Stark, Edward, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1880 at 21 Oread Street in Worcester, this two-and-one-half-story Queen Anne house was designed and built by J.B. Woodworth for Edward Stark, a boot and shoe manufacturer. It rises from a rock-faced sandstone foundation, with upper stories of pressed brick and dressed sandstone trim. Its asymmetrical facade includes a rounded bay topped by corbelling, a gabled dormer and a turret, a porch with turned posts, double front doors, a gable with decorative brickwork, and chamfered sandstone lintels. The original granite stoops and retaining wall along Oread Street survive. A building notice published in 1880 put the cost at $15,000. Woodworth practiced in Worcester from 1877 until his death in 1893, and most of his other known work consists of simple cottages and apartment blocks of lesser quality. The house is considered an early local example of the Queen Anne style. With the neighboring Charles Fitch House, it recalls the street's character as a late nineteenth-century home for the city's manufacturers.
Significance in brief: The house is described as an early example of Queen Anne architecture in Worcester and is unaltered. Together with the neighboring Charles Fitch House, it is a rare reminder of Oread Street when it was home to many of the city's manufacturers in the late nineteenth century. It is also considered among the best of Woodworth's known designs.
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 80000633, 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 Oread St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | March 5, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80000633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | J.B. Woodworth (architect and builder) |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Present use is residential; the form states the house is unaltered and has not been moved. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.25526, -71.81047 (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 80000633.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5345422
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.