{"nrhp_refnum":"89000589","name":"Building at 38-42 Worcester Street","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"38--42 Worcester St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Southbridge","county":"Worcester County","state":"MA","lat":42.07969041600006,"lon":-72.02927445499995,"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 six-family triple decker (three-story multifamily house) at 38-42 Worcester Street in the 'Flats' section of Southbridge, Massachusetts, built between about 1878 and 1898. It is clad in clapboard and has had no major alterations.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a good example of the regional triple decker housing type, ornamented in a French Canadian manner, built during the growth of Southbridge's eastern section in the late 19th century. It is one of the earliest triple deckers in the Flats and one of few well-preserved ones in the area. It is also tied to housing growth around the American Optical Company factory.","narrative":"This six-family triple decker at 38-42 Worcester Street stands in the Southbridge neighborhood known as \"The Flats,\" north of the Quinebaug River. Dating to roughly 1878-1898 and clad in clapboard, it is one of the earliest three deckers in the area and one of the few that remain well preserved. Its main ornament is a set of lacy-looking galleries with turned posts, stick brackets and plain square-stick balusters, which run across the front and wrap partway around the sides. Exterior porch stairs, believed to reflect French Canadian practice, add to its regional character. Before the 1880s the district was almost undeveloped, and even by 1898 only scattered clusters of houses stood nearby. After the American Optical Company factory was enlarged in 1899-1900, the neighborhood filled quickly with multifamily housing, mostly three deckers. The building is listed for its architecture and for what it shows about working-class housing in the town's growth.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Late-19th century Vernacular","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Condition is described as good; present use is multifamily residence, with no major alterations.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:01.925712-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/31/7935/63793531/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/89000589.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000589/dd9d07dcdc-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/89000589/dd9d07dcdc-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:38-42_Worcester_Street,_Southbridge_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</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:38-42_Worcester_Street,_Southbridge_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63793531","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_at_38%E2%80%9342_Worcester_Street","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4986563"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/worcester-county/building-at-38-42-worcester-street-89000589/"}