Battelle, Marion, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1896 at 13 Preston Street in Worcester, this three-decker is part of a cluster of similar houses erected in the Jacques Avenue and Preston Street area during the 1890s. The surrounding neighborhood southwest of downtown was largely Irish and French-Canadian and working class. Marion Battelle was the first owner and lived in the house through 1920. Early tenants included a harnessmaker, a bookkeeper, machinists, a clerk, a stenographer, a policeman and an ironworker. The building has a side-hall plan, wood clapboard and several types of cut shingle, a hip roof with a centered gable dormer, wide bracketed eaves, and a three-tier porch with turned posts. Its most striking feature is a massive round, turret-like bay window covered in bands of patterned shingle. It is listed as a well-preserved, finely detailed Queen Anne three-decker and as a representative home of its working-class neighborhood, with no major alterations recorded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative multi-family home from the working-class, ethnic neighborhood that developed in Piedmont in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is also an unusually well-preserved and finely detailed example of Queen Anne three-decker construction, with a standout turret-like round bay window.
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 89002429, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 13 Preston St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002429 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne style Three-Decker |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, European, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Recorded as in very good condition with no major alterations; present use is residential, same as original use. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25867, -71.81099 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 89002429.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6765080
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.