Davis, Rodney, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1894 on the eastern end of Catharine Street in Worcester, this three-decker is a wood-frame Queen Anne style house clad in clapboard and cut shingle. It has a hip roof, a side-hall plan, a single-story entry porch with turned posts, and a projecting three-story bay window. Bracketed cornice details, 2/2 windows with bracketed crowns, and geometric stained glass in the front parlor side windows add to its character. The porch has lost its brackets and balustrade, but the building is otherwise well preserved. The house reflects the Belmont Street neighborhood, where Swedish, Swede-Finn and Finnish immigrant families lived, and where many residents worked at the nearby North Works of the Washburn and Moen Company or other metalworking firms. The first owner was Rodney H. Davis, a draftsman who apparently did not live there. Early tenants included a carver, a motorman, a laborer and wiredrawers. It was listed for its architecture and its link to neighborhood development.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a representative example of early three-decker construction in the Belmont Street area, then developing as a Scandinavian working-class neighborhood. It is also an unusually well-preserved example of Queen Anne three-decker design from the 1890s. It meets criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89002398, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 62 Catharine St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002398 |
| 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) | Present use is residential; condition is described as good. The porch balustrade and brackets were removed, possibly in the mid-20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.27410, -71.78742 (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 89002398.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7356900
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.