Lumb, Thomas, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1894 at 80 Dewey Street in Worcester, this three-decker housed multiple families at the western edge of a working-class district that grew west of downtown in the late 19th century. Dewey Street saw concentrated three-decker construction amid cottages, multi-family houses and light industry. The first known owner was Thomas Lumb, a saloon keeper, and early tenants included a clerk, a salesman and a shoemaker. The wood-framed building has clapboard siding with shingle bands between stories, a side-hall plan and a shallow hip roof with a wide cornice. Unusually ornate brackets, a recessed three-tier porch with turned posts and spindle friezes, a three-story bay window and rope-molded window caps give it Queen Anne character. It is considered well preserved, with only the porch balustrades replaced. It was listed as a representative example of Worcester's late-century three-decker development and for its finely detailed design.
Significance in brief: It is a representative example of the three-deckers built as Worcester's Piedmont neighborhood expanded westward in the late 19th century into an ethnic, working-class, multi-family district. It is also an unusually finely detailed local example of Queen Anne elements in three-decker construction. It meets criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89002403, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 80 Dewey St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002403 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, European, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as very good, and the building is in residential use. The only major alteration noted is replacement of the porch balustrades. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25845, -71.88129 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 89002403.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7791971
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.