View Street Historic District

View Street, on the steep western slope of Vernon Hill in Worcester, holds a small district of 11 three-decker houses and six garages built between about 1916 and 1930. The houses reflect the last major phase of three-decker construction on the hill. Most have gable roofs, two have gambrel roofs and one has a hip roof. Common features include recessed three-tier porches, triple windows, 6/1 sash, and cladding of wood shingle and clapboard. Nine of the 11 houses contribute to the district; 9 and 16 View Street do not because of modern siding. The streets below Vernon Street drew skilled blue-collar and white-collar families of Irish, Swedish, Polish, Lithuanian and Jewish background, attracted by city views and streetcar access to downtown jobs. Early owners included a salesman, a woodworker, a foreman and several metal workers. The district was recognized for its local importance in working-class housing and its well-preserved mix of three-decker styles.