Twinehurst American Optical Company Neighborhood

Seven shingled three-family houses curve around the west side of a circular street at the foot of Paige Hill Road in Southbridge. The American Optical Company built them as worker housing in the early twentieth century, between 1904 and 1925. They are a refined version of the three-decker, the most common multifamily house type in town at the time. With gable ends facing the street and long dormers, each looks like a two-and-a-half story two-family home, yet holds five or six room apartments on each of three floors. Colonial Revival pilaster-and-pediment entrances and the gently curving street give the group a suburban feel. The company's earlier worker housing in the area was less planned; this cluster reflects progressive ideas about industrial villages, in which good housing was expected to make workers happier and more productive. Later changes include replacement siding and enclosed porches and entrances, but the trim remains largely intact. The group is considered locally significant for its association with company housing and for its design.