McPartland, Frank, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1912 at 61 Paine Street in Worcester, this three-decker is a wood-clapboard apartment house with a hip roof and a side-hall plan. Its asymmetrical front has an entry bay beside a three-story bay window. The most distinctive feature is the porch: a full-length first-floor porch that rises to three tiers at the entrance, supported by tall Tuscan columns and finished with an unusual post-and-slat balustrade. Windows have 2/1 sash, and regularly spaced brackets line the roof cornice. The first owner was Frank McPartland, a postal carrier who lived here through the 1920s, and early tenants included a wireworker, a teamster, firemen and another postal carrier. The house reflects the growth of the northern Lincoln Street area as a middle-class and working-class streetcar suburb, where residents commuted to jobs downtown and elsewhere in the city. It was listed for this setting and for its well-preserved Colonial Revival design, with no major alterations recorded.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it represents early 20th century multi-family residential development of streetcar suburbs along Lincoln Street, north of downtown Worcester. It is also an unusually well-preserved and well-detailed example of the Colonial Revival three-decker design popular locally at the time.
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 89002436, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 61 Paine St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002436 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| 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; condition is described as very good, with no major alterations. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.28187, -71.79383 (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 89002436.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14715477
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.