Hammond Heights

Hammond Heights is a hillside neighborhood on Worcester's West Side, made up of three blocks between Highland Street and Institute Road. It was once part of the John Hammond Farm, and a subdivision plan was prepared by 1886. Hammond's own Italianate house at 264 Highland Street, built about 1851, is the earliest building. Sixteen houses went up along Germain and Highland Streets between 1890 and 1896, about forty more followed on Westland and Haviland Streets by 1911, and the last house was finished by 1928. The district is valued for its range of styles, including Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Arts & Crafts, Bungalow and Dutch Colonial. Most houses appear to have been designed by architects for the families who lived in them rather than for a developer. Good preservation, tree-lined streets and broad lawns make it a strong example of Worcester's turn-of-the-century suburban growth.