facade. The basement originally held the doctor's offices. The Bulls separated in 1882, and the house passed through later owners until the George H. Ward Post 10 of the Grand Army of the Republic bought it in 1913. A rear addition followed in the 1920s, built partly with stone from the original iron-and-granite fence. In the early 1930s the veterans deeded the hall to the City of Worcester, which must maintain it for patriotic groups.","period_of_significance":"1876","architect_builder":"Calvert Vaux (architect); 1920s addition by Stephen Earle (architect) and O.W. Norcross (builder)","architectural_style":"High Victorian-Stick Style","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the City of Worcester and used for offices and meeting space; condition listed as good and altered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.286715-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/80/7971/63797180/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/75000303.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000303/5b4e88bf0b-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75000303/5b4e88bf0b-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Kenneth C. Zirkel","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Worcester%27s_G.A.R._Hall,_formerly_the_Bull_Mansion.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Kenneth C. Zirkel</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Worcester%27s_G.A.R._Hall,_formerly_the_Bull_Mansion.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63797180","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Army_of_the_Republic_Hall_(Worcester,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5594262"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/g-a-r-hall-75000303/"}