West Main Street Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Also known as: See Also:West Main Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Along West Main Street in Westborough, Massachusetts, a row of houses just west of an earlier historic district forms a boundary extension of 24 contributing and 14 noncontributing buildings. Most are single-family homes built from about 1713 into the early twentieth century, and all still serve as residences. Eight of the contributing buildings predate 1800. The group includes a saltbox from 1739, Georgian houses, Federal houses with fanlights and sidelights, a brick Greek Revival house of 1832, and Queen Anne houses from the 1890s. One building, at 108 West Main Street, began as the Blue Anchor Tavern in 1732 and hosted Revolutionary War figures before being moved in 1820. The houses are linked to settlers and merchants such as Thomas Rice, Lyman Belknap and Reuben Boynton. Together they show how the town moved from farming to railroad-era manufacturing, as large farm lots were gradually subdivided.
Significance in brief: The extension is significant for its link to Westborough's change from an agricultural community to a diversified manufacturing town, and for its well-preserved Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Queen Anne houses. It has a notable concentration of eighteenth-century dwellings, with eight of the contributing buildings built before 1800. Several houses are tied to local leaders and families, including the Rice family, Lyman Belknap and Reuben Boynton.
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 90001851, listed December 6, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 83--118 W. Main St., Westborough |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | December 6, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001851 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1713-1940 |
| Architectural style | No Style; Colonial/Georgian; Early Republic/Federal; Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival; Late Victorian/Queen Anne; Late 19th Century Revival/Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Community Planning and Development, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All buildings in the extension area continue to function as single-family residences; the Blue Anchor Tavern building is now a house. |
| Acreage | 11 |
| Coordinates | 42.26490, -71.62091 (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 90001851.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q17035788
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.