{"nrhp_refnum":"78000453","name":"Clark Houses","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"74 and 76 W. Central St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Natick","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.282247863000066,"lon":-71.35641700099995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1978-02-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Two adjacent Second Empire houses at 74 and 76 West Central Street near the center of Natick, Massachusetts: the Edward Clark House (built 1870) and the Mary Clark Whitney House (built early 1870s).","why_significant":"The nomination argues the houses are two of the finer examples of the Second Empire/mansard style in Natick. They are also significant for their association with Edward Clark, a local grocer, town treasurer and bank director.","narrative":"Two neighboring houses at 74 and 76 West Central Street in Natick show the Second Empire style with its high mansard roofs. The Edward Clark House, built in 1870, is a three-story T-plan building on a granite foundation, with beaded clapboards, scroll brackets under the eaves and fish scale roof tiles. Its central pavilion has an entrance porch with double columns and ornate arched windows. The Mary Clark Whitney House, built in the early 1870s for Edward Clark's cousin, resembles it but has simpler detailing, including paired Doric columns at the entrance. Both are significant as fine local examples of the style. They are also linked to Edward Clark, born in Natick in 1838, who became a prominent grocer, served as town treasurer from 1889 to 1910, and sat on the board of the Natick National Bank. The exterior of his house was restored in 1976 after a long period of neglect.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Second Empire (mansard style)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Exterior of the Edward Clark House was restored in 1976 after a long period of neglect; condition listed as good and both houses are private residences.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.004583-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/82/7956/63795682/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/78000453.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000453/4f61f03449-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/78000453/4f61f03449-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Charles P. MacMullen","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:76_West_Central.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Charles P. MacMullen</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:76_West_Central.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63795682","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Houses","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5127278"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/clark-houses-78000453/"}