O'Brien, Richard, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1890 at 43 Suffolk Street in Worcester, this three-decker is a modest Queen Anne house in a mixed neighborhood of multi-family homes and industry, facing a large factory complex. It is clad in wood clapboard with a hip roof and a side-hall plan. Its narrow three-story bay window has cut shingle panels beneath the second- and third-story lights, a detail the nomination says survives on no other local three-decker. Bracketed cornices, ornate corner brackets, a portico on lathe-turned posts and original 2/2 sash add to its character. Only a mid-20th-century porch balustrade replacement is noted as a major alteration. The house also reflects the immigrant working-class district south and east of the Franklin Street industrial corridor. Richard O'Brien, a painter, is the first known owner, and his family held it through 1910. Later residents were Irish and then Italian families, many working as leatherworkers at Graton and Knight or in the railroad yards.
Significance in brief: It represents ethnic immigrant, working-class, multi-family housing that grew up near the city's main railyard district, and is tied to Irish and Italian leatherworkers employed by the Graton and Knight Company. It is also an unusually well-preserved and well-detailed example of the earliest phase of Queen Anne three-decker design in Worcester.
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 89002441, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 43 Suffolk St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002441 |
| 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 described as fair; the present use is residential, the same as the original use. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25844, -71.78698 (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 89002441.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7328121
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.