Spencer Town Center Historic District (Boundary Increase)

This boundary increase enlarges the Spencer Town Center Historic District in Worcester County, Massachusetts, adding parts of Pleasant, High, Prouty, Grove, Mechanic, Cherry, Wall and West Main Streets. The residential streets developed during the industrial boom of the 1870s to 1890s and are lined with frame houses set back under mature street trees. Surviving houses include a Federal-era former inn at 1 High Street, Greek Revival and Gothic Revival homes, and many Italianate examples. Hills drew residential building, while a bowl-shaped, stream-fed area to the south became the site of industry. Cherry, Wall and Mechanic Streets hold a mix of light industrial and commercial buildings, many with original or early storefronts and uses. Boot and shoe making, begun by Josiah Green and Isaac Prouty, along with spinning and wire mills, supported the neighborhood's growth. The area has 131 contributing resources, and the high level of preservation, especially the general absence of artificial siding, helped justify its inclusion.