Hartwell, George H., House
Why it's listed
This brick Italianate cottage at 105 Hamilton Street in Southbridge dates to about 1855-1870. It was built by Dr. George H. Hartwell, a pharmacist who ran a drug store in the Hartwell Block on Main Street and lived here as late as 1898. Hamilton Street opened in the early 1850s as a suburban estate district, and this was one of the earliest houses at the Centre Village end, set back behind a broad lawn. The house has a gabled facade with a side ell, a bracketed entry porch, paired windows, labeled brick window caps and bracketed eaves. It is one of few brick Italianate houses in town and is more modest than the larger, boxy Italianate homes of other community leaders. Brick additions were made at the rear in the 1870s and on the north side in the 1880s or 1890s. Hartwell's son and grandson, both named George H. Hartwell, continued the pharmacy. Modern buildings near the driveway have affected the setting.
Significance in brief: The house is significant as an early, brick example of an Italianate cottage, a type uncommon in town. It is also tied to the mid-19th-century suburban estate development of Hamilton Street and to a local pharmacist whose family ran a Main Street drug store into the 1970s.
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 89000556, listed June 22, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 105 Hamilton St., Southbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000556 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; built by Dr. George H. Hartwell |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; condition described as good-fair. Modern buildings on either side of the driveway have damaged the historic setting as seen from the street. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.07768, -72.03517 (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 89000556.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5540034
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.