Copeland, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1847 on a lot Salem Copeland bought in 1846, this two-story frame house at 31 Harvard Street in Worcester is a Greek Revival temple-front residence. Its pedimented facade carries a portico of four fluted columns topped with papyrus and acanthus capitals, and matched boarding and foliate decoration fill the pediments. Windows sit beneath moulded caps on consoles. Only one other house of this ornate type survives in the city. Copeland was a tool maker and later a hardware manufacturer who was also listed as a builder in local directories. Later owners included a druggist, a merchant and a county treasurer, and in the twentieth century part of the house served as a funeral parlor. Alterations are limited to smaller-pane replacement sash and an addition at the southwest corner, so the building remains essentially intact. A brick stable survives on the lot. The house now holds offices for a community counseling organization.
Significance in brief: The form describes it as one of only two ornate temple-front houses surviving in Worcester. Its pedimented facade has a four-column portico with papyrus and acanthus capitals and elaborate foliate decoration. Alterations are minor, so the house remains essentially intact. Themes checked are architecture and social/humanitarian.
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 80000563, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 31 Harvard St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000563 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as institutional offices by a family counseling organization; alterations include smaller-pane sash and a southwest addition. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.26950, -71.80238 (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 80000563.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7411165
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.