Soho Cottage
Why it's listed
Soho Cottage, at 21 Windsor Street in Worcester, is a Carpenter Gothic house dating to 1860. It rises one and one half stories from a brick foundation beneath steeply pitched roofs, and its plan and massing are asymmetrical. Distinctive features include deep eaves, bargeboards with pendants, an entry porch with open supports, brackets and pendants, board and batten siding, a facade gable with an ogee-arched window, and a rectangular bay window on the east side. It was built as a mirror image of its neighbor, Forest Hill Cottage, and is described as Worcester's best example of its style. Apart from modern front doors and some replacement sash from about 1900, it remains in original condition. Its hillside, partly wooded setting preserves the Romantic character of the area. William Allen bought the property from developer Samuel Davis in 1860. An English-born machinist, he went on to own the Worcester Boiler Works, which grew into one of New England's largest boiler makers, and he lived in the house until his death in 1906.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it Worcester's best example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. It was built as a mirror image of its neighbor, Forest Hill Cottage, and survives largely in original condition with excellent details. It is also tied to William Allen, who became a leading boiler manufacturer.
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 80000528, listed March 5, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 21 Windsor St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000528 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect unknown; purchased by William Allen in 1860 from developer Samuel Davis |
| Architectural style | Carpenter Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residence; the form says the building is unaltered except for modern front doors and some replaced sash (ca. 1900). |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.27789, -71.79105 (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 80000528.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7554753
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.