LaCroix-Mosher House
Why it's listed
Built about 1904 to 1907 at 56 Everett Street in Southbridge, this large Colonial Revival house was the home of Joseph LaCroix, who became president of the Hyde Manufacturing Company, a knife maker, in 1897. It has a broad hip roof, dormers with swan's neck broken pediments, large windows, a deep porch, classical detailing and a cylindrical two-story corner bay. The design resembles Worcester houses by architect George H. Clemence, who may have designed it. Few comparable grand houses of the period survive intact in the town. The house also reflects local development: it extended the suburban estate district along Main Street, where prominent families and industrialists lived. Everett Street itself had mostly smaller houses, and this was the only grand house built there. In the late 1920s and 1930s it was occupied by Ira Mosher, an American Optical Company executive. The house remains in good condition, unaltered, and in residential use.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the few grand turn-of-the-century Colonial Revival houses still intact in Southbridge. It is also tied to the town's late 19th and early 20th century real estate development, as an extension of the suburban estate district along Main Street. It is attributed, on stylistic similarity, to Worcester architect George H. Clemence.
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 89000524, listed June 22, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 56 Everett St., Southbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000524 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | George H. Clemence (architect, suggested by stylistic similarity); built for Joseph LaCroix |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition good; present use residential; no major alterations; not moved; early-20th-century garage outbuilding. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.07277, -72.03334 (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 89000524.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6460698
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.