Wescott, John, Three-Decker
Why it's listed
Built around 1892 at 454 Pleasant Street in Worcester, this three-decker is an ornate example of local Queen Anne design. Its long side serves as the main facade, an adaptation to a long, narrow lot. The asymmetrically placed entry has paneled double doors under a three-tier porch with lathe-turned posts, large brackets and open balustrades, beside a three-story bay window. Walls are wood clapboard, with shingles on the bay and porch bay and in bands between stories. The hip roof has a wide cornice with paired and corner brackets. The house was built during the boom in three-decker construction in the Piedmont neighborhood, a mixed area of single- and multi-family homes housing blue- and white-collar residents, including Irish and French-Canadian families. Its first owner, John Wescott, ran a grocery on Pleasant Street. Early tenants included a cutter, a teller and a machinist. It was listed as a well-preserved representative of working-class housing and of local Queen Anne three-decker construction.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be a representative example of the working-class housing built in the late 19th century west of downtown along the Pleasant and Chandler Street corridors in the Piedmont neighborhood. It is also an unusually well-preserved and ornate local example of Queen Anne three-decker design. It meets criteria A and C at the local level.
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 89002426, listed February 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 454 Pleasant St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | February 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002426 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne Three-Decker |
| 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; condition is described as excellent, with some porch balustrades replaced in the mid-20th century. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.26337, -71.81750 (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 89002426.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6263516
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.