Lincoln, Gov. Levi, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1834 at what was then Elm Street in Worcester, this clapboard house served as a temporary home for Levi Lincoln Jr. while his larger mansion was under construction. Lincoln had served nine consecutive years as Governor of Massachusetts, later served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and became Worcester's first mayor in 1848. He hired local architect Elias Carter, who designed the house. It is described as Worcester's earliest side-hall Greek Revival house, a type that dominated local building in the following two decades. Its features include a hammered granite foundation, a gable made to read as a pediment, a Doric entry porch, and a doorway with sidelights and an original four-panel door. Narrow corner boards and moulded window trim reflect late Federalist influence. After Lincoln moved to his mansion, he sold the house to John Richardson. In 1878 it was sold to Jonas Clark, who built on the site, and Col. William A. Williams moved it to Avalon Place and converted it to apartments.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Worcester's earliest example of the side-hall Greek Revival house type, which dominated local building in the 1840s and 1850s. It also has associations with Levi Lincoln Jr., governor of Massachusetts for nine years, U.S. congressman and Worcester's first mayor. The house shows Greek Revival features alongside late Federalist elements.
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 80000573, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4 Avalon Pl., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000573 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Elias Carter |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form records it as converted to apartments after being moved. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Within district | Lincoln Estate-Elm Park Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.26688, -71.80663 (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 80000573.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5588530
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.