View Street Historic District
Why it's listed
View Street, on the steep western slope of Vernon Hill in Worcester, holds a small district of 11 three-decker houses and six garages built between about 1916 and 1930. The houses reflect the last major phase of three-decker construction on the hill. Most have gable roofs, two have gambrel roofs and one has a hip roof. Common features include recessed three-tier porches, triple windows, 6/1 sash, and cladding of wood shingle and clapboard. Nine of the 11 houses contribute to the district; 9 and 16 View Street do not because of modern siding. The streets below Vernon Street drew skilled blue-collar and white-collar families of Irish, Swedish, Polish, Lithuanian and Jewish background, attracted by city views and streetcar access to downtown jobs. Early owners included a salesman, a woodworker, a foreman and several metal workers. The district was recognized for its local importance in working-class housing and its well-preserved mix of three-decker styles.
Significance in brief: The district is a representative example of the three-decker subdivisions that spread across Vernon Hill in the early 20th century and drew a mix of the city's East Side ethnic families. It also preserves a well-kept range of typical late Colonial Revival and Craftsman three-decker styles. It was 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 89002361, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 7--17 and 8--16 View Street, Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002361 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1916-1930 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival/Craftsman three-deckers |
| 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 poor to excellent. Two three-deckers (9 and 16 View Street) are noncontributing because modern siding has compromised their integrity. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Coordinates | 42.24704, -71.79670 (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 89002361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7928756
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.