West Main Street Historic District (Boundary Increase III)
Also known as: West Main Street HD, 2009 Boundary Increase
Why it's listed
This residential neighborhood next to downtown Westborough, Massachusetts, forms the third and final extension of the West Main Street Historic District. It takes in about 9 acres and 75 properties, nearly all of them houses, along Milk, High, Summer, Lincoln and nearby streets. Construction runs from 1750 to 1960, though roughly 80 percent of the buildings date from the second half of the 19th century. The oldest is the 1750 Rev. Ebenezer Parkman Parsonage, built for the town's first minister and moved to its present site in 1867. Greek Revival, Italianate and Second Empire houses dominate, and the 1883 Henry K. Taft House is considered the best Stick Style example in Westborough. The 1902 Westborough Weaving Company, a brick mill with Renaissance Revival detailing, is the only non-residential building. The district was listed for its role in the town center's growth from a farming village into its commercial and civic core, and for its intact, varied collection of historic homes.
Significance in brief: The area is significant for its link to Westborough Center's growth from a rural agrarian village into the town's commercial, industrial, civic and institutional focus. It is also a cohesive, well-preserved collection of houses showing a full range of architectural styles. 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 09000196, listed May 29, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Portions of E. Main St., High St., Lincoln St., Milk St., Prospect and Spring Sts., Westborough |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | May 29, 2009 |
| Reference number | 09000196 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1750-1959 |
| Architectural style | Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Second Empire, Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick, Renaissance Revival, Colonial Revival, Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | All but one of the principal buildings are currently residences; the one non-residential building is the former Westborough Weaving Company mill, which is well preserved. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 42.27210, -71.61512 (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 09000196.
- 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.