Hastins, John, Cottage
Why it's listed
Built around 1880 at 31 William Street in Worcester, this one-and-one-half-story cottage is an ornate example of Victorian Gothic domestic architecture. It sits on its original foundation of cast-stone, an early form of concrete, and is clad in clapboard. A complex hip and gable roof covered in fish-scale slates rises to an octagonal cupola, one of the few remaining in the city. Gables and dormers on every elevation carry pierced aprons, and the house also has bargeboards, gabled window caps, an original entry porch with pierced brackets, a bay window and strapwork panelling around the base of the first storey. A low cast-stone wall along the William Street frontage may date from the same period. The first occupant was John Hastings, a provisioner, whose family kept the house into the twentieth century. The building is unaltered and has not been moved. It was listed as a rare and fanciful survivor of its period, with architecture as its theme.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as a fanciful, ornate and rare example of its period. It retains an original cast-stone foundation, a fish-scale slate roof and an octagonal cupola, one of few left in Worcester. Its decorative woodwork is intact, and the house was listed for its architectural value.
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 80000572, 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 William St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000572 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; the form states it is unaltered and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.26722, -71.80725 (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 80000572.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6238214
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.