Barker, Richard, Octagon House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built between about 1855 and 1865, this octagonal house at 312 Plantation Street in Worcester is one of only two surviving octagonal homes in the city. Its eight outer walls are made of stone chips and finished in stucco incised to look like masonry, with pilaster-like raised sections topped by paired brackets. An octagonal cupola once crowned the roof but was removed before the 1920s, and an entry porch was added around 1925. The design reflects a mid-nineteenth-century fad driven by Orson Squire Fowler's books, which urged building eight-sided houses, ideally of poured gravel and mortar walls. Most octagon houses were of wood, so gravel-wall examples like this one are very rare. The first known occupant was Richard Barker, a carpenter, who lived here in 1866. Because the fad had mostly faded by then, he may have bought the house from an earlier owner. Its rarity and distinctive character are the reasons given for preserving it.
Significance in brief: It is one of only two octagonal houses remaining in Worcester and a rare example of gravel-wall construction, a method promoted by Orson Squire Fowler but seldom used, since most octagon houses were built of wood. Its fanciful style and uniqueness are cited as reasons to preserve it.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 80000592, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 312 Plantation St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000592 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Octagonal Mode |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the cupola was removed before the 1920s and an entry porch was added about 1925. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.26974, -71.77062 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 80000592.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7323955
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.