House at 64 Main Street
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built between about 1898 and 1904, this clapboard house at 64 Main Street in Southbridge is a vernacular example of the Queen Anne style. It follows a pattern-book design seen elsewhere in town and has decorative shingles in the gables, diamond-patterned slate roof shingles and an ornate wrap-around porch. Colonial Revival touches include a central door flanked by half sidelights and Classical window frames, and a fine stained glass panel sits in the corner bay window. For most of the 19th century this part of Main Street was a suburban estate district. As the town grew, the land was divided into smaller lots and filled with closer-set houses, helped by the nearby, increasingly prosperous American Optical Company factory. This house and its multi-family neighbor appear to have been built by company president George W. Wells. Whether it housed company employees is unclear, though that seems likely given the surrounding houses. It remains residential and in good condition, with no major alterations.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its link to Southbridge's late 19th-century real estate development and for its stylish Queen Anne design. It appears to have been built by American Optical Company president George W. Wells, near the company's factory. Nearby houses were later used as company housing, and this one may have been as well.
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 89000582, listed June 22, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 64 Main St., Southbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; apparently built by George W. Wells |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Residential use, in good condition, with no major alterations and not moved. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.07334, -72.02752 (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 89000582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715594
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.