Dodge Block and Sawyer Building, Bancroft Trust Building
Why it's listed
Located at the corner of Franklin and Portland Streets facing Worcester Common, this four-story brick building began as two separate structures. Thomas H. Dodge built the Dodge Block in 1869, with a drug store at street level, his law office on the second floor, and apartments above. Stephen Sawyer added the neighboring Sawyer Building in 1882 as an investment property, also with a store below and flats above. Both were designed by the Worcester architects Fuller & Delano. Around 1920 the two were joined inside and part of the exterior, and the ground floor became a banking room for the Bancroft Trust Company. A further office renovation around 1940 added an elevator, marble stairs and floors, and wood and glass partitions that survive today. The storefronts were altered around 1960, and a fire in 1961 destroyed the Dodge Block's mansard roof. The building is recognized for its surviving late-19th century commercial architecture and its record of downtown Worcester's changing commercial life.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is significant for embodying Worcester's late-19th century commercial architecture and for reflecting the architectural and economic changes in the city up to the Great Depression. The Dodge Block is described as a rare surviving example of early industrial-era downtown commercial design. It is listed under criteria A and C at the local level, with areas of significance in architecture and commerce.
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 02000155, listed March 15, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 60 Franklin St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 15, 2002 |
| Reference number | 02000155 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1869 - 1951 |
| Architect / builder | Fuller & Delano, Worcester MA (architects); Thomas H. Dodge (builder of the Dodge Block) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior brick walls and trim are intact to the three phases of the composite building, and upper-floor plans and finishes from the ca. 1940 renovation are virtually untouched. Street-level storefronts were significantly altered around 1960, and the Dodge Block mansard roof burned in 1961 and was not replaced. Current function is listed as commerce/business. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.26161, -71.80130 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 02000155.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5287834
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.