{"nrhp_refnum":"89000531","name":"Wells, H. C., Double House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"28--30 Dresser St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Southbridge","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.074000246000026,"lon":-72.03558346499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1989-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-family Queen Anne residence at 28-30 Dresser Street in Southbridge, Massachusetts, built about 1888-1894 on a vacant lot, apparently by Hiram C. Wells. It has a carriage house/garage outbuilding.","why_significant":"It is significant as multi-family housing built by the Wells family for American Optical Company workers during the growth of Southbridge's eastern section in the late 19th century. It is unusual among local multi-family housing for its high-style Queen Anne design and quality construction. It is well preserved and has no major alterations.","narrative":"This two-family house at 28-30 Dresser Street in Southbridge was built between about 1888 and 1894 in the Queen Anne style. It went up on one of two vacant lots remaining on a nearly developed street, apparently built by Hiram C. Wells, who was involved in the American Optical Company. Wells also built other houses nearby that seem to have been income properties. The house is simpler than many single-family Queen Anne homes, with a basically rectangular plan and symmetrical design, yet its broad proportions and quality materials are typical of the style at its best. Features include a granite foundation, stained glass windows, diamond-paned transom windows, large bay windows, swag-ornamented window trim, end gable pent roofs, faceted dormers and a curved skirt at the second-floor shingling. By the early twentieth century, the house served as housing for company employees, as did other houses once owned by the Wells family. It remains residential and in excellent condition, with its original character intact.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect unknown; apparently built by Hiram C. Wells","architectural_style":"Queen Anne","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Condition excellent; present use residential; no major alterations and not moved.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:02.065271-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/47/7935/63793547/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/89000531.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000531/3f3083758d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000531/3f3083758d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:H.C._Wells_Double_House,_Southbridge_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:H.C._Wells_Double_House,_Southbridge_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793547","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.C._Wells_Double_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5627902"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/wells-h-c-double-house-89000531/"}