Phillips, E. M., House
Why it's listed
Built around 1870-1875 at 35 Dresser Street in Southbridge, this clapboard house follows an L-plan and shows Italianate design adapted to the familiar gable-front form. The main block is three bays wide and one room deep, a pattern often seen in Central Massachusetts. Details include broad eaves with a frieze and paired brackets, gable returns, and round-arched windows in the gables. The entrance is unusual, placed on the side next to the ell rather than facing the street. The street was among the first areas developed south of Main Street and east of Elm Street, and E. M. Phillips, an insurance agent with an office in the Ammidown Block, built the house. In the early twentieth century Herbert E. Wells, son of Hiram C. Wells of the American Optical Company, lived there, and in the 1930s and 1940s the company used it as employee housing. The house keeps its original window sash and shutters, and it is valued for its link to the town's mid-nineteenth century growth and its Italianate design.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house reflects the town's mid-19th century real estate development and adapts the Italianate style to the familiar gable-front form. It is well preserved, retaining its original window sash and shutters. It is judged 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 89000532, listed June 22, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 35 Dresser St., Southbridge |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 22, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000532 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by E. M. Phillips, an insurance agent; architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is residential. Part of the attached carriage house was removed and converted to living space around 1900. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.07383, -72.03607 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 89000532.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5321635
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.