Perry Avenue Historic District
Why it's listed
Four three-decker houses and a modern garage make up this small district on Perry Avenue, on the lower western slope of Vernon Hill in Worcester. Built around 1928, the row marks the last phase of residential infill on the hillside and the final era of three-decker construction in the city. Each house has a gable roof with a pediment, bracketed cornice overhangs, three-story front bay windows and three-tier porches, set above steeply sloping front yards. The houses alternate between two designs, one Colonial Revival with recessed, arched porches and one more Craftsman in character with projecting porches and shingled piers. The first owners were working-class Polish and Lithuanian families, including laborers, wireworkers and a die fixer, in a neighborhood that had been predominantly Irish in the late nineteenth century. Tenants worked as weavers, machinists, tailors and barbers. The district was recognized for its architectural integrity and its link to the city's immigrant housing history, in contrast to nearby three-deckers that have lost their original character through alterations and modern siding.
Significance in brief: The district is presented as a representative subdivision from the last phase of three-decker infill construction in Worcester. It is also described as a rare surviving row of unusually well-preserved three-deckers with Colonial Revival and Craftsman details from the late 1920s. It was originally owned and occupied by Polish and Lithuanian working-class families.
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 89002367, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 49--55 Perry Ave., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002367 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival / Craftsman |
| 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; general condition is described as very good to excellent. |
| Acreage | 0.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.24830, -71.79807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 89002367.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7169719
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.