Provost, Arthur, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Located at 30 Thorne Street in Worcester, this brick three-decker was built around 1910 in the Queen Anne style. It follows the locally typical side-hall plan with a hip roof, and its asymmetrical front has an entry bay with a three-tier porch beside a three-story bay window. Porch details include turned posts, spindle balusters and small scroll brackets, and the windows are 2/2 and 1/1 sash. Brick was rarely used for three-deckers in Worcester, and few were built, so the building is notable for its material and for its excellent state of preservation, with no recorded major alterations. It also reflects neighborhood growth: multi-family housing spread eastward from the Wall Street area toward Plantation Street as French-Canadian families arrived seeking work. The first known owner, Arthur Provost, a bookkeeper, lived here through the 1920s. Early tenants included a casketmaker, a foreman and a machinist. It was listed for its local significance in settlement history and architecture.
Significance in brief: It is significant as part of the early 20th-century eastward extension of a working-class, mostly French-Canadian neighborhood from the Wall Street area. It is also an unusually well-preserved and well-detailed example of one of only a handful of brick three-deckers built 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 89002444, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 30 Thorne St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002444 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne style Three-Decker |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, European, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as very good, with no major alterations; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25762, -71.78391 (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 89002444.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4800033
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.