Worcester Corset Company Factory
Why it's listed
Rising four to five stories around a central courtyard, this brick factory at 30 Wyman Street in Worcester was built in two stages, about 1895 and about 1906, for the Worcester Corset Company. Boston architect Arthur F. Gray designed it and the Norcross Brothers built it. Its Romanesque Revival details include corbelled brick cornices, round-arched top-floor windows, and three square towers with pyramidal roofs covered in Spanish tile. The towers hold the main entrances. Inside, the open floor plan and heavy decking reflect its industrial purpose. The company grew from a hoop-skirt business founded in 1861 by David Hale Fanning and at its peak employed more than 2,000 people, making it one of the city's major industries. After the corset business failed in the early 1940s, a shoe company leased the complex until 1983. The building was listed for its link to Worcester's economic growth and as a well-preserved example of New England factory construction.
Significance in brief: The factory is tied to Worcester's rapid economic growth in the early 20th century, when the corset company was one of the city's major industries. It is also presented as a well-preserved example of late 19th-century New England industrial construction, with thick masonry bearing walls, recessed window bays, towers and open interior floors. It retains integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship.
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 84000097, listed October 4, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 30 Wyman St., Worcester |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | October 4, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000097 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1895-1909 |
| Architect / builder | Architect Arthur F. Gray of Boston; built by Norcross Brothers |
| Architectural style | Utilitarian Romanesque Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Leased to a shoe manufacturer from the 1940s until 1983. A 1984 city letter says the owners intended to rehabilitate it into 158 units of market-rate housing. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.24911, -71.81893 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 84000097.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8034158
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.