{"nrhp_refnum":"80000587","name":"Salisbury Factory Building","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"25 Union St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Worcester","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.27015040300006,"lon":-71.79804149699999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1980-03-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Community Planning and Development"],"significance_levels":["state","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A five-storey red brick factory building at 25 Union Street in Worcester, Massachusetts, built in 1879 by Stephen Salisbury III. It has a rectangular plan of 54 by 135 feet and shows Victorian Gothic elements.","why_significant":"It was one of three factories Stephen Salisbury III built between 1876 and 1879 on the site of the Court Mills. These mills leased loft space and power to small manufacturers, a system that shaped Worcester's industrial development. The building housed the Munroe Organ Reed Company and later other small firms. The themes checked are architecture, industry and community development.","narrative":"Built in 1879 at 25 Union Street in Worcester, this five-storey red brick factory measures 54 by 135 feet, with its facade facing Union Street. Buff sandstone string courses, corbelling, a stepped parapet and a bracketed entry hood give the front Victorian Gothic character, while the side walls are plain, with evenly spaced arched windows. Stephen Salisbury III built it as one of three factories erected between 1876 and 1879 on the site of the Court Mills, which his father had built in 1829-1832. Those mills were the first in Worcester to lease loft space and supply power to small manufacturers, a pattern that shaped the city's industry. The Munroe Organ Reed Company occupied the building from 1879 until 1889, employing about two hundred workers by 1881. Porter & Gardner, last manufacturers, followed in the 1890s, and after 1903 a succession of small firms used it. A restaurant was added in 1976, and further alterations came in 1978-79.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect unknown; built by Stephen Salisbury III","architectural_style":"Victorian Gothic elements","criteria":[],"status_note":"Used as a factory and restaurant; a restaurant was added in 1976, and alterations were made in 1978-79 (elevator shaft, new fourth-storey sash, small addition).","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.789335-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/93/7929/63792993/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/80000587.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000587/8c3eba3ba7-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/80000587/8c3eba3ba7-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Pvmoutside","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salisbury_Factory_Bldg_1_Worcester_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Pvmoutside</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salisbury_Factory_Bldg_1_Worcester_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63792993","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Factory_Building","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7404765"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/salisbury-factory-building-80000587/"}