Lumb, Thomas, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1894 at 44 Winfield Street in Worcester, this three-decker sits at the western edge of a working-class residential district that grew up west of downtown in the late 19th century. The area mixed cottages, multi-family houses and light industry, and the Dewey Street and Winfield Street blocks saw concentrated three-decker construction. The first known owner was Thomas Lumb, a saloon keeper who also owned the house at 80 Dewey Street. Early tenants included a blacksmith, a teamster, a clerk and a machinist. The building has a side hall plan, wood clapboard with shingle bands between stories, and a shallow hip roof with a wide cornice and corner brackets decorated with vine motifs and pendants. A recessed three-tier porch with turned posts and spindle friezes sits beside a three-story bay window. Window and door caps carry rope molding. It remains well preserved and was recognized as a representative and finely detailed example of local three-decker building.
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 used in three-decker construction. The form finds it significant at the local level under criteria A and C.
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 89002448, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 44 Winfield St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002448 |
| 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) | Present use is residential and condition is very good; porch balustrades have been replaced. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.26004, -71.82099 (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 89002448.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7791972
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.