Euclid Avenue-Montrose Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Euclid Avenue and Montrose Street climb the steep western slope of Vernon Hill in Worcester, lined with three-decker houses built between about 1910 and 1930. The 4.5-acre district includes 40 residential buildings, a number of garages, and the sign and plaque marking Deedy Square. Twenty-seven of the three-deckers have gambrel roofs and thirteen have gable roofs, mostly in Colonial Revival forms with projecting porches, bay windows, arched openings and shingle or clapboard siding. The hillside setting gave residents views of the city, and streetcar service connected them to jobs. Early owners and tenants were largely Irish, with some Swedish families, and by 1930 Polish and Lithuanian families were also buying homes. Owners and tenants included laborers, carpenters, foremen, policemen and clerks. Although about eighteen buildings have been covered in modern siding, the grouping remains visually cohesive and is regarded as one of Worcester's outstanding three-decker landscapes.
Significance in brief: The district is presented as a representative example of the three-decker subdivisions that spread across Vernon Hill in the early 20th century and drew a mix of East Side ethnic families. It also has a well-preserved, dramatically sited group of three-deckers, especially gambrel-roof Colonial Revival examples. It is judged significant 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 89002357, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Along Euclid Ave. and Montrose St., between Vernon St. and Perry Ave., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002357 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1910-1930 |
| Architect / builder | Contractor Thomas Foley built several houses in the area |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival (three-deckers, mostly gambrel-roof; one Colonial Revival/Craftsman) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; general condition is fair to excellent. Eighteen three-deckers have lost individual integrity through modern siding. |
| Acreage | 4.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.24622, -71.79688 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 89002357.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5406094
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.