East Main Street-Cherry Street Historic District

This residential neighborhood in Spencer, Massachusetts, covers about 45 acres east and south of the town center and includes 133 buildings, 111 of which contribute to its character. Houses date mostly from about 1800 to 1900, with the largest number built after 1870. Styles include Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian Gothic and Queen Anne, and many houses have barns or carriage houses and Colonial Revival porches added around 1900. The only non-residential original building is a mid-19th-century schoolhouse. The area developed in response to the boot and shoe industry centered in the adjoining town center. Boot manufacturers, shop foremen and skilled workers lived along Main, Cherry, Linden, Ash and May streets, while the factories stood in the neighboring district. Mature street trees, granite foundations and wood construction reinforce a cohesive 19th-century scale. Most buildings still serve as homes, and the neighborhood keeps much of its original character.