{"nrhp_refnum":"80000555","name":"Goddard House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"12 Catherine St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Worcester","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.27548014400003,"lon":-71.79366974899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-03-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-and-one-half storey wood frame Second Empire house at 12 Catherine Street, Worcester, Massachusetts, built in 1870 and designed by architect Elbridge Boyden for Henry Goddard.","why_significant":"It is described as among the most elaborate examples of its style in Worcester and one of very few buildings of its period with an identified architect. It was built for Henry Goddard, a longtime manager and foreman at the Washburn and Moen Wire Works, which links it to Worcester's wire industry. The house remains in nearly original condition.","narrative":"Built in 1870 at 12 Catherine Street in Worcester, this two-and-one-half storey wood frame house was designed by architect Elbridge Boyden in the Second Empire style. It rises from a dressed granite foundation to a mansard roof covered in hexagonal-pattern slates. The asymmetrical plan includes rectangular and three-sided bays, an original entry porch with balustrade, double front doors, and paired brackets at the cornice. Most dormers have arched hoods, bracketed cornices and center finials, and a carriage house stands on the lot. The house was built for Henry Goddard (1823-1904), a Worcester native who spent fifty-five years with Washburn and Moen, becoming a manager and later foreman at the North Works on Grove Street. He also served on the city's Common Council and as an alderman. The building is considered among the most elaborate examples of its style in Worcester and is unusual for having a known architect. It has been vacant since about 1975 but remains largely original.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Elbridge Boyden (architect)","architectural_style":"Victorian Second Empire","criteria":[],"status_note":"Vacant since about 1975 and described as currently neglected, though in original condition except for one removed bay of a rear porch.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.736497-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/31/7930/63793031/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000555.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000555/3251cc0ccd-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000555/3251cc0ccd-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Unknown authorUnknown author","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HenryGoddardHouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown authorUnknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HenryGoddardHouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793031","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goddard_House_(Worcester,_Massachusetts)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5576256"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/goddard-house-80000555/"}